Squaw Valley, CA – The North Face Masters of Snowboarding presented by PrimaLoft will take place Wednesday through Saturday net week at Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows ski resorts near Lake Tahoe in California. The event will feature top big mountain snowboard competitors battling for The North Face Masters of Snowboarding champion title, $15,000 in prize money and a chance to advance to the 2014 SWATCH Freeride World Tour by The North Face (FWT). In addition to a talented field of amateur snowboarders, FWT pro-snowboarders Ralph Backstrom, Jamie Rizzuto, Iris Lazzareschi, Casey Lucas and Shannon Yates will compete in this year’s event.
The event will feature one open 2-star Freeride World Qualifier (FWQ) event at Alpine Meadows (Feb. 13-14) with the top five men and top three females advancing to the Masters 4-star Championship event. The Masters Championship event will take place over two days (Feb. 15-16) at Squaw Valley immediately following the qualifier event at Alpine Meadows. Riders participating in the Squaw Valley competition will also earn 4-star FWQ points. Jim Zellers of Lake Tahoe will serve as head judge with Danny Haritgan of Crested Butte, Colo., Andy Finch of Lake Tahoe and Rob Kingwill out of Jackson, Wyo., making up the rest of the judging panel.
In addition to the championship title, The North Face will also grant the A-Rob award in honor and memory of the late Masters’ champion Aaron Robinson. The A-Rob award captures the spirit of the community and desire to explore the mountains. Another award up for grabs is The Young Gun Award for the under-21 rider who demonstrates raw talent, an innovative riding style and exemplifies true sportsmanship and passion for the mountains.
The North Face Masters is part of the Freeride World Qualifier system. FWQs are rated on a 1 to4-star scale with competitors earning more or less points at events according to venue difficulty and scale, competitive pool and other factors. The Masters is the top-level qualifier event and a pivotal step for athletes hoping to advance to the SWATCH Freeride World Tour by The North Face.