The People Have Spoken: Austrian Fabio Studer Wins The Red Bull Cold Rush 2011 People's Choice Award
1,500 Fans Participate in 10 Days of Online Highlight Video Viewing and Voting for the Most Impressive Freeskier in the Competition
(Silverton, CO – March 31, 2011) — Red Bull Cold Rush, a progressive backcountry freeskiing competition, descended upon Silverton Mountain in Colorado for the first time in the event’s five year history March 14–16. Twenty-one of the world’s best skiers competed in three disciplines –Big Mountain, Slopestyle ,and Cliffs – vying for the title of the most versatile and best all-around skier, as judged first by the athletes themselves in a peer review, and then by fans everywhere via a People’s Choice Award hosted on www.RedBullUSA.com/ColdRush. After 10 days of intense online competition, Austria’s Fabio Studer was voted fan favorite.
The skiers also judged each other during the event in the traditional Red Bull Cold Rush peer review format. When all the snow settled, it was Canada’s Sean Pettit who took the overall crown. “I don’t have words to describe winning,” Pettit said. “People went crazy this year and I still can’t believe I came out on top.” Sage Cattabriga-Alosa captured second place and his second podium spot in the Red Bull Cold Rush series. Competition newcomer Dane Tudor rounded out the top three in the third place spot.
On the women’s side, it was Salt Lake City’s Grete Eliassen who as the overall champion of Red Bull Cold Rush. “This is the biggest competition of the year for me, because this is the kind of skiing I love to do,” Eliassen said. “I focused all my training on Cold Rush and to win it is awesome.” Shelly Robertson took second place on the women’s side, with Michelle Parker securing the third place spot.
Host to all the action is one of the world’s foremost big mountain playgrounds, Silverton Mountain, North America’s highest ski area at 13,487’. With only one chairlift, no grooming, and loads of bowls, chutes, cliffs and natural terrain, this mountain challenges even the most skilled skiers.
