FREESKI AMATEURS BATTLE TOP COMPETITORS AND FREEZING TEMPTERATURES FOR A SPOT IN THE GATORADE FREE FLOW TOUR FINALS
Four Freeskiers Advance to Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals, Feb. 10-13 at Snowbasin Resort
Burr Ridge, Ill. – January 25, 2011 –
Halfway through with the season, the Gatorade Free Flow Tour completed its second weekend of events for the 2011 season. Events at Tyrol Basin Ski and Snowboard Area in Wisconsin and Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont turned out top competitors and repeat finalists. Freeskiers took on superpipe and slopestyle contests, and the winners will go on to the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals, taking place at Snowbasin Resort in Utah, February 10-13.
At Tyrol Basin, Willie Borm took the slopestyle contest on Saturday while Sunday’s superpipe contest went to Ty Willman; at Okemo, Tyler Duncan won in slopestyle and Daniel Rosenblum in superpipe. Qualifying first and holding the position all day was thirteen-year-old Borm.
The Minnesota native used a run consisting of a switch left 7 high mute, to switch left 9, to gap 270 on the flat down, to 360 on 360 off the banked box, earning an 81.00. Second and third place finalists Eric Lukkari and Austin Torvinen did not make it easy on the judges, as both skiers threw down very solid runs. Their scores were 77.00 and 76.00 respectively.
“This is great,” said Borm. “This is a good opportunity to get on the Winter Dew Tour next year.” 17-year-old Wellman topped the freeski podium with a run that started with a right 5, landed an upside down flair, and finished the run with a left 7. Ty spun both directions very well, which impressed the judges enough to earn the win with an 81.00. Scoring a 76.00 to come in second place was Aiden Smith, and with a 70.50 was Kory Kirby in third place.
“I’m so psyched I won,” said Wellman. “I really can’t believe it!” Fighting off the same frigid weather as the Midwest, the amateurs at Okemo took full advantage of the day. Earning a spot in the Finals was 16-year-old Rosenblum, who used his most impressive trick first, a big 900, to lock in his win, as well as high amplitude 540’s going both directions, and an ally-oop flat 540 to top things off. He scored an 89.00, while second place finisher Colby Vavolotis scored an 86.00 and third place finalist Cody Buchalter earned an 80.00. In a hungry field of over 40 competitors, the freeski slopestyle competition at Okemo saw 15-year-old Duncan top the field. He solidified his spot in the Finals with a score of 93.00. His impressive finals run included a switch 9 mute, critical shifty, and a switch on frontside 630 out the of legacy feature.
Taking second and third place were Alex Beaulieu and Will Hibbs, who earned a 90.25 and 89.75 respectively. With their wins, all four earn an automatic bid into the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals that will take place at the Winter Dew Tour’s Toyota Championship, February 10-13, 2011 at Snowbasin Resort in Utah.
Saturday and Sunday, January 22-23, 2011 Mount Horeb, Wis.
Freeski Superpipe
1. Ty Wellman, Boyne City, Mich.
2. Aiden Smith, Lake Geneva, Wis.
3. Kory Kirby, Stillwater, Minn.
4. Seamus Flanagan.
5. Shane McNally.
Freeski Slopestyle
1. Willie Borm, Chaska, Minn.
2. Eric Lukkari, Spring Lake, Minn.
3. Austin Torvinen, Deluth, Minn.
4. Jon Bodeau.
5. Ryan Haworth.
Saturday and Sunday, January 22-23, 2011 Ludlow, Vt.
Freeski Superpipe
1. Joe Mensch, Moriches, N.Y.
2. Levi Gunzburg, Mount Snow, Vt.
3. Shane Serrano, Bridgewater, N.J.
4. Taylor Watling, Canada.
5. Randall Reynolds, Higgsanum, Conn.
Freeski Slopestyle
1. Whitney Kulich, Carrabassett, Maine.
The winners in each of the 54 contests (30 slopestyle and 24 superpipe) will be flown to the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals, taking place in conjunction with the Winter Dew Tour’s Toyota Championship, February 12-13 at Snowbasin Resort in Utah. Encompassing the “Flow to Pro” theme that is the cornerstone of the Gatorade Free Flow Tour, the two overall snowboard superpipe and slopestyle champions and the overall freeski superpipe and slopestyle champions will earn a spot to compete against the pros at the first stop of the 2011-12 Winter Dew Tour the following season.
2011 REGISTRATION
All competitions are open to both male and female amateur competitors 21 and younger for all freeski and snowboard disciplines. There is a $20 entry fee, and all participants under the age of 18 must bring a parent or guardian to the event to sign a liability waiver. Contest registration forms, waivers and detailed information are available ahead of time at www.gatoradefreeflowtour.com.
Gatorade Free Flow Tour
The Gatorade Free Flow Tour, the official amateur series of the Winter Dew Tour, holds competitions at resorts across the country throughout the month of January and February, providing a platform for amateur freeskiers and snowboarders to showcase their skills. The winter leg of the Tour consists of 10 regional events across the U.S., featuring freeskiing (superpipe and slopestyle) and snowboarding (superpipe and slopestyle). The winners of each regional event earn a trip to compete in the Gatorade Free Flow Tour Finals held in conjunction with the Winter Dew Tour’s Toyota Championship, Feb. 10-13, 2011 at Snowbasin Resort in Utah, and the overall champions in the four disciplines automatically earn a spot to compete against the pros in the first stop of the 2011-12 Winter Dew Tour.
Gatorade’s partnership with the Free Flow Tour began in 2009, and its presence and commitment to uplift amateur freeskiers and snowboarders and provide an extended platform to grow action sports enabled the creation of the winter season of the Gatorade Free Flow Tour.
Fuel TV broadcasts select coverage of the Gatorade Free Flow Tour, and Allisports.com will be the home of all digital content and Tour information. More information can be found at www.gatoradefreeflowtour.com. Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports Alli, the Alliance of Action Sports, is a global business that encompasses national and international action sports tours and events, multimedia production, and a consumer-facing lifestyle brand. The Alliance includes: the Dew Tour, Winter Dew Tour, Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship, King of Wake series, and the Gatorade Free Flow Tour; Alli Productions, which creates original content, produces and presents content with partners, and distributes Alli content through a variety of channels. Alli is owned by NBC Sports and MTV Networks. More information can be found at www.allisports.com.
Gatorade
The Gatorade Company, a division of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), provides sports performance innovations designed to meet the needs of athletes at all competitive levels and across a broad range of sports. Gatorade Thirst Quencher® is backed by more than 40 years of research and is scientifically formulated and athletically proven to quench thirst, replace fluids and electrolytes, and provide carbohydrate energy to enhance athletic performance. The company’s product portfolio is built around the G Series™, a 1-2-3 approach to athlete nutrition and hydration before (Gatorade Prime 01™), during (Gatorade® Perform 02 and G2® Perform 02), and after (Gatorade Recover 03™) training or competition. For more information, please visit www.gatorade.com.
PepsiCo offers the world’s largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 18 different product lines that each generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade – also make hundreds of other nourishing, tasty foods and drinks that bring joy to our consumers in over 200 countries. With more than $43 billion in 2008 revenues, PepsiCo employs 198,000 people who are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth, called Performance with Purpose. By dedicating ourselves to offering a broad array of choices for healthy, convenient and fun nourishment, reducing our environmental impact, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace culture, PepsiCo balances strong financial returns with giving back to our communities worldwide. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.
