STYLEWARS - Down Under's biggest snowboard park and rail set-up near ready for the annual TTR invitational at Falls Creek Australia.
August 26th - 31st, 2007, Falls Creek Resort, Australia. Some of the best snowboarders from around the globe are converging on Falls Creek Australia for the third stop on the TTR World Snowboard Tour - STYLEWARS. The weeklong invitational event that is described more as a weeklong jam session than a contest is aiming to build the biggest snowboard park ever seen in the Southern Hemisphere. Plans are in and looks like the biggest hip in the Southern Hemisphere is going to happen, also a 120 ft (40 meters) straight jump, a line of 4 mid to large jumps in a flowing line and a gap over a quarter pipe transition. Richard Hegarty the event oganiser says, "It's an open format that promotes progression instead of the normal contest runs. This unique way of running a contest also means that the best snowboarder will always win." "We are building a hip that stands 30 foot high [10 metres] so riders can launch 30 foot plus airs from the top. [20 meters from the ground]", stated Sam Poffrey the Stylewars park builder who has been shipped in from the USA especially for the event. After a cancellation last year due to lack of snow, Stylewars is back and hoping for big things with the most talented field of professional snowboarders ever seen on Australian soil. They riders will be vying for important early season points and a $15,000 cash prize purse during the 'down under' leg of the TTR World Tour. Thirty (30) snowboarders from ten (10) countries have been invited to compete. Riders like Americans Andy Finch (Tahoe) and Jaakko Ruha (Finland) will join a selected few local pros from Australia and New Zealand including Jacob Koia (NZ), Robbie Walker (AUS) and Ryan Tiene (AUST) to name a few. "I'm looking forward to hitting some big jumps down here and doing some big floating tricks, that's the best feeling there is in snowboarding. The biggest air I have done previously was at Mt Hood (USA) it was 27 feet from the top of the hip. If things go wrong at that height you would be hurting." Andy Finch said. Australian Ryan Tiene [Port Macquarie NSW] a previous winner of the event will be one of the top Australian riders to attend. He is fresh from a win at the Rip Curl Pro last week and is looking forward to Stylewars, which is known Down Under as the "riders event". "It's my favourite contest of the year . it's great for Australian snowboarding to be riding with the big cats from overseas, I'll probably try and poison the water to give me the edge, or take a AK47 with me. haha. it's a given that we will smash the kiwis in the Bledisnow cup, although Jacob Koia (NZ) may need to be taken out with the AK before the Bledisnow" Ryan said, referring to the Australia versus New Zealand component of the event. The three-day event will also play host to the Volvo night rail jam on Wednesday the 22nd. The specially made 32-stair set-up is currently being built in the Falls Creek village where additional invited 'rail' riders will join the Stylewars invitees for the $5000 winner takes all 'event within an event.' "The night rail set-up is pretty screwed up, it's five and a half meters (18 feet) high from top to bottom, it's 13-metres long (40 feet) and includes 32 stairs. If you fall the consequences are serious. The aim for this set-up was to make it a progressive street rail set-up but in a controlled environment" explained Stylewars event organizer Richard Hegarty. "Stylewars is a major international event in Australia and we are happy to support it.the event is such a mellow three days of competition, really it's just a jam session riding around with your mates and then partying at night. Stylewars has a waiting period August 26-31 and will keep the riders and spectators entertained with a weeklong music festival in Falls Creek village. Live performances from talented Australian bands and DJ's will keep the party going. Featuring: KATALYST, RUCL, HAU (KOOLISM), THE GALVATRONS, GROUND COMPONENTS, AIRBOURNE and BLISS N ESO. Stylewars presented by Oakley and Supported by: DC, Red Bull, Volvo, Silverski Lodge, Falls Creek, Motorola www.stylewars.com.au www.ttrworldtour.com