Big riders in Italy for “Rock The Spot”

On January 18th and 19th 2008, the FIAT Freestyle Team champions will be returning to the "FIAT Freestyle Team Snowparking" in Bardonecchia (Turin - Italy), to take part in the most exciting and innovative event in snowboarding, freestyle and music: "Rock the Spot".

Indeed, after last season's huge success, the famous resort in the Italian Alps will once again be hosting this original fixture which has been added to the "Ticket To Ride Snowboard Tour", the championship that includes the most important snowboarding events at international level. The FIAT Freestyle Team's "Rock the Spot", organised by Fiat Automobiles and sponsored by Quiksilver, has been judged one of the highest profile events in the international scene with 4 stars TTR, Italy's first half pipe event to achieve such recognition.

The top snowboarders will once again be competing against one another in Italy's most important half pipe event in the very same setting that enlivened the Turin 2006 XX Winter Olympics Games. Naturally the FIAT Freestyle Team could not miss such an event, and Mathieu Crepel, member also of the Quiksilver Team, and last season's World Half pipe and Big Air Champion, will be present at the event.

These superb athletes, together with 22 other top riders from the international scene, will compete against one another in Bardonecchia's Olympic half pipe. This season's formula is building on and improving that of last year. Indeed, as well as the 12 athletes invited directly to Saturday's contest, a further 12 will be given the chance to qualify for the final on Friday 18th January by getting through the heats which are open to everyone.

This is the competitive side of a difficult and spectacular contest. However, there is much more to "Rock the Spot": each session of the contest will be accompanied by drum rolls and solos by well-known bands. Specifically, in the afternoon of Saturday 19th January, the first four acts will begin performing to warm up the hearts of the many spectators expected for the run-up to the grand finale in the evening and the live performances by the other two bands. Big names already confirmed on the line-up include Juliette & The Licks, the US group fronted by Hollywood actress Juliette Lewis as lead singer. Also confirmed are Vanilla Sky, The New Story, Forty Winks and Dufresne.

INVITED RIDERS:
Mathieu Crepel                                         
Markku Koski           
Mikka Hast     
Christophe Schmidt     
Markus Keller  
Gary Zebrovsky
Janne Korpi    
Iouri Podladtchikov    
Malin Markus   
Jeremy Thompson
Piiroinen Peetu
Fredrik Austbo

WILD CARDS:
Manuel Pietropoli      
Stefano Munari 
Dylan Bidez    

For the BEO finalists there are TWO other wild card available to partcipate at "Rock the Spot".

Contact the RIDER OFFICE for all information.

PRIZE MONEY  €60.000 more info at www.fiatfreestyleteam.com/rockthespot/