For the third time in a row, Kitzsteinhorn hosts the world's biggest snowboard event for girls only: from December 12 to 14, 2008, the 6th Roxy Chicken Jam Europe will take place at Zell am See-Kaprun, Salzburg County, Austria. At the Glacier Park on Kitzsteinhorn, the planet's best female snowboarders will fight for the US$ 50,000 prize-money as well as vital points for the Swatch Ticket To Ride (TTR) Women's World Snowboard Tour.
The Roxy Chicken Jams at Kitzsteinhorn at the beginning of the winter and at Mammoth, USA, at the end of the season are 6-star events and the biggest and most important competitions of the TTR Women's World Snowboard Tour - while the winter kick-off in Kaprun sets the course for a successful season, the female world champion will be crowned at the Roxy Chicken Jam USA. With 1,000 points for the overall ranking respectively, the winners can distance themselves from their competitors. At both events, the snow park and the event format are specially tuned to the girls' demands, and they stay among themselves without being disturbed by their male colleagues. All in all, this leads to a stronger performance.
The slopestyle competition at the Glacier Park Kitzsteinhorn will be held in a jam session format: the female snowboarders are allowed to do as many runs as they want within the given time. This format leaves a lot of freedom to the riders as they don't have to stick every trick in one single run. Hence, they can try more creative moves. The jury only rewards the best runs. The judges look for the execution and style of the tricks and how the rider uses the single elements of the park. 25 invited riders plus the best five riders of Friday's qualifications will take part in the Main Session on Saturday. Subsequently, eight riders will compete in the finals.
For the snowboard girls, the Roxy Chicken Jam is the highlight of the season. This is proven by the extraordinary list of starters. Last year, the 2006 TTR world champion Cheryl Maas (NED) won the event. Second place went to Jamie Anderson (USA), who later became the 2008 TTR world champion at the Roxy Chicken Jam USA. Claudia Fliri (AUT) who became eighth in the TTR ranking came in third. With the 2007 TTR world champion Torah Bright (AUS) and Kjersti Buass Oestgaard (NOR), also the second and fourth of the 2008 TTR end-of-season ranking were at the start at last year's Roxy Chicken Jam at Kaprun.
For this pre-Christmas get-together of the snowboard queens, Zell am See-Kaprun is the ideal location: not only due to the snow-sure Kitzsteinhorn glacier but also because of the three snow parks of the Kitzsteinhorn Mellow Park. At the Glacier Park where the Roxy Chicken Jam will take place, 30 obstacles will wait for the riders. But during the event weekend, also the Roxy Park for beginners and intermediates and the DC Central Park for advanced and pro riders (both to be found at the Sonnenkarbahn chair lift) will already be open to the public.
With the Roxy Chicken Jam, the winter gets underway - and that's reason enough to celebrate: at the Xmas party in Saturday night, the snowboarders will dance the night away with the locals.
For more information please visit www.roxy.com and www.chickenjam.com
Roxy Chicken Jam 2008 - Fact Sheet:
Location: Zell am See-Kaprun (AUT), Glacier Park, Kitzsteinhorn
Date: December 12-14, 2008
Event Mode: Slopestyle, Jam Session format
Prize purse: US$ 50,000
Schedule Friday, December 12th
13.00-15.00 Qualification (30 riders), photoshooting
Saturday, December 13th
11.00-13.00 Main Session (25 invited + 5 qualified riders)
14.00-15.00 Finals with the best 8 riders, afterwards: prize-giving
22.00 Xmas-Party
Sunday, December 14th
Bad weather day; photoshooting
Infos (accommodation) www.zellamsee-kaprun.at and www.kitzsteinhorn.at
Winners so far: Roxy Chicken Jam 2004 (Innsbruck/AUT): Natasha Zurek (CAN)
Roxy Chicken Jam 2005 (St.Moritz/SUI): Natasha Zurek (CAN)
Roxy Chicken Jam 2006 (St.Moritz/SUI): Cheryl Maas (NED)
Roxy Chicken Jam 2006 (Kaprun/AUT): Jamie Anderson (USA)
Roxy Chicken Jam 2007 (Kaprun/AUT): Cheryl Maas (NED)