SWATCH TTR TOUR CHAMPION CROWNED IN DAYS

Vermont, USA - March 16th, 2009: The time has come to crown the men’s Swatch TTR Tour Champion at the prestigious 6Star Burton US Open. After a highly charged season, Shaun White (USA) and Peetu Piiroinen (FIN) have emerged as the two Title contenders, but only one will walk away victorious after Sunday’s Slopestyle Final. However, the Halfpipe finals on Saturday will already play an important and decisive role as they offer the first 1000 Swatch TTR points. From March 16th – 22nd, 2009, ten months of competition, dedication and hard work will culminate when a victor is crowned and the Tour defining contest decides the TTR Top 5.

Riders will descend upon freestyle snowboarding’s holy ground where they will chase Halfpipe and Slopestyle glory in search of the final 2000 crucial ranking points. Now in its 27th year, the Burton US Open will give riders a chance to etch their name into Swatch TTR history and earn part of the $200,000 USD prize money.
Piiroinen has been defending the World No.1 position since the 6Star Billabong Air & Style in Austria and Shaun White will need to perform strongly in both formats to knock him off and claim his second Swatch TTR Title. Both riders have what it takes in Halfpipe and Slopestyle contests, ensuring this year’s finale is too close to call.

The leading TTR ranked riders are fighting to secure a position in the coveted Swatch TTR Top 5, which brings with it huge cash prizes and invites to major events next season. World No.2, Chas Guldemond (USA) has had a dream-like tour and will be fighting to defend his position at the US Open. He is going into the race with the confidence of his first Halfpipe win from the recent 5Star Asian Open. Last year’s Tour Champion, Vermont native, Kevin Pearce (USA), comes into the contest with the hometown advantage and has the ability to improve on his World No.4 ranking, espacially after winning one of the most prestigious 6Star Halfpipe contests of the season, the Burton European Open. Further down the ranks in World No.8, sits Kevin’s FREND, Mason Aguirre (USA), who recently has been charging up the ranking. The American contingent will be locked in a battle for the TTR Top 5 with World No.3 Risto Mattila (FIN) and World No.6 Antti Autti (FIN). Both these riders have won competitions with their technical smooth style and are hungry for Finnish finish on the podium.

The women’s race is also hurtling toward a climatic finish and the 2000 rankings points available at the Burton US Open will further close the gaps between the contenders. The US Open is the girl’s penultimate chance to move up before the final 6Star Roxy Chicken Jam, so expect to see some super intense riding. World No.1, Jamie Anderson (USA) will maintain her World No.1 position, however after this event it will be possible for a number of girls to take her down. World No.2, Silvia Mittermueller (GER), World No.4, Sarka Pancochova (CZE) and World No.5, Lisa Wiik (NOR) are going head to head for the No.2 ranking already in the first format – all of them viable threats. In what is a truly international race, World No.7, Sina Candrian (SUI), World No.9, Spencer O’Brien (CAN) and World No.12, Cheryl Maas (NED) are also vying to earn points in both formats and to get in position to make a play for the Swatch TTR Tour Title one week later.

Log on to www.ttrworldtour.com and read the news, watch videos and get the low down before the Tour draws to a close this weekend. Live coverage begins March 20th on www.go211.com so tune in and brace yourself for a showdown packed finale.

2008/2009 - Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour Rankings am: 14/ 03 / 09
MEN
Rank Name Nation Results Points
1 Piiroinen, Peetu FIN 7 904.59
2 Guldemond, Chas USA 7 840.27
3 Mattila, Risto FIN 7 782.92
4 Pearce, Kevin USA 7 782.78
5 White, Shaun USA 6 769.72
6 Autti, Antti FIN 7 754.81
7 Reid, Charles CAN 7 739.52
8 Aguirre, Mason USA 7 732.23
9 Malin, Markus FIN 7 714.35
10 Korpi, Janne FIN 7 702.01

WOMEN
Rank Name Nation Results Points
1 Anderson, Jamie USA 7 821.35
2 Mittermueller, Silvia GER 7 591.42
3 Karlinski, Jordie USA 7 588.67
4 Pancochova, Sarka CZE 6 575.87
5 Wiik, Lisa NOR 5 574.87
6 Rennie, Kara CAN 7 565.55
7 Candrian, Sina SUI 5 547.05
8 Clark, Kelly USA 4 510.15
9 O`Brien, Spencer CAN 6 488.99
10 Davis-Meehan, Michaela AUS 7 476.68

ABOUT SWATCH TTR:

Founded by Terje Haakonsen and industry innovators in 2002, the SWATCH TTR World Snowboard Tour is
a non-profit, rider-driven organization with the mission to create the highest quality competitive snowboard
environment in the world, using authenticity, accessibility, innovation as guiding principles. Since its
foundation, the Swatch TTR Tour has been developing into the most exposed snowboard tour worldwide
featuring global grass root and key independent freestyle snowboarding events over a ten-month period
from Southern to Northern Hemisphere locations. Events are rated via a 1-through-6Star system, with points
allocated accordingly, a 6Star event holds the highest (1000 Swatch TTR points). Any rider participating in
these events, from up-and-coming to professional talent, earns ranking points and a position on the
SWATCH TTR World Ranking List. The top male and female rider based on an average of their best seven
results of the season is crowned SWATCH TTR World Snowboard Tour Champion.
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Verena Bossmann | PR and Media | Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour |
mobile: +43 676 7575 111| skype: verena_ttr | verena@ttrworldtour.com

This release was published on openPR.