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After only two years, the adidas Slopestyle has become one of the largest and most significant freeride events in the world. For the second time in a row the small town of Saalbach Hinterglemm turned into a Freeride Mecca this June when the adidas Slopestyle Contest pulled the forty best freeriders in the world to Austria and along with them 100 journalists, photographers, and film crews as well as the who’s who of the international freeride community. Now Saalbach Hinterglemm has committed to be the Slopestyle venue for three more years.
Course Designer Gareth Dyer. At the event in 2005 the announcer kept announcing Gareth's nickname as Schnitzel. He seemed to really like that. Photo ~ Cam McRae
"The adidas Slopestyle is one of our most important summer highlights”,
says Saalbach Hinterglemm’s Mayor Peter Mitterer. “We’ve seen
reports all over the world about this event and thus our town. The coverage
we had because of the Slopestyle is impressive. So of course we want this major
event to take place in Saalbach Hinterglemm for the years to come.” Axel
Burkhardt, global sports marketing manager for adidas Cycling, Adventure, and
Olympic Sports is also pleased with the renewal of the partnership. “We
are in good hands and freeriders
like Saalbach Hinterglemm. Our dirt jumper John Jesme hit the mark when he said
‘Where else can you come to a town and take it over? No where, but here.’
And speaking from my own experience I can only confirm what he said.
New Slopestyle site confirmed
To emphasize their commitment, the municipality sanctioned a new Slopestyle
site to satisfy a long beared wish of the organisers. „We’ve already
reached our limits building this year’s Slopestyle course, because the
terrain at Reiterkogel mountain is very steep”, explains Saalbach’s
mountain bike patron Bascht Hasenauer (Bike’n Soul). The new site is less
precipitous and wider, thus we have more options.
Our course designer Gareth Dyer has always asked for a flatter slope and now
we are able to fulfil his wish.”
And for that he won the big balls award - Ed Wright figured it should be called the huge cock award. Photo ~ Cam McRae
Date 2006: 15 – 18 June
In 2006 the adidas Slopestyle will again take place on the third weekend in
June. Feast of Corpus Christi – a public holiday in Austria and the German
federal states Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine Westphalia, Rhinelan
- Palatinate and Saarland - will be on June 15th next year which is a great
opportunity to spend an extended weekend in Austria. “This date will also
be our official summer opening. Our cable cars start running for the 5 gondola
tour, the best way to explore our single track paradise”, says Wolfgang
Breitfuss, tourism director of Saalbach Hinterglemm which has been voted best
bike region in Austria for two consecutive years. „Our holiday service
will offer great weekend bargains in all hotel categories. Meanwhile we also
cooperate with low cost airlines and can offer complete package deals including
airfare, shuttle and accommodation.”
Moves like this step-up/step-down x 2 will be hard to fit into a course that isn't as steep. Berrecloth midway through. Photo ~ Cam McRae
NEW: Rookie Qualifier on Thursday
The Slopestyle organisers also use the public holiday for an expansion of their
contest. On that day they will host a Rookie Qualifier at which talented freeride
newcomers can win five start places for the adidas Slopestyle qualification.
„Year around we are bombarded with photos and video clips by kids who
are begging us to let them start at the adidas Slopestyle”, explains event
director Mike Hamel. “We
know that there is some amazing talent out there. For instance, 14 year olds
write us that they have built a foam pad in their backyard to practice back
flips. We want to give all these young talents a fair chance. The adidas Slopestyle
is a significant international stage which can make a nobody famous over night.
If we want to develop this sport further we have to look out for new blood and
give unknown
freeriders the chance to present themselves – otherwise they’ll
never be discovered.“
Saalbach Hinterglemm prepares for the future
In order to manage the continuously increasing stampede of visitors, Hinterglemm
will build a seven level parking garage with a large event surface area submontane
Reiterkogel cable car station next year. “With this project we do not
only create more parking space, we also offer our guests roofed parking underneath
the cable car station”, says Mayor Peter Mitterer. „Our freeride
park will remain open, of course, throughout the construction phase. Once the
Reiterkogel cable car stops running, a freeride shuttle service will take over.”
Just in time for the season opening 2006, the new Blue Line will be inaugurated. This 3.5 kilometre long freeride course was mainly created for beginners, but its great flow will certainly also be enjoyed by experienced freeriders. Austria’s Federal Nature Conservation Agency has already sanctioned the new route this month.
Federal Nature Conservation Agency praises adidas Freeride as exemplary Officers of the Austrian Federal Nature Conservation Agency have extolled the adidas Freeride in Saalbach Hinterglemm as model for all other bike parks, because it does not only canalise freeriders in the woods but is also a paradigm for the perfect integration into nature. Even its branding is natural. Instead of putting up ugly plastic boards the park’s sponsors are acknowledged on timber panels and through stone formations.
For further press information please contact
Sonja Güldner-Hamel
PLANET TALK GmbH
Phone: +49 8061 3 50 59 12
Fax: +49 8061 3 50 59 10
Mobile: +49 170 29 27 086
Email: sonja.hamel@planet-talk.de
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