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The 2010 Arctic Challenge Slopestyle

 

Dec 05, 2009 / 04:20:53 PM


The Arctic Challenge 2010

Top 20 TTR riders confirmed for The Oakley Arctic Challenge

What a showdown at the first TAC slopestyle since 2003. Top 20 riders from the TTR ranking (except the injured Seb Toots and Ipod) are confirmed. Furthermore, top 6 from the X Games slopestyle finals and top 8 from the overall Dew Tour ranking is heading for Norway.

There are excitement on all levels in TAC 2010, starting next week. Peetu Piiroinen will highly likely secure his second consecutive TTR Tour Championship. And for the first time, Norwegian snowboard heroes Mikkel Bang and Torstein Horgmo (Andreas Ygre Wiig is injured) are challenging their International peers in a 6 star slopestyle event on home soil. Torstein had a killer season last year, and started to turn up his competition volume this season as well by winning the final Dew Tour stop. Stylish Mikkel can also win whenever he puts on a start bib.

One of the best riders lists in the history of both TTR and TAC is giving promise of thrilling snowboard action.

For full riders list and bios check out www.thearcticchallenge.com and follow TAC on Facebook. The arena is being rigged right now and Claes Hoegstrom is starting the fine art of shaping later this week. The riders arrrive in Norway Wednesday next week, first practise and grand opening downtown Oslo on Thursday the 4th. Semifinals is on Saturday the 6th and finals on Sunday the 7th.

Spectator capacity is 4000 and ticket are available at Billettservice.no now.

The legendary Arctic Challenge is coming of age by reintroducing slopestyle and bringing Adreas and Torstein, the new guard of Norwegian legends into the fold. The event is the second 6-Star stop on the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour - known as "the riders tour", the TTR Tour hosts the best and most progressive snowboard events across the globe.

Founded by legend Norwegian snowboarders Terje Haakonsen and Daniel Franck, the Arctic Challenge in 2010 will host the most elite slopestyle snowboarders on the planet on a course designed with assistance from Torstein Horgmo and Andreas Wiig, two of the new-breed Norwegians who currently levitate at the top of the dizzying heights of freestyle snowboarding, Much like Daniel and Terje did a decade ago.


Founder and snowboard legend Terje Haakonsen still competes every year in the Qaurter-pipe event. In 2008 (pictured) he broke the quarter-pipe world record with a 9.8 metre backside 360. In 2010 there will be no QP, will Terje compete? Photo: Oskar Ostnes/TAC

The Arctic Challenge has had a variety of formats throughout its decade long history including a number of hand-dug super-pipes (before the modern 22-foot pipe cutter) and quarter-pipes that literally changed the way we think about snowboard events. Every year monumental moments in snowboarding history happen at the "TAC" including a number of Quarter-pipe World Records. But there hasn't been a slopestyle event at the TAC since 2003 when the event launched back after a year off (due to financial difficulty) where it spearheading the new TTR World Tour.


Artists impression of the 2010 Arctic Challenge Slopestyle course. Designed in assistance with more recent Norwegian legends Torstein Horgmo and Andreas Wiig. The TAc is proving it can evolve with the times.

In Arctic Challenge legend, only the most creative,cutting edge and "next-level" course will do, and with the absence of Halfpipe and Quarter-pipe for the first time there is even higher expectations on a great event. Not to mention it is an "Olympic Year" and progression of snowboarding always ramps up in this 4-year cycle. All eyes will be on the TAC, to see what will be coming down the pipe-line (so to speak).


Young guns ruled at the 2009 TAC Quarter-pipe only event. Although the event was marred by bad weather, there was no shortage of incredible snowboarding that went down. Eventual winner 19-yo Arthur Longo from France proved that the new guard has truly arrived. Photo: Tommy Solstad/TAC

The event will be broadcast live and direct to your lap(top) so check it out.
Go to the T-A-C website for more details: http://www.thearcticchallenge.com
Or head to the TTR World Tour Website: http://www.ttrworldtour.com

Watch the official HD clip from the 2009 TAC.

Official update from T-A-C about the course design.


Our shaper Claes Högström has made a spectacular slopestyle course for The Oakley Arctic Challenge 2010 together with Torstein Horgmo and Andreas Wiig. The course consists of a rail/stairs element, then a rail/butterbox element, a table top, a regular big jump and a hip at the bottom. The course starts with the rails. Torstein and Andreas have been involved in the customization of the set up, and Andreas is pleased with the result. - The rail elements are pretty big and demands some guts from the riders, he explains. - We have focused on making the slope diverse and to get a flow in the riding, says Claes Högström. The slope has been adjusted to the terrain in Wyllerløypa which has been quite challenging, the terrain is pretty steep at some places and gives the riders quite a lot of speed. The rails are followed by two jumps and finally the hip jump. The first jump is a table top, while the second is a more traditional big jump and the third obstacle is a large hip. The riders acquire quite a lot of speed before the last element- the hip in the end of the slope. - It`s all about going high and with style at the hip, says Andreas, who is looking forward to test the slope when it`s ready.

tags: arctic, challenge, ttr, world, tour, 6, star, norway, terje, haakonsen, daniel, franck, 2010, feature, features, photos, video, videos, transfer