A big week is in store for the 5Star NESCAFÉ CHAMPS Leysin as the event prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary. As Europe’s longest running snowboarding event it has brought many young talents into the limelight and continues to do so with its progressive slopestyle course that incorporates a superpipe into the setup. Top international male and female athletes will be heading to Leysin, Switzerland next week from Feburary 8th to 13th 2011, to compete for a share of the $50,000 USD prize purse and a maximum of 850 Swatch TTR ranking points on offer. The finals for both male and female riders will take place on Saturday, February 12th.


Markus Keller, Champs 2010 © Champs

Top Riders Invited to Compete

With an open qualification system, the NESCAFÉ CHAMPS Leysin offers an opportunity for the up-and-coming talent to qualify into the semi finals and measure their skills against the invited riders. With the creatively mixed course, only the best overall riders will make it to the finals. The course starts off with a table with 2 kicker options, followed by an 80 meter superpipe and another table with a kicker/rail option, finishing off with a wallride in front of the crowd.

In the line up this year are a host of top riders such as current Swatch TTR World No. 24, Jan Scherrer, one of Switzerland’s new rising stars who recently took his first 6Star podium with a third place at the O’Neill Evolution halfpipe in Davos, Switzerland. Jan also took sixth in slopestyle last week at the 4Star Stimorol Engadinsnow, showing his skills as an all around solid rider at the tender age of 16. He will face some tough competition from fellow up and coming rookies such as Swiss ripper, Pat Burgener, who sits in World No. 16, after qualifying to ride at last Saturday’s 6Star Billabong Air & Style via the “Rookie Challenge”, as well as Finnish rookies, Sami Luhtanen and Petja Piiroinen, the younger brother of reigning TTR Champion Peetu Piiroinen. Also on the riders list are some seasoned riders such as Swiss style master, Gian Simmen and Risto Mattila (FIN), who recently placed 9th at the 4Star Red Bull Nanshan Open, in China.

One of the toughest competitors in the women’s field is Slovenian rider, Cilka Sadar, who currently sits in TTR World No. 2. Cilka has showed her solid skills in halfpipe with her recent second place at both the 5Star Burton Canadian Open and the 6Star O’Neill Evolution. Also, on site is Swiss rider, Ursina Haller, current World No. 14, who won the O'Neill Evolution halfpipe last season and finished 7th in the overall TTR ranking last year.


Risto Mattila, Champs 2010 © Champs

TTR Tour Picking up Speed

On Saturday the 12th of Feburary 2011, the same day as the finals take place in Leysin, the 6Star Nike 6.0 Air & Style Munich will be rocking the Olympic Stadium in Munich, Germany, and is streamed live on the web for your viewing pleasure starting 16.30 GMT on freecaster.com and ttrworldtour.com. Shortly after the NESCAFÉ CHAMPS Leysin have wrapped up The Oakley Arctic Challenge will be hosting a 6Star slopestyle competition for both male and female riders on the14th-19th February 2011. The latest news, photos and videos from Swatch TTR events around the world will be updated as the action unfolds on ttrworldtour.com.

Invited Riders Men

Risto Mattila
Johann Baisamy
Petja Piiroinen
Patrick Burgener
Dan Wakeham
Jan Scherrer
Janne Lipsanen
Gian Simmen
Anthony Holland
Sami Luthanen
Manuel Pietropoli

Invited Riders Women

Cilka Sadar
Mirabelle Thovex
Ursina Haller
Sina Condrian
Nadja Purtschert
Christina Gruber
Domettira Mattei

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Current TTR World Rankings