Garmin crowns its Alpine Champions following a raft of snowsports activity, both devised and implemented by Soulsports.

Garmin® the global leader in satellite navigation celebrates its first and successful winter season in snowsports by announcing the 3 champion skiers and snowboarders from the Alpine Garmin Test Centres that travelled the fastest, highest and furthest.

Throughout the Winter 09/10 season, over 5,000 guests swooshed through the doors of the Garmin Test Centre Chalets and snapped at the opportunity to trial the Foretrex 401 GPS devices, as sported last season by BBC Ski Sunday’s Graham Bell.

The practical wrist-worn device provided thousands of trialists with immediate speed, height and distance feedback, as well as extensive navigational capacity. More than simply enhancing the users’ slope-time, at the end of the day trialists uploaded their daily tracklogs to Garmin Snow Club for automatic entry into the season’s league table and chance to win a week’s winter holiday and Garmin devices. After 5 months, and well over 10,000 tracked miles, Garmin can reveal the Test Centre Champions for Winter 09/10:

How Fast? – Jonathon Brothers, 75.1mph – More Mountain Chalets, Morzine
*A week’s winter holiday for two at More Mountain, plus a Foretrex 401 device*

How High? – Andy Fisher, 10,585m (vertical descent) – Pleisure Holidays, Courchevel
*A Foretrex 401 and Dakota 20 device*

How Far? – Ben Lakin, 45.07miles – More Mountain Chalets, Morzine
*A Foretrex 401 device*

“In our first year of presenting the brand to the snowsports market, we have been overwhelmed with the response” said Chris Merrell, Garmin’s Marketing Manager. “We knew that the Foretrex 401 filled a gap in the market, but for demand to increase 10-fold on last year has taken even us by surprise. We now intend to push on into Winter 10/11 taking the learning’s gained from our excellent Test Centres and ambassadors Graham Bell and Ed Leigh to further increase the benefits that Garmin brings to snowsports.”

Both Garmin devices are available at all Snow + Rock and Ellis Brigham stores nationwide.

Foretrex® 401 – SRP £199.99
DakotaTM 20 – SRP £279.99

For a chance to win next season, book your stay at any of the Garmin Test Centres which can be viewed at www.garminsnowclub.co.uk. Good luck.

BBC Winter Sports Journalist, Anna Thompson highlights the amazing slopestyle athletes the UK currently have, including Jenny Jones and Jamie Nicholls and Ed Leigh thinks the inclusion of both the ski and snowboard slopestyle in the 2014 Winter Olympics is not just a pipe dream!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/annathompson/2010/02/slopestyle_to_make_debut_in_so.html

UK rippers Jamie Nicholls and Amiee Fuller have both qualified through to the Burton European Open Slopestyle Semi-Finals. Over 40 men and 50 women competed with only the top 18 men and 13 women advancing through the semi-finals where they will meet invited top-riders like last year’s BEO slopestyle winner Lisa Wiik and Swatch TTR World Champion 08/09 Peetu Piiroinen.

Today the men’s slopestyle semi-final is scheduled with the women’s semi-finals taking place on Thursday.

Slopestyle Qualification Men Results

1.     Jeromel Luka SLO FORUM 81.33

2.     Ciancaleoni Giorgio ITA BURTON 73.00

3.     Lipsanen Janne FIN RIPCURL 72.83

4.     Paumola Ville FIN QUIKSILVER 72.67

5.     Ryan Sean USA FORUM 71.00

6.     Tiller Sondre NOR DC SHOE CO USA 70.50

7.     Hast Miikka FIN PROTEST 70.17

8.     Morgan Ethan GER FORUM 69.67

9.     Uotila Ville FIN ATOMIC 69.33

10.  Nordgaard Trym NOR QUIKSILVER 69.17

11.  Arvidsson Nils SWE RIPCURL 69.00

12.  Sørensen Paal NOR QUIKSILVER 68.83

13.  Braaten Gjermund NOR OAKLEY 68.50

14.  Nicholls Jamie GBR QUIKSILVER 67.00

15.  Tonteri Roope FIN BURTON 66.00

16.  McMorris Mark CAN ONEILL 62.33

17.  Backstrom Kevin SWE BURTON 62.00

18.  Neraker Simmen NOR 32 SNOWBOARD 61.83

Slopestyle Qualfication Women Results

1.      Walker Ty USA ROXY 79.33

2.      Rukajärvi Enni FIN ROXY 78.00

3.      Somaini Carla SUI NEVER SUMMER 70.67

4.      Fuller Aimee GBR ROXY 67.50

5.      van Gils Charlotte NED K2 63.17

6.      Karlinski Jordie USA NIKITA 61.17

7.      Nadig Helen SUI ZIMTSTERN 60.67

8.     Van Der Pouw Britte NED ROXY 59.00

9.     Alekhina Elena RUS Roxy 58.83

10.   Sadlowski Diana POL CONTRACT 56.67

11.   Zabranska Lucie CZE ROXY 56.33

12.  Pribosic Urska SLO ELAN 55.67

13.  Ramholt Tina SUI HORSEFEATHER 54.83

If you can’t make it to Laax, you can watch the finals live on www.GO211.com:

If you need a little help choosing a board this season, check out the women’s board review in this months copy of Onboard. Written by Soulsports PR/shredder Jo Brown after her visit to the Board Test.

Two kite surfers from West Sussex made the most of the recent 40mph winds on the south coast and jumped over Worthing pier.

Check it out:

The UK Snow Film Festival launches on the 26th and 27th November at Komedia, Brighton and we want to show the best in UK talent alongside the best in the industry. Whether it be top quality riding, creative action sequences, serious comedy, or a mixture of all three there could be a place for your movie in our amateur short film contest. If don’t find yourself in the festival , your film will appear at the best of the rest showing at the afterparty.

The only theme for the films is ‘snow’, the films should be no longer than 4 minutes. The competition offers some great prizes from two different categories; Best Short film and Best Athlete Performance. Both will be judged by an independent panel of industry experts. This is also your chance to show off what you can do in front of many big name brands that are always on the lookout for new talent.

You can submit your film for the festival at: http://www.snowfilmfest.co.uk/?page_id=1200
If you have any problems submitting your film or would rather submit it in another format please contact us: contact@snowfilmfest.co.uk, make sure all submissions are in no later than the 20th November 2009.
Get your tickets for the rest of the action including the latest offering from Poor Boyz Productions and Standard Films at: www.snowfilmfest.co.uk

Looks like Soulsports aren’t the only ones hitting double figures as Extreme celebrate a decade of broadcasting and a lot more besides…

London, Tuesday 21st July 2009: Extreme Sports Channel, the world’s first television channel dedicated to the action sports lifestyle, is celebrating ten years of broadcasting with special activity this September and October.

Ten Years of Extreme will encompass five weeks of special long weekends (Thursdays to Sundays) profiling some of the channel’s most enduringly popular sports and events, including the exclusive UK premiere of the 2009 Summer X Games - the Olympics of the extreme sports world. Dedicated programming runs from 19:00 – 22:00 on Thursdays and Fridays, and 14:00 – 19:00 at the weekends.

It kicks off on 17th September with programming following those who are dedicated to the waves and breaks in Beach Ball weekend, a surfer’s paradise running from Thursday 17th to Sunday 20th September. Top shows include Monster Waves of Europe, in which professional surfer and film-maker Robby Seeger and his crew locate, hunt and conquer Europe’s most monstrous waves (five half hour specials shown across Sat & Sun from 15:00). There’s also another chance to see Extreme’s coverage of ASP Men’s 09, the world’s leading competitive surf tour with two hour-long events from the series (Thurs & Fri at 21:00, repeated Sat & Sun at 14:00).

This will be followed on 24th – 27th September by Bike Board Bash, a weekend taking in the legends of skateboarding, mountain biking and BMX biking. Shows include Crossing Borders, in which two pro-skating buddies hook up with similarly gifted compatriots around the globe (all six episodes back-to-back on Thursday 19:00 – 22:00). Then on Saturday from 14:00, United By Fate takes us across Australia with the world renowned Globe Skate Team as they dish up the dirtiest tricks (all three episodes from 14.00-15.30).

Grease Junkies will enjoy programming from 1st – 4th October covering all the dirt, mud and mayhem of motocross racing. Shows include Moto X World Championships, which sees 100 of the world’s greatest riders converge on San Diego, and Monster Energy Motocross, in which Canada’s motocross elite return to Québec to take on their challengers.

Enjoy All Day Apres on 8th -11th October with Extreme Sports Channel’s weekend for snow lovers, with skiing and snowboarding action courtesy of the Winter X Games 2009 and Ride Guide Snow 2008, high profile events attracting the best the snow scene can offer, plus Tara Dakides Profile, looking at the career of the American snowboarding phenomenon.

Finally, we finish off with a Medal Mash Up on 15th -18th October, as Extreme brings you the best of the best, competing in all the essential action sports competitions, including footage from the 2009 Summer X Games – the renowned annual multi-discipline competition held in LA and, along with its sister Winter event, arguably the Olympics of the extreme sports world. In addition, the Summer Dew Tour showcases the cream of skateboarding, BMX and freestyle motocross with a staggering $2.5 million competition prize at stake; whilst the global professional action sports circuit LG Action Sports Tour features skateboarding, inline skating, freeskiing, BMX and freestyle motocross.

“For the past 10 years, Extreme Sports Channel has been the champion for a whole host of extreme sports,” says Channel Manager Tim MacMullen. “We’ve brought our viewers spectacular coverage of the biggest and best events and featured the people, places and attitude that have made action sports the global juggernaut they are today. Like a lot of the sports we feature, we’ve grown up, but we’ve also stayed fresh and relevant. We’re looking forward to another 10 years of success.”

Ten Years of Extreme starts on Extreme Sports Channel (Sky 419, Virgin 527) on Thursday 17th September at 19:00.

Pro Snowboarders, Louie Vito’s Official Website has announced that he will be joining the upcoming seasons cast of Dancing With the Stars (US Version). Dancing with the Stars is a unique series that pairs up celebrities with professional ballroom dance partners in an intense competition — live — in front of a studio audience and the nation.

www.louievito.com

My favorite quote from the announcement:

“Watching Louie on this show will be especially interesting since Louie has never even seen the show and another fairly important point - he CAN’T dance!!”

The new season will premier on September 21st on ABC. It should be interesting.

Nominations are now open for The Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards 2009 which recognise the whole spectrum of female sporting success from leading sportswomen through to rising stars, to those working behind the scenes.

This year also, two new faces will join the panel of Sportswomen of the Year Award judges - namely Olympic legend Tessa Sanderson and 2009 X Games Champion Snowboarder, Jenny Jones - to give their fresh perspective and unique insights.

Nominations close on 27th September and the award will be presented on Tuesday 3rd November 2009 in London. Everyone who nominates will be automatically entered into a prize draw to win a pair of tickets to the main event.

Never has there been a better time to reflect the success of female athletes in a whole variety of sport disciplines and in doing so, provide inspirational role models for females of all ages.

Make your voice heard and visit www.timesonline.co.uk/sportswomen to nominate now!

Jenny Jones

Tignes, France - ESPN, CANAL + Events and Tignes Ski & Snowboard Resort announced today that together they will launch the first Winter X Games Europe March 10-12, 2010. The event will be the first Winter X Games held outside the United States. A definitive list of the world’s top winter action sports athletes will be invited to France to compete for medals and prize money in eight different competitions over three days, including Ski and Snowboard SuperPipe and Slopestyle for men and women as well as a Snowmobile demonstration.

CANAL + Events CEO, Jean Louis Dutaret said, “We are delighted to work with ESPN and the X Games team to bring the Winter X Games to Europe. CANAL + Events and the ESPN events team will draw on all their experience to ensure this is the biggest and best winter sports event in Europe in 2010. As for soccer, rugby and many sports, CANAL + Group will consider X Games as a global project, including TV, Internet and mobile. In a Winter Olympic year, and only a few weeks after athletes have competed in Vancouver, fans in Europe will again be able to watch the top names in the world compete head to head.”

“Nothing could be more justified than Tignes as the host resort of the first Winter X Games Europe. Tignes, the sportiest European ski resort, is always at the forefront of action and freestyle winter sports,” said Tignes Ski & Snowboard Resort Manager, Sebastien Merignargues.

Rick Alessandri, ESPN Senior Vice President and Managing Director, X Games Franchise said, “Working with CANAL + and Tignes, and drawing on more than 10 years experience of running the Winter X Games in the United States, we are excited to bring winter action sports fans in Europe the best action sports event they will see in 2010. This first event outside the U.S. reflects the continued global growth of the X Games franchise as well as the progression of action sports in Europe.”

CANAL + Networks (CANAL +, CANAL + SPORT, Sport +) will show the Winter X Games in France and French-speaking territories (Caribbean, French speaking Africa) live or on delay so that those unable to come to Tignes will be able to see the event. ESPN will be responsible for all distribution outside of France.