True to their tradition of producing amazing riders (Peetu Piroiinen just one his 3rd TTR title in as many years), Finland is inviting shreddettes from all over the world to join the Catfight in Levi from March 23rd to 27th.
The event took a big step forward by upgrading to a 4Star TTR level and now boasts a generous prize purse of $10.000 USD and by opening up a slopestyle, halfpipe and rail jam formats. The event will also feature coaching, workshops, parties and much more.
“The Battery Catfight is more than just a competition. It is the coming together of girls from all over Europe for a celebration of all things snowboard. Learning about the industry, competition, photoshoots, on hill pro-coaching, parties; we did all of this. But mainly we rode together, got stoked on each others riding and left with fun memories” says last year´s third place Claire Frost (UK).
Now in its 7th edition, the Battery Catfight, previously known as the Oakley Girlsessions, was first organized in 2004. The idea of the event was to gather girls of all levels to enjoy a weekend full of snowboarding and enjoy spring conditions on the slopes, park and pipe. Maintaining these basic principles is still the aim of the Battery Catfight organizers, the non-profit, “Finnish Female Snowboarders Association”, who strive for the progression of female snowboarding. The many years of this event has left a significant mark in the Finnish snowboarding history and it is known as the event where Finnish superstar rider, Enni Rukajärvi, last years TTR Tour Champion, started her competitive snowboarding career.
The event is a meeting point for all female riders, but is also a perfect playground for girls to step up and show their skills and potential for a big audience. In addition the event offers huge opportunities for the ladies, with “wild cards” on offer to multiple events. Greatest of them is definitely a seeded spot at the 6Star Burton European Open 2012 for the winners of the Halfpipe and Slopestyle formats. Three invites will also be handed out to the final of the 4Star Billabong Flaunt-It series in California in the US. “Working together with other events is a great way to help all female riders by providing a path for progression,” says event director Noora Vihervaara. There is of course some serious cash involved as well, with the $ 10 000 USD prize purse and prizes on offer like mobile phones, Burton gear, Oakley goggles and watches.
The new location, Levi, offers a perfect base for the Battery Catfight event. Competition venues, park and pipe, are located right by the village and have been re-designed specifically for this event. Within a radius of 500m you will find everything you need during the event: event village, contest venues, slopes, shops, bars and well…everything. All this, added to an amazing Lapland atmosphere is the recipe to an unforgettable, snowboard filled week.
How to get here then?
Levi is a cheap and easy place to travel to, as the “Kittilä” Airport is right next to it, or alternatively Rovaniemi Airport is a mere 2h drive away. There are several companies flying routes from Helsinki, but also from some other European countries. Check out AirBaltic, Blue1 and Finnair for cheap flights. You could also choose the sightseeing route and book your flight to Helsinki, stay few days and travel to Levi with the “Battery Catfight bus”. The bus fare is part of the event package, which for a small fee of 349€ gives you accommodation, transfer to and from Helsinki and event fees. Accommodation is available on request separately as well.
For more info got to ttrcatfight.com, for online registration please click HERE
