Kaprun, Austria, will host the ultimate girls-only snowboard event from December 15th to 17th 2006. As there’s not enough snow at the originally scheduled location of St. Moritz, the best female snowboarders in the world will now meet at the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier Park for the 4th Roxy Chicken Jam Europe. They will fight for a 20,000 Euro prize-purse and precious points for the Women’s TTR World Tour.
The organizers of the Roxy Chicken Jam Europe 2006 show courage, idealism and strength in organisation! Initially, the ENGADINE/St. Moritz was the planned destination for the event. But the high temperatures caused a lack of snow at the snowpark. Instead of cancelling the event, the organizers decided to take on the additional work and to move the event to the ski and snowboard capital of the Salzburg County, Kaprun, ten days before its beginning. “We at Roxy said from the beginning: it’s most important that the competition will take place – even if we have to move the event at very short notice”, Jam organizer Tina Birbaum said. “Now the riders are looking forward to the event even more – and we do, too!”
Kaprun, the new snowpark paradise
Due to its idyllic location in the Pinzgau mountains and the glacier where snow is assured, Kaprun is the perfect place for the pre-Christmas sports happening. In addition, the snowpark has been extended to an incredible 30,000 m2 for the 2006/07 season. The planners at Mellow Constructions guarantee a superlative snowpark. The Glacier Park where the Roxy Chicken Jam will happen is situated on 2,900 m above sea level and 200 m long. As it’s located on the glacier it has a perfect snow layer. “As Kaprun has already seen several international snowboard events, the best female snowboarders in the world will certainly feel at home here and be able to show their full abilities”, Rainer Edlinger, the person responsible at the Europa Sportregion, said.
The girls conquer the snowparks
At mixed contests, the snowparks mostly are shaped for the physical skills of men. The female riders are left standing. That’s why Roxy, the clothing company for girls, Mellow Constructions and Roxy chicken Jam face Tina Birbaum invented girls-only snowboard events four years ago: the Roxy Chicken Jams. Here, the snowparks are tuned to the female abilities. In consequence, the girls ride better and the performance of the shown tricks is significantly better. Riders and spectators alike gain a profit from that.
Twin events: the Roxy Chicken Jams
The girls-only Jams have proven themselves so much that a Women’s Ticket To Ride (TTR) World Tour with an integrated world championship was invented last year. This season, it already includes more than a dozen events. The Roxy Chicken Jams in Kaprun (December 15th to 17th, 2006) and in Park City Mountain Resort/UTAH, USA, (February 22nd to 25th 2007) are the biggest and most important events of this series. In Utah, for the second time the Women’s TTR world champion will be crowned after the season’s finals in St. Moritz last winter.
Jamming at the Glacier Park
The slopestyle competition at the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier Park will take place in the popular jam session format: the riders will have the freedom to show their skills at the snowpark in the way they want to and they will have as many runs as they like to. They will show their best tricks on snow, plastic and metal – on kickers, hips, fun boxes and rails. This event mode gives the riders the opportunity to display their personal creativity as the tricks don’t have to work at once: the jury will only rate the best runs. The judges will look how the rider uses the single elements, which tricks she does and how she executes them.
Fun is more important than prizes
25 invited riders from eleven countries will compete in the main session on Saturday, together with the best five girls from the Friday qualification round where 30 riders will start. For sure, these starting places have already been allocated. Despite that, all girls who are interested to take part should try to register at the race office on Friday morning as free places will be given away if enrolled riders won’t show up.
The eight best riders will qualify for the finals. 20,000 Euro are waiting for the winner, as well as precious points for the Women’s TTR World Snowboard Tour and an original Gibson guitar sponsored by Gibson to also jam apart from the slopes. But, “more important than the prizes is the fun to take part”, big air junior world champion Sina Candrian from Flims (SUI) said.
Slope stars and Christmas stars
The Roxy Chicken Jams are the highlight of the female snowboard scene. The list of participants proves this impressively. Last winter’s TTR world champion Cheryl Maas from the Netherlands, top favourite Natasza Zurek from Canada and Olympic bronze medallist Kjersti Buaas have confirmed to come to Kaprun. Apart from more stars the spectators can look forward to admire the famous skills of a true female snowboard legend, Tara Dakides from the USA. The Austrian locals Lisa Filzmoser, Kathrin Gappmayr and Claudia Fliri will try to win the event in front of their home crowd. Silke Mittermüller will arrive from Munich, Germany, and from Switzerland, Tina Ramholt and Sina Candrian who finished on fourth place last winter are invited.
Dresscode party
Prepare for another special event at the Roxy Chicken Jam: the Xmas Party sponsored by Red Bull. On Saturday evening, December 16th 2006, from 10pm, the snowboard stars will show up at the famous Baumbar in Kaprun in evening dresses. Everyone who wants to be a witness to this spectacle should wear an elegant outfit, Father (or Mother) Christmas style!
Get more information at www.chickenjam.com
