Staale Sandbach is the champion of the Swatch TTR 3star “Protest World Rookie Fest 2009” in Livigno, Italy, thanks to a sick run including huge bs7, fs7 and fs 1080. Norway resulted in the best team and, as it was in past editions, the general level of tricks and infrastructures in this event make it seems more a professional snowboard contest than an international junior meeting: the set up included 3 different lines 3 huge jumps about 20m long while 1080 rotations were the standard tricks of the top 10 riders in the finals.
SCANDIC DOMINATION AT PROTEST WORLD ROOKIE FEST 2009 IN LIVIGNO
The event started on sunday’s training in one of the biggest park of the Alps: the Swatch Snowpark Mottolino in Livigno. Since day 1 an high level of riding was showed with sick runs including rotations 7 and 9 from the “big names” of the event: Dimi de Jong, Staale Sandbach, Teddy Koo and many others. At 12.00 a.m. wind comes and stopped the trainings on the jumps but the rookies arranged immediatly a rail session on the first obstacle of the slope: a huge 25 stairs with straight and kinked rails.
Staale Sandbach from Norway
On Monday 19th the judges, including the Pirate riders Joki Koeffler, saw one of the best qualification ever seen in a World Rookie Fest. Joki stated to be really stoked from the level of riding he saw in Livigno. The scandic riders were all extremely good conquering 12 of the 16 spot for the finals, but the ducthes Rocco Van Straaten and Dimi De Jong resulted the best in both Rookie and Grom categories. Rocco hitted the pro line with an amazing run including of bs9, cab9 and bs10, while Dimi killed the large line with a progression from 720 to 1080 resulting the best Grom. Alicia Bonnaud from France resulted the best among the qualifing girls.
Dimi De Jong from Nederlands
Tuesday 20st the finals were postponed because of an heavy snow fall and the WRF crew enjoyed an unexpected day of powder which give even more positive feelings to this event. on Wednesday 22nd morning, even if someone didn’t think it was possible to re-shape a park under a meter of snow in only 1 night, on Wednesday 21nd morning the large line of the Swatch Snowpark Mottolino was ready to receive the best 16 male rookies, 8 male groms and 8 girls to start the challenge for tickets to Aesthetiker Wangle Tangle Gang Jam in Mayerofhen, the 4star Protest World Rookie Finals 2009 in Ischlg and Protest Surf Camp in Lacanau, France, including 300€ travel budget to reach the famous surf spot.
The Black Yeti ride with the Rookies
Obviously the Furius Black Yeti ride with the finalist pushing their level higher than ever to “Conquer the Snowboard Age”: if not for the name of the event, the crows could be sure to see a professional snowboard competition. Instead of best trick (there were to many 1080) the judges nominate a “best combo” from the norwegian Aleksander Oestreng who stomped a “Double Front Flip” to “Double Corkscrew 1080” obtaining the 3rd rookie place. Kevin Backstrom from Sweden killed the jump line conquering the second place among the rookie category, while the well known norwegian rising star Staale Sandback resulted the best in the finals with a sick progression from 540 to 1080 on the large kicker line. Among the groms, first place for Dimi De Jong stomped rotations 720 and 900 as they were basic tricks, followed by the italian new comer Marco Grigis and the rasta-swedish Benjamin Koening. For the girls category Michaela Davis-Meehan from Australia who get the first place thanks to rotations 540.
Watch the event’s videos on www.freecaster.tv: first podcast is already on line and other will follows, including a 12 minutes TV show with interview and backstage.
The World Rookie Tour go on in the next weeks with 3 stops at 2 star levels that will assign other tickets to the Protest World Rookie Finals in Ischgl and Protest Surf Camp in Lacanau: the North Face Korean Rookie Fest in Phoenix Park in Korea on 4.6 february, the Protest Balkan Rookie Fest in Kopaonic, Serbia on 20-22 february and the Protest East Rookie Fest in Splinderuv Mlyn, Czech Republic on 6.8 march. For more informations check www.worldsnowboardfederation.org and register at the WSF newsletter service.
PROTEST WORLD ROOKIE FEST – FINAL RESULTS PER AGE GROUPS
GIRLS GROM FINAL RESULTS
Rank Last Name First Name Nationality Sponsor Birthdate
1 MAIOCCO MARIA DELFINA ITA NITRO-ROXY-FATALITY 1996
The only Grom Girls: Bibi from Italy
GIRLS ROOKIE FINAL RESULTS
Rank Last Name First Name Nationality Sponsor Birthdate
1 DAVIS-MEEHAN MICHAELA AUS BILLABONG-K2-SMITH 1992
2 BONNAUD ALICIA FRA APO-OXBOW-DRAGON-VANS-PROTEC 1993
3 JONES MARIA NOR NIKE ACG 1992
4 SITTONI ARIANNA ITA 1992
5 FAZI FRANCESCA ITA NITRO 1991
6 GALLO GIULIA ITA 1992
Rookie Girls Podium
BOYS GROM FINAL RESULTS
Rank Last Name First Name Nationality Sponsor Birthdate
1 DE JONG DIMI NED NITRO-ONEILL-REDULL-ADIDAS 1994
2 GRIGIS MARCO ITA NITRO-ADIO 1994
3 LESTAGE-KÖNIG BENJAMIN SWE FORUM-OXBOW-SKULLCANDY 1996
4 HUNT THOMAS GBR BONFIRE-SALOMON-TSA 1994
5 EIGENSATZ LEANDRO SUI SANTACRUZ-DEELUXE-TSG-QUIKSILVER 1994
6 MIKYSKA 1994 MARTIN CZE VOLCOM-GNU-DC-OAKLEY 1994
7 COURTIER JONES LEWIS GBR FORUM-FOURSQUARE 1995
8 ÖBERG TOBIAS SWE 1994
9 DE BUCK SEBBE BEL 1995
10 HIELSTRÖM ALBIN SWE 1994
11 THORGREN SVEN SWE PROTEST-NITRO-SMITH 1994
12 ÖBERG ROBIN SWE 1994
13 GEIGER CHRISTIAN AUT VOLKL 1994
14 PORKERT DANIEL CZE FLOW 1996
15 MOSCARDINI DANIEL ITA WATERWORKS 1995
16 AUGUSTINUS JESSE NED FORUM-SPECIALBLEND-ELECTRIC-POW-REVERT 1995
17 MAIOCCO GIANMARCO ITA NITRO-RAIDEN-GIRO 1994
18 PORKERT ONDREJ CZE NUGGET-FLOW-BERN 1996
19 PIFFARETTI MASSIMILIANO ITA MOM&DAD 1995
20 FANTINI Marco ITA 1994
21 PARDINI GIANLUCA ITA QUIKSILVER 1996
22 GIACOMELLI ALESSIO ITA SMITH 1994
23 KRIZ DUSAK CZE 1995
24 SHACKLETON HENRY GBR QUIKSILVER-NIKE60-LIBTECH-SNOZONE 1994
Boys Grom Podium
BOYS ROOKIE FINAL RESULTS
Rank Last Name First Name Nationality Sponsor Birthdate
1 SANDBECH STAALE NOR OAKLEY-32-ETNIES 1993
2 BÄCKSTRÖM KEVIN SWE BURTON-ANON-RED-ADIO-SKULLCANDY 1992
3 OESTRENG MIHAILOVIC ALEKSANDER NOR DC-ELECTRIC-SWAG 1991
4 TONTERI ROOPE FIN BURTON-ANON-GRANADE 1992
5 NIEMELA NUUTI FIN BURTON-DRAGON-LEVI 1991
6 BILARE ANTON SWE NITRO-OAKLEY-CFC 1991
7 KOO TEDDY JPN BBCC-RAGEEYE 1991
8 VAN STRATEN ROCCO NED REEF-BURTON 1991
9 SONDRE FOSSUM TILLER NOR DC-OAKLEY-SWEET 1991
10 SOLBRAA EVEN NOR NIKE ACG 1991
11 BERGMAN DAREK CZE HORSEFATHERS-NITRO-OSIRIS 1991
12 MATTSON NIKLAS SWE FORUM-SPECIALBLEND-DRAGON 1992
13 KLEIVDAL SKOGHEIM MORTEN NOR BILLABONG-VONZIPPER 1991
14 NACCARI RUGGERO ITA NIKE60-SPY-AMPLID-SKULLCANDY 1991
15 LUNDSTRÖM TOR ULM SWE BURTON-ANON-RED-SWAG 1992
16 LANDMARK ZEBASTIAN SWE PROTEST 1991
17 OESTERHUS RUDI OLAF NOR BURTON-SWAG 1992
18 GOOSSENS TOM BEL RIDE-SMITH-SHIEMSEE 1991
19 WEISSENBACHER MATHIAS AUT ATOMIC-QUIKSILVER-ADIDASEYE-DEELUXE 1992
20 NORDGAARD TRYM NOR QUIKSILVER-VANS 1992
21 BURI MAX SUI OAKLEY-SALOMON 1993
22 OEDEGAARD JULIUS BRAATHEN NOR BURTON-SWAG-ANON- 1991
23 KRAINER ADRIAN AUT ATOMIC-RIPCURL 1992
24 IMBODEN YANNICK SUI FLOW 1993
25 REICHMUTH STEFAN SUI WHITEOUT-DRAKE-LEVEL 1992
26 LANDMARK PHILIP SWE SALOMON-BONFIRE-QUIKSILVER-REEBOK 1992
27 PAULICEK DAN CZE BURTON-ANON-SKULLCANDY 1993
28 JOERGENSEN LEN ROALD NOR BSK 1992
29 GUTWIRT FILIP CZE NUGGET-FLOW 1992
30 PAUL DREHER AUT CAPITA-UNION-ELEVEN-DEELUXE 1991
31 RICHENBERG BRAGE BRATEN NOR SALOMON-ELEVEN 1992
32 PILLER COTTRER FILIBERTO ITA 1993
33 BJÖRNSTRÖM ISAK SWE 1992
34 KOO KEVIN JPN 1993
35 BRUTTO FRANCESCO ITA DC-UNION 1992
36 VAN ZONHOVEN MAXIM BEL SNOWFORCE 1992
37 MACIOTTA YOURI ITA APO-32 1993
38 SIMONS BJORN BEL ONEILL-IMPERIUM 1993
39 JACKSON OLLIE GBR QUIKSILVER-STEPCHILD-FLUX 1992
40 VALENTINI LUCAS ITA NITRO 1991
41 HORSFIELD DEAN GBR SNOZONE 1992
42 PANCIERA CRISTIAN ITA 1993
43 SMITH JESSE GBR TBC
44 MARSDEN HUGH AUS – 1993
45 VIEIDER HANNES ITA PROTEST-ARTEC 1993
46 ANGELINI SIMONE ITA – 1992
47 CALEMME FEDERICO ITA – 1991
48 LESTAGE-KÖNIG JEREMIE SWE 1992
49 CASTALDO ALBERTO ITA TICCHIONISHOP 1992
50 SKOTTHEIM JOHANNES SWE PROTEST-NITRO-SMITH-REEBOK 1992
50 HIERONS CODY GBR ELEVEN-STEPCHILD 1993
50 TURNBULL SAM GBR DC-SNOWZONE 1991
Boy Rookie Podium
BEST NATIONAL TEAM
Norway
International Rookie Fest heats:
Protest World Rookie Fest – Livigno, Italy – 3Star – 17.21 january 09
North Face Korean Rookie Fest – Phoenix Park, Korea – 2Star – 4-6 february 09
Protest Balkan Rookie Fest – Kopaonik, Serbia – 2Star – 20.22 february 09
Protest East Rookie Fest – Splinderuv Mlyn, Czech Republic – 2Star – 6.8 march 09
Protest World Rookie Finals – Ischgl, Austria – 4Star – 15.19 april 09
In addition, rookie 1Star regional contests will be organized all over the world by the national associations of the WSF. More information on the page www.worldsnowboardfederation.org
ABOUT WORLD ROOKIE TOUR & WORLD ROOKIE RANK
Only the best rookies in the world will be granted access to the World Rookie Tour big final: the Swatch TTR 4Star “Protest World Rookie Finals” in Ischgl, Austria, from April 15 to April 19, 2009. Only the winners of the previous qualifiers will be able to go to Ischgl, together with the best athletes of the World Rookie Rank on April 5, and the wild cards that single nations give to their most promising rookies. The World Rookie Rank is a classification for under 18’s only and it is developed by the World Snowboard Federation (WSF) in collaboration with TTR. At the end of the World Rookie Tour, the final winner will be awarded with the title of World Rookie Champion. He will be offered a unique opportunity to enter the world of professional snowboarding: an invitation to a Video Shooting with the Pirate Movie Production, a Photo Shooting by On Board Europe and an invitation to an event which is still kept secret are awaiting the winner.
ABOUT THE WORLD SNOWBOARD FEDERATION
WSF is the only international organisation working uniquely to develop and support snowboard at all levels, including competitions and education, disable and adaptive snowboarding, activities for riders of any age. WSF is a network of national snowboard associations cooperating worldwide for the development and promotion of the sport. Members find in WSF a source of inspiration and support to their activities. WSF can create added value for everybody involved in snowboard on national level and offers ideas, handbooks and initiatives, the result of an organization whose components share the same goal: progression of snowboarding at all levels. www.worldsnowboardfederation.org
Info and Media Request
official home page www.worldsnowboardfederation.org
mail: rookie@worldsnowboardfederation.org
phone nr.: +39.340.3285569
