Big Mountain Pro 2009

4th January 2009

Now in it's third year the Big Mountain Pro is a bit of an oddity. The riders judge each others runs, the locations aren't set at the start of the competition, but as an event it's unrivelled. And this year there will be more mountain hikes and staying in mountain lodges.

Big Mountain Pro 2009

Saalbach-Hinterglemm in Austria will host the unique judging session where they all judge each other’s runs. An overall winner will be crowned, as well as a winner for skiing and one for snowboarding, with a total prizemoney of $60,000 on offer.

Reputed freerider, Mitch Toelderer is just one of the talented snowboarders eager to start hiking. “I love the more exploratory side to The Big Mountain Pro this year,” he says. “Hiking and staying in huts creates a completely different experience within the mountains. It’s more authentic - especially for this competition. It gives you much more time to get connected with the snow and the face and get a feeling for it. It’s so much quieter and more relaxed to hike – it’s what we would do at home with friends.”

The other confirmed snowboarders are world renowned freerider, Jeremy Jones, Xavier de la Rue - winner of the first Big Mountain Pro in 2007 and Stefan Gimpl, there will be two more snowboarders.

The six skiers taking part in The Big Mountain Pro 2009 are Santa Cruz native, Cody Townsend who last year astounded everyone with his gutsy descents, as well as freestyle skiers Loris Falquet, and Thomas Diet, along with the talented youngsters Richard Permin and Jeremie Heitz and the French freerider, Arnaud Rougier. 

The Big Mountain Pro 2009 will kick off on February 3rd St. Anton in the Arlberg range in the Austrian Alps.

For Mitch Toelderer, the Austrian start brings an added element of excitement to the event. “It’s great it starts in my home country,” he says. “The whole area is an incredible place for freeriding. I’m excited because I’m sure I’ll get to places in Austria that I’ve never been before.”

From there - who knows? – it will follow the best snow conditions, and will end with a spectacular party in Saalbach-Hinterglemm on February 10th.

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