(sgh) – After a successful premiere in 2004, the organisers of the adidas Slopestyle in Saalbach Hinterglemm (Austria) want to top it with this year’s event: the Slopestyle course designed by freeride star Gareth Dyer will be even more spectacular, the TV production bigger and better. To accomplish all this, the adidas Slopestyle team receives support from Braun and Siemens who have been acquired as main sponsors for the second edition of the massive European freeride event.
Braun, the world’s leading foil shaver manufacturer, has been actively supporting Mountain Biking across Europe since 2002. “Freeride mountain biking defines progression in creativity, style and expression”, says Raymond Dulieu of the Braun agency Kjerag. “These are qualities which also reflect the design and innovation values that went into the new BRAUN CruZer3. ‚Shave your Style’ is our slogan and style is what this contest is all about.” Thanks to the new main sponsor spectators will be able to follow the Slopestyle contest a lot better, because Braun will also provide a giant screen for the event.
Siemens supports the adidas Slopestyle as well and will introduce its brand-new outdoor mobile phone M75 in Saalbach Hinterglemm. With its rugged metal frame and protective rubber sides, this phone shrugs off everything the elements can throw at it – thus the ideal phone for freeriders. The M75 comes with an integrated 1.3 megapixel digital camera and an MP3 player. Siemens Communications, one of the largest players in the global telecommunications industry, has been engaging in mountain bike sports for several years, for example as title sponsor of the Siemens Cannondale team. With team rider and last year’s Slopestyle champion Cedric Gracia, the global player also presents a hot favourite to be the winner. But this year, the Frenchman will face fierce competition.
Entire freeride world elite in Saalbach Hinterglemm
The inaugural adidas Slopestyle towed already many big names in freeriding to Austria. This year, however, between the 17th and 19th of June the entire freeride world elite will be represented in Saalbach Hinterglemm – from ‘A’ as in Grant Allen to ‘Z’ as in Cameron Zink.
At the adidas Slopestyle, often called the ‚European Rampage’, freeride fans have the unique opportunity to personally meet the international stars they only know from movies and magazines. The participating pros are already anxious, looking forward to the event that is considered to be one of the best by everyone who attended it last year. Those who haven’t received an invitation are now trying their utmost to get one of the few sought-after wild cards to the recognized contest. „To be invited to the adidas Slopestyle is a distinction“, says event director Mike Hamel. “Therefore we have created a transparent system through which we select the riders. For the top 10 positions at the renowned international freeride contests like Rampage, Crankworx, Bike Battle, Ride To The Lake or our Slopestyle contest we awarded points. That gave us a list of about 30 riders. Furthermore we awarded celebrity points, for example for appearances in well-known freeride movies. And in addition, we have a few wild cards to represent other nations and newcomers at the adidas Slopestyle.”
Confirmed riders are Grant Allen, Robbie Bourdon, John Cowan, Carlo Dieckmann, Gareth Dyer, Taulan Dernbach, Georg Engel, Carmine Falco, Joscha Forstreuter, Richard Gasperotti, Chris Glew, Cedric, Gracia, Matt Hunter, Niels-Peter Jensen, John Jesme, Mike Kinrade, Tyler Klassen, Jordie Lunn, Shaums March, Michal Marosi, Cameron McCaul, Glyn O’Brien, Erik Porter, Timo Pritzel, Ben Reid, Kyle Ritchie, Steve Romaniuk, Richie Schley, Wade Simmons, Randy Spangler, Jan Stötzer, Kyle Strait, Kamil Tatarkovic, Guido Tschugg Thomas Vanderham, Dave Watson, Niels Windtfeldt, Samuel Zbinden and Cameron Zink.