WORLD ROOKIE FEST

Who I'd like to meet:

Gjermund Braaten from Norway is the World Rookie Champion 2008
Final report from Volkl World Rookie Fest 2008 in Ischgl, Austria

Volkl World Rookie Fest showcase snowboarding future stars coming from 12 countries at the last Swatch TTR 3star event of the season, hosted in Ischgl, Austria. With massive switch bs7 and cab9, the norwegian Gjermund Braaten obtained the title of World Rookie Champion 2008. In the grom category, (under the 14 years), Dimi De Jong resulted the best with impressive tricks live fs900 tail grab while Kari Opsal Maeland won among the girls.

The set up of the last World Rookie Fest of the season, powered by Volkl, was impressive with 2 table top and several rails in the slope style. The first day of the event was kissed by the sun and after the training Pieps organized a free avalanche clininc with both pratical and theorical parts. The competition format was based on overall impression on both rail and kicker lines with 3 runs. On the qualification day 35 selected youngsters from 12 countries challenged for the last spots of the finals of which 8 were already assigned from the previous world rookie fests in Italy and Czech Republic and several 1 and 2 star rookie events world wide.

The level of riding was sick and culminated in a great showcase during saturday finals. Gjermund Braaten resulted the most impressive rider of the event and winning the World Rookie Champion title, a ticket to Nokia Air&Style rookie challenge in Munich, a road trip in Canada featured in the next Pirate Movie Production “Boarbegged” offered by Tobis Travel Solutions and a fresh meat on Method Mag.

As best trick a huge bs7 on the 20m kicker from the finnish Petja Piironein. Giorgio Ciancaleoni from Italy combined several 720 on the kikers with the sickest rail trick of the day (270in on the kinked) conquering the second overalla position. Kari Opsal Maeland impressed the jury with back loops and sick rail triks obtaining an invitation to a photo shooting in Italy by Snowpark.it. As usual, Norway resulted the best team of the rookie fest obtaining an holiday on Garda Lake, Italy.

Many of the finalist won tickets to the World Rookie Fest 2009 in Livigno and for the best groms Dimi de Jong and Maria Delfina Maiocco a Golden Card to join every WRF 2009 for free. Finally also 2 international sponsorship were assigned: Volkl snowboard welcomed in its team Yuki Motoki from Japan while Protest did it with austrian rider Florien Merten.

Grom Female
rank-bib-surname-name-nationality
1 85 Maiocco Maria Delfina aka "Bibi" ITA
Grom Male
rank-bib-surname-name-nationality
1 91 De Jong Dimi HOL
2 94 Usletten Emil Andre NOR
3 95 Thorgren Sven SWE
Rookie Female
rank-bib-surname-name-nationality
1 21 Opsal Maeland Kari NOR
2 12 Fuller Aimee GBR
3 2 Fazi Francesca ITA
Rookie Male
rank-bib-surname-name-nationality
1 20 Braaten Gjermund NOR
2 29 Ciancaleoni Giorgio ITA
3 31 Niemelaa Nuutti FIN
Best Trick: Petja Piironein (FIN) huge bs720 on the 20m kicker
Best Team: Norway

For video, pics and full rank visit the official web site www.worldsnowboardfederation.org

Pictures by Armin Popp and Marco Sampaoli

Info, video, roughcut and pictures
Marco Sampaoli (marco@worldsnowboardfederation.org)

About World Snowboard Federation and World Rookie Tour
from rookie to pro system
World Snowboard Federation (WSF) is a non profit international organization that takes care of the snowboard promotion at every level thanks to a network of more than 30 countries worldwide. The World Rookie Fest's were born in 2003 in Norway, collecting the inscriptions of the most promising athletes from all over the world. The WSF World Rookie Tour 2008, in addition to the THREE(3)STAR World Rookie Fests, include other Rookie Events at ONE(1) STAR and TWO(2) STAR level in Europe, Asia and North America while in South Hemisphere the Australian Junior Series are already completed in august 2008. All together the WSF rookie events will be united to the WSF World Rookie Tour 2008. All these competitions will ensure results valid for the TTR ranking and WSF is working on a special World Rookie Rank, which will nominate the World Rookie Fest Champion, based on the results at the last event in Ischgl (AUT), on 19th of April 2008. The World Rookie Fest Ranking is a 'work in progress' concept. Concerning the development, organizers will schedule meetings and presentations designed to develop and official calendar, criteria and general rules for a World Rookie Tour and World Rookie Ranking in the near future.

World Rookie Fest -10min TV Version from mike kern on Vimeo.