Every year the riders raise the bar a little higher, performing bigger, more spectacular tricks, and have to fight harder and harder to finish at the top. As in previous years, the organisers are predicting a large number of boarders for the 2010 competition. In fact, the early-season competitions in Saas-Fee are among those that attract the highest number of participants.
New for 2010 the competition pipe in the Freestyle Park Allalin has been extended to meet Olympic standards. The side walls have grown a good metre in comparison with last year and now stand at 6.5m.
The length of the pipe has also been increased by 30 to 40 metres. The result is a 22 foot pipe that stretches 150 metres down the slope, giving boarders optimal conditions to prepare for the World Championships in La Molina in Spain (14 to 25 January 2011) and adding a new and exciting dimension to the competitions in Saas-Fee.
Also new is the Winner Dinner: this year the Saas-Fee organising committee has arranged something special for the winners of the 2009 competition. In collaboration with the Ferienart Resort & Spa hotel, which is sponsoring the entire evening, the committee will be treating last year's World Cup winners, along with two other people of their choice, to a special Winner Dinner during the 2010 competitions. The evening will include a delicious evening meal in the hotel's Papalagi barefoot restaurant and exclusive use of the entire spa area, which comprises a pool, sauna, steam bath and much, much more. The two winners will also receive a health and beauty treatment of their choice. And the winners of this year's competition can look forward to enjoying the same evening next year - win in Saas-Fee and you win two years in a row!
And last, but by no means least - the FIS Snowboard World Cup in Saas-Fee now has its own name. From this year on, the now well-established freestyle event in Saas-Fee will be known as Allalin 360. The organisers chose the name to help establish a recognisable profile for the World Cup event in the glacier village.
"A short, punchy name sticks in people's minds," explains Daniel Andenmatten, president of the organising committee. So, from now on we won't be meeting at the FIS Snowboard World Cup but at the Allalin 360.
Roxy and Quiksilver will once again be organising a series of fringe events and parties during the FIS World Cup with four special evenings in store. In addition to a film night and two parties with DJ Fredi K and DJs NIMM2, there'll be a fashion show where the audience can admire the brands' latest collections. These fringe events will take place in the Living Room and Popcorn Bar in the Dom hotel.
www.saas-fee.ch
