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February 23, 2007
THE HONDA SKI TOUR ARRIVES AT ASPEN/SNOWMASS, CO, FEBRUARY 22-25, 2007
The third stop on The Honda Ski Tour & BaseCamp Music Experience 2007 attracts ski enthusiasts along with big-name bands, parties and the world’s best ski cross and halfpipe ski competitors Sun Valley, ID, February 15, 2007-Aspen/Snowmass, CO, is only the third resort to host the inaugural season of The Honda Ski Tour (THST). THST is North America's new elite, four-stop mountain festival and skiing competition that features the world's best halfpipe and ski cross skiers competing for a total of $500,000 over four stops, the largest purse in the sport. The final tour stop and championships are being held in Squaw Valley USA, CA, March 8-11, and past tour stops include Sun Valley, ID, and Breckenridge, CO. The BaseCamp Music Experience (BCME) at Aspen/Snowmass will feature over 10 big-name musical acts headlined by world famous dancehall reggae artist Sean Paul alongside the multiday alpine festival including street parties and countless parties. THST's Aspen/Snowmass stop will be nationally televised (in a one-hour show) on ABC network television on Sunday, March 11, 2pm EST / 1pm CT / 12pm MST / 11am PST. Please check your local listings for changes. Confirmed athletes for THST Aspen/Snowmass skier halfpipe competition include X Games gold medalists and previous winners of THST halfpipe Simon Dumont (Sun Valley winner) and Tanner Hall (Breckenridge winner), who both took home $25,000 respectively for their winning runs. Dumont leads THST point's standings with 150 points while Peter Olenick sits in second with 106, followed by Hall with 100, Matt Philippi with 95 and Mike Riddle with 80. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently approved the addition of ski cross for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), the national governing body for Olympic skiing, is officially calendaring THST 2007 as a sanctioned USSA ski cross event. Athletes confirmed for THST Aspen/Snowmass ski cross includes undefeated THST ski cross winner, Olympian and Aspen/Snowmass local, Casey Puckett, who leads the point's standings with 200 points. Stanley Hayer who has placed second and third at previous THST stops sits comfortably in second with 160 points. U.S. Ski Team legend Daron Rahlves, who has had some bad luck (crashing in the semi-finals and finals at both THST stops and the 2007 X Games) sits in third place overall with 95 points. X Games gold medalists Lars Lewen, Zach Crist, Enak Gavaggio, and ski cross World Champion Tomas Kraus will also be fighting for the $25,000 winner’s check. "It’s always exciting when another high profile event comes to Aspen/Snowmass," said John Rigney, Vice President of Sales & Events for Aspen Skiing Company. "What makes this special is that The Ski Tour is brand new, yet has captured the attention of skiing enthusiasts everywhere. The talent we'll be witnessing is truly incredible, and the sport of skiing will only benefit. Plus, we get to share the incredible story of Snowmass with these influencers and the rest of the viewing world." The nightlife at the Aspen/Snowmass stop of The Honda Ski Tour will rival the on-slope action with BCME headliners such as Sean Paul, George Clinton and the P Funk All Stars, Swollen Members, Tommy Lee with DJ Aero, Joseph Israel, Elan and DJ Dylan, Jillian Ann, DJ Logic and more. Showcasing the year's best action sports segments from the biggest producers in the game, the Limelight Film Festival highlights from THST Sun Valley, ID, stop will be aired throughout the Aspen/Snowmass THST on the Jumbotron at the base of the competitions and in the town’s bars and restaurants. The Limelight Film Festival covers the entire spectrum of actionadventure filmmaking from the biggest producers in the game, with segments by Teton Gravity Research, Warren Miller, Jason Moriarty, Kent Kreitler, Jamie Mossberg, Standard Films and Lindgren Productions. Highlights from the five world-class photographers who showcased the best work of their careers at the Sun Valley Pro Photo Shootout will also be featured throughout the Aspen/Snowmass THST. Scott Markewitz, Tony Harrington, Charlie Munsey, Corey Rich, and Gene Dwarkin will showcase epic images from across the globe, including skiing, surfing, kayaking, climbing and more. THST was founded by Kipp Nelson and Steve Brown, former University of Colorado alpine racers. Nelson, a trustee of the U.S. Ski Team as well as the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, is putting the fun back in to ski competition by combining two very separate aspects of the sport, halfpipe and ski cross into one event.Posted by Dina at February 23, 2007 03:24 PM
