New Zealand (27th May 2010) – The World Heli Challenge ski and snowboard festival will be held in the Mount Aspiring National Park region near Wanaka and Hawea in New Zealand’s South Island, from July 30th to August 8th, 2010.
1500-2100 vertical ft.
4000 ft. long ridge
35-55 degree slope
Northeast facing slope
This 4000 ft. ridge is littered with chutes, corniced ridges, pow bowls, cliffs of all sizes and plenty of steep technical lines. Sluff management and big mountain skills will be tested.
Skatepark
3500-4000 vertical ft.
7000 ft plus long ridge
30-50 degree slope
Northeast facing slope
Skatepark is a mountain that has everything a snow rider would want. It has the most amazing natural halfpipes, quarterpipes, booters and kickers. There are plenty of open pow bowls, steep face riding, chutes and cliff sections.
The event will consist of two judged runs down Brobowl then one judged run down Skatepark.
Founded in 1993, the King of the Hill snowboard contest not only put the Valdez snowboarding scene on the map, it helped define an era of the sport. For the first time in 10 years the King of the Hill returns to Valdez, as part of the Tailgate Alaska World Freeride Festival as a rider-judged, big-mountain freeride and freestyle contest. The King of the Hill Freestyle will be set on powder-drenched 4,000-plus feet of vertical, demanding massive airs, cro-magnon leg strength and cat-like board-handling agility. Essentially, it’s the ultimate test of a professional snowboarder in one run. The one-day contest is slated for Saturday April 3, 2010 (the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th will serve as weather days).
• Big-mountain freestyle snowboarding contest.
• Cash prize purse and a trophy.
• Invitational field with a few wild-card spots. Top pro athletes, Olympians and veterans will be invited to participate.
• Bringing an additional 100-plus people to the town of Valdez during the event dates (and beyond.)
• Extensive international media coverage online, in print and in video.
• 40 Total competitors: 32 men, 8 women.
• Bringing back a legendary snowboarding competition.
We are working on putting together as much information on skiing and riding in AK as possible. Feel feel to hit us up with info or to help with corrections.
1989
Nick Perata, Shawn Farmer and Chris Pappas hike and ride Alaska's Moose's Tooth for a story for Climbing Magazine, making them the first snowboarders to ride the big mountain terrain that Alaska offers.
THE KING OF THE HILL WORLD EXTREME SNOWBOARDING CHAMPIONSHIPS IS COMING BACK!
THE WORLD'S ULTIMATE TEST OF MOUNTAIN RIDING WILL CHALLENGE SNOWBOARDERS AND SKIERS AGAIN!
More information to come...
King Axel Pauporte and Queen Karleen Jeffrery - the reigning King and Queen (1999).
King of the Hill is acknowledged as the original big mountain snowboarding contest. Held in Valdez Alaska from 1993 until 1999, the King of the Hill combined three distinct disciplines: speed, freestyle and extreme to crown the world's best snowboarder.
Help us bring back King of the Hill for 2010, complete with the three event format to determine the world's best overall snowboarder.
White room on Extreme day
The Downhill is a 4000 vertical foot run with some wind lips, rollers, and gullies.
The Freestyle is a 3000 + vertical foot run with wind lips, rolls, cornices, small cliffs, and natural half pipes.
The Extreme is 4000 + vertical feet of steeps, cornices, cliffs, couloirs, drops, and generally big terrain. This IS as good as it gets in the world! .
Matt Goodwill. Winner WESBC '93' King of the Hill '94' '97'
After that is the Feast and then the Coronation of the new King and Queen of the Hill.
King of the Hill tests the skills of professional athletes in a way no other event can. Setting the courses on the large, easily accessed backcountry mountains, tests a rider in more extreme conditions than any resort in the world.
The best rider will have a time around three minutes, integrate freestyle maneuvers seamlessly on natural powder buffed terrain and demonstrate seemingly impossible control in the worlds most renouned 'BIG' mountains.
The judging criteria is weighted towards skill and calculated control. Rolling the dice is not rewarded. There have been no serious injuries in our contest to date. We intend to keep it that way.
King of the Hill offers an opportunity for snowboarders to receive well deserved exposure and credibility.
Past Results
1994 King of the Hill Overall Results
Kings court
1 Matt Goodwill
2 Shawn Palmer
3 Jay Liska
4 Steve Klassen
5 Rob Morrow
Queens court
1 Julie Zell
2 Tina Basich
3 Bonnie Zellers
4 Kari McGuire
5 Sara Ellwell
6 Morgan LaFonte
1995 King of the Hill Overall Results
Kings court
1 Steve Klassen
2 Alex Warburten
3 Darren Mattingly
4 Andy Hetzel
5 Jason Rey
Queens court
1 Julie Zell
2 Jane Mauser
3 Margarett Cossettini
4 Tina Basich
1996 King of the Hill Overall Results
Kings court
1 Steve Klassen
2 Antoin Lieutagali
3 Dan Coffey
3 Miles Burgette
4 Jonah Himes
5 Jason Borgstede
