Strong international field at FIS Junior World Championships

With just under a week to go until entries close, the inaugural FIS Snowboard & Freestyle Junior World Championships are promising an all-star field featuring many of the top 50 riders and skiers in the world.

Recent entries include a strong freeski team from the USA featuring five competitors who are ranked in the top 10 in current FIS points standings. Hannah Haupt (17), Brita Sigourney (20), Blake Peterson (18), Tucker Perkins (19) and Walter Wood (18) are all currently in the top 10 for freestyle halfpipe while Canada’s Megan Gunning (18) is currently ranked third, promising an outstanding competition between the world’s best.

Another name to watch is all-rounder Cikla Sadar (19) of Slovenia who is ranked 28 in the snowboard halfpipe, 15 in the big air and 10 in slopestyle.

The event marks the first time that slopestyle for both snowboard and freeski, plus freeski halfipe have been included in a FIS World Championship so the young athletes taking part, all aged between 13 and 20, will be part of snow sports history. For many it is the start of their campaign for selection to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

The 2010 FIS Freestyle and Snowboard Junior World Championships take place from 20 to 31 August at Cardrona Alpine Resort and Snow Park NZ, Lake Wanaka featuring the following nine disciplines – snowboard slopestyle, snowboard cross, snowboard halfpipe, snowboard parallel slalom and giant slalom, snowboard big air, freeski slopestyle, ski cross and freeski halfpipe. For further information, visit www.juniorworldsnz.co.nz