New Zealan Open is first stop of the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour
Thursday 17 July 2008, 11:40PM
By Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour
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The Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour, or simply, the Swatch TTR Tour, was created at Summer ISPO, Munich, 2002, following the demise of the International Snowboard Federation (ISF).
A get-together of interested brand representatives, event organizers and professional riders sat down to discuss the status of competitive snowboarding and the industry in general. A date was set for a follow-up meeting in Hossegor, France, 13th September, 2002. It was here, amongst industry leaders and event movers-and-shakers that legendary snowboarding icon, Terje Haakonsen, decided to open his renowned contest, The Arctic Challenge, to qualify the winners of a number of globally-recognised snowboarding events.
This simple act heralded the Start of a system that linked ten significant events. Over the last six years, this has developed into the most recognized and core-accepted competitive freestyle snowboard tour on the planet. On December 5th, 2005, the TTR World Ranking List was launched - the result being the crowning of the first-ever TTR World Tour Champion Mathieu Crepel at the end of the 05/06 season.. Finally, the TTR created a recognised alternative for competitive ‘freestyle’ snowboarding. After having been a premium partner for one year, on October 4th, 2007, Swatch confirmed its three-year participation as title sponsor of the TTR World Snowboard Tour, from 2007-2010.
Today, as the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour heads into its seventh season, it has grown to encompass over 100 men’s events and over 50 women’s events across the globe, on the 6 through 1Star tiering system. From the Southern Hemisphere with Australia and New Zealand, to the Northern Hemisphere with events ranging from the US, Norway, South Korea, China, Austria, Switzerland, England, Japan, Russia, France, Italy, Turkey, Finland, Sweden, Andorra, Belgium, Holland, Germany and more.
The Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour, an industry and rider initiative, has set itself the mission “to create the highest quality competitive snowboard environment in the world, using authenticity, accessibility, innovation as guiding principles”. It is determined to grow in both size and professionalism to uphold its mandate to create a transparent rookie-to-pro development system, foster the future and progression of the sport and represent the flagship of snowboard-run competitive snowboarding.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
What events are on the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour calendar?
The Swatch TTR Tour calendar represents the most significant, independently organised events in the world of freestyle snowboarding. Each event goes through an application process whereby a TTR ‘Star’ level is granted, based on a set of criteria.
What is the Star tiering system?
All events on the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour are accredited on a 6Star (Elite Pro), 5Star (Pro), 4Star (Pro-Am), 3Star (Am), 2Star (Rookie) or 1Star (Rookie) tiering system. The Star rating denotes the significance of the event, and the quantity of Swatch TTR Ranking points obtainable. The higher the Star rating, the more Swatch TTR points are available.
What event formats are attributing Swatch TTR points?
Slopestyle; Halfpipe; Quarterpipe; Big Air are the main formats on the Swatch TTR Tour. The TTR also welcomes and recognizes new and innovative concepts that bring progression into the sport (for example the Quiksilver Natural Selection). Events can hold more than one format e.g. Burton European Open runs both halfpipe and slopestyle. Swatch TTR events may also run formats that are not included in the Swatch TTR World Ranking List, e.g. exhibition events.
Can men and women snowboarders get Swatch TTR points?
Yes. There is a men’s calendar and a women’s calendar. Some events run both men and women competitions; some run men only and some run women only.
How is a rider’s ranking calculated?
A rider’s ranking position in the 08/09 season will be determined by the average of the best 8 results posted. The best 8 results are summed up and divided by 8 to create the rider’s ranking as seen on the Swatch TTR World Ranking List. If a rider has posted more than 8 results, the results with the lowest points are dropped. If a rider has less than 8 results, the season total is still added and divided by 8 to determine the rider’s ranking. Riders who competed in the 07/08 season will receive a points bonus equalling their end-of-season ranking points. This points bonus is counted as the first result of the new season. Riders carrying over their end-of-season points, only need to post 7 results in the current season. All riders, from amateur to professional, will appear on the same ranking list and are ranked according to the same criteria.
What Swatch TTR Ranking Points are attributed?
All event formats carry the same points values eg. all 6Star events carry 1000 points for a first place position. New: The Tour Champion Crowning events, Burton US Open & the Roxy Chicken Jam, will also carry 1000 Swatch TTR ranking points, i.e. the 25% points bonus that had existed until 07/08 will no longer be available.
Points value breakdown example:
| RANK | 6Star | 5Star | 4Star | 3Star | 2Star | 1Star |
| 1 | 1000.00 | 850.00 | 500.00 | 400.00 | 200.00 | 100.00 |
| 2 | 942.30 | 800.95 | 471.15 | 376.92 | 188.46 | 94.23 |
| 3 | 900.00 | 765.00 | 450.00 | 360.00 | 180.00 | 90.00 |
| 4 | 868.06 | 737.85 | 434.03 | 347.22 | 173.61 | 86.81 |
| 5 | 842.41 | 716.05 | 421.20 | 336.96 | 168.48 | 84.24 |
How and when is the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour Champion crowned?
The male and female rider with the most Swatch TTR Ranking Points after the last 6Star event on the season calendar (in 08/09: Burton US Open for Men and the Roxy Chicken Jam for Women) is declared the Swatch TTR World Snowboard Tour Champion of the season. Tour Prize Money will be paid out according to the ranking positions at the conclusion of these events (to Top 10 men and Top 5 women).