MATT ANNETTS AND MICHELLE LOCKE WIN THE OVERALL TITLE OF THE MASTERS

ANDREW IRWIN AND ROSEMARIE DITTFACH WIN THE KIRKWOOD FINALE

Kirkwood, California, March 7, 2009:
Day two of The North Face Masters (TNF Masters) at Kirkwood Mountain Resort, California, wrapped up under clear blue skies on Kirkwood's famed Cirque. With more than eight feet of fresh snow, the permanently closed area, which offers a variety of untouched tight lines and huge airs had near perfect conditions. At the end of the day, Kirkwood local Rosemarie Dittfach and Andrew Irwin of Squaw Valley, California, took top honors inching past some hefty competition.

With Friday's points not carrying over, athletes came into the finals with a clean slate, with the better of two runs deciding the winners. Sitting in first Friday, the 2008 overall TNF Masters co-champion Laura Dewey of Snowbird, Utah, put together two solid runs but was ultimately beat out by Rosemarie Dittfach, who chose a technical line speckled with rock exposure which she rode exceptionally fast. Dittfach, a big mountain snowboarding veteran, has been riding in competitions at Kirkwood for years, and stands on the podium nearly every time. Michelle Locke of Lake Louise, Alberta, rode consistently and strong throughout the event and held on to a third place finish, which earned her enough points to take the overall 2009 TNF Masters tour title.

"My first run was really mellow and conservative," said women's winner Rosemarie Dittfach. "I wanted to step up my second run because I knew I was in first and I knew I could. I wanted to step up, not down."

Friday's leader Ross Baker of Squaw Valley, California, rode extremely fast, strong and fluid, stomping a huge Cab 540 to cheers from the massive crowd below. But it was 20 year-old Andrew Irwin whose first run of the day would post the winning score. Opting for high-exposure, Irwin rode 'The Sanctuary' with no hesitation, nailing each of his airs with speed and grabbing his first TNF Masters sword. Ryland Bell of Cleary Summit, Alaska, finished second.

"I've been looking at the Cirque for many days now," said men's winner Andrew Irwin. "I just tried to pick a unique line where no one else is going."

"This is by far the coolest event I've been to," said third place finisher Ross Baker. Baker, 18, was also the recipient of The North Face Young Gun Award at Kirkwood, which recognizes and promotes young talent in the sport of Big Mountain Snowboarding. Aaron Robinson, 22, of Big Mountain, Montana, won the overall Young Gun Award for the 2009 TNF Masters tour.

Matt Annetts of Stowe, Vermont, cinched the overall TNF Masters tour title. The winner of TNF Masters Snowbird, Utah, and finishing second at TNF Masters Crested Butte, Colorado, Annetts edged out reigning champ, Clif Dimon of Crested Butte for the overall win.

Special Thanks To:
The North Face
Primaloft
Snowbird Ski&Summer; Resort
Crested Butte Mountain Resort
Kirkwood Mountain Resort
Snowboard Magazine
Mountain Sports International


www.snowboard-mag.com
Photos: Eben Wight

Royce Morgan, 18, was found dead near Alaska's Hatcher Pass on Wednesday. Morgan was snowboarding with his brother, 25-year-old Matthew Theodore, in the late afternoon when the two became separated, troopers reported. Theodore looked for his brother but couldn't find him. He went to the Hatcher Pass Lodge and called troopers. Theodore then went back up the mountain to look for his brother. Theodore reportedly found Morgan a second time, but Morgan could not walk. So Theodore tried to push him back to the lodge on a snowboard, but was unable to and again went back for help. By the time searchers found Morgan at 9:15 PM he had no pulse and was not breathing.

Nissan Freeride Tram Face Comp Squaw Valley Day 1 - Delivers

The only US of A stop on the Nissan Freeride World Tour is at Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe - and this just makes sense. Scott Schmidt, Glen Plake, Tom Burt, Shaun Palmer, Shane McConkey - the list of legendary local shreds (and filmers) goes on and on. When both snowboarding and skiing decided to go "extreme" in the 80s, Lake Tahoe and all its brethren led the charge...

After an exhilarating day in Squaw Valley's Silverado Bowl, day one is done! The snow pack could have been deeper, but under the California sun the hill was riding well enough. I ride here often and see rippers go huge all the time, but getting 53 of the world's best in one spot, on some of the gnarliest terrain anywhere - was just bonkers. As I like to wonder, how much bigger can a human feasibly go?!?! I feel a new Discovery Channel show coming, with CGI and the works: "Just how many backflips can Shane McConkey do on skis before it's, well, just humanly impossible to do anymore." FYI - Shane started out the whole comp sticking a backflip boost off of the Tram Face building roof (see photos).

FYI: Squaw Valley's Freeride venue was relocated from the Tram Face due to an inclement weather forecast over the weekend. If conditions improve on the 70-degree face, the competitors will take on the Tram Face next week. The athletes and organizers are anxiously awaiting the snowfall predicted this weekend.

Day 1 Results from the Nissan Tram Face on Silverado:

MEN SKI
1- Reine Barkered SWE
2-Henrik Windstedt SWE
3-Aurelien Ducroz FRA

WOMEN SKI
1-Elyse Saugstad USA
2-Marja Persson SWE
3-Jen Ashton CAN

MEN SNOWBOARD
1-Jeremy Jones USA
2-Jonas Emery SUI
3-Xavier de Le Rue SUI

WOMEN SNOWBOARD
1-Susan Moll USA
2-Aline Bock GER
3-Charlotte Hagen NOR

The snowboarders Jeremy Jones and Susan Moll won the first day of competition with an excited crowd cheering on all the athletes and their amazing runs. Jeremy Jones, the emblematic rider from Squaw Valley, mastered the terrain with a fluid line and great jumps. Jonas Emery from Switzerland took second with one of the most original lines of the day coming down the center. Xavier de Le Rue from France, Freeride World Champion 2008, opened up one of the toughest lines of the day with complete control.
For the snowboard women, Susan Moll, winner of the Freeride World Qualifier in Crested Butte, won again today ahead of the favorite from Germany, Aline Bock, winner of the Nissan Russian Adventure. The women truly impressed the spectators present at the bottom of the face, especially the Freeride World Champion 2008, Elyse Saugstad. She won the women's ski competition hands down with a fast run that could have competed with the men. Marja Persson from Sweden took second taking a similar line as Elyse. She was followed by Jen Ashton from Canada who went for the steepest area of the face taking third.
With the most original and risky line of the day topped off with an incredible jump, the Swede Reine Barkered surprised everyone taking first ahead of the favorites Henrik Windstedt also from Sweden, Freeride World Champion 2008, and Aurelien Ducroz from France, second at the Nissan Russian Adventure, who took the same line. Cody Townsend, from Squaw Valley (and favorite) took fourth, just a few points from the podium. Impatient to take on the Tram Face, Cody has already proclaimed, "The Tram Face will separate the men from the boys!"