ESPN has reported that SIlverton Mountain will host the 2011 Red Bull Cold Rush from March 14-18. HELLS YEA!!! This should be an amazing event! Hats off to Silverton and to Red Bull for bringing such an incredible event to the San Juans! I can’t wait to see these athletes throw down on Silverton’s crazy terrain. There were reports that last year’s Cold Rush Champion, Sean Pettit was skiing Silverton on their opening day a few weeks back. He must have been scoping out the venue with thoughts of a repeat title!
Here is ESPN writer Jamey Voss’ report on the event.
This winter, Red Bull is moving its Cold Rush freeskiing contest from Retallack Lodge deep in British Columbia to Silverton, Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. Although the news hasn’t been officially released, sources at Red Bull confirmed this with ESPN on Thursday. The Cold Rush is an invite-only competition that involves big air and big mountain disciplines and typically takes place over a three-day period.
Since its inception in 2007, Cold Rush has taken place in Canada: the first two seasons were at Red Mountain, BC, and the last two seasons were at Retallack. The move to Silverton marks a significant change. “I was definitely shocked when I found out the event was leaving Retallack this year,” said 2010 Red Bull Cold Rush champion Sean Pettit. “I’m quite excited for it to be in Silverton. I’ve never been there before and from what I know the terrain is quite different, which will make it a totally different event.”
Red Bull has verbal commitments from last year’s top three men’s finishers at Cold Rush — Sean Pettit, Dash Longe and Dave Treadway — as well as Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Dane Tudor and Tim Durtschi. Grete Eliassen, who took second place behind Suzanne Graham last year in the women’s category, has also committed to compete in 2011. The field will consist of 15 men and five women, and historically the event’s outcome is based on voting by the athletes themselves.
Photo: Yorick Carroux
Check out sweet video from last year’s event in B.C.