- Moonlight looking sexy. The Headwaters are the Chutes just left of center.
Moonlight Basin to Host Subaru Freeskiing World Tour Qualifier Jan 26-29, 2012 in Big Sky, Montana
Fourth Stop Gives Athletes A Chance to Pre-Qualify for Rest of Tour
Never heard of Moonlight Basin? Well you will hear more about it after the best freeskiers in North America descend on Big Sky’s next door neighbor for this years Freeskiing World Tour Quailifier on January 26th-29th. I have skied there a couple times and can vouch for the real dealness of the terrain there. The Headwaters Zone where the comp will likely be held is some of the nastiest inbounds terrain I have ever seen. It make the Palisades at Squaw look like Cupcake Land, which, I mean, it kind of is anyway… I am stoked to go check it out!
From MSI:
Salt Lake City, UT – December 22, 2011 – Moonlight Basin is finalized as host of the sole qualifier stop on the 2011-2012 Subaru Freeskiing World Tour. This event is an important component to the tour because it gives unknown athletes a chance to pre-qualify for the rest of the 2012 stops. A small group of athletes will be pre-qualified into the event based on last year’s tour standings, and the rest of the spots will remain open to the public. Registration for the event will begin December 29th at 10am MST.
“We are very excited to host a Subaru Freeskiing World Tour event, to be able to showcase the incredibly challenging inbounds terrain that we have here at Moonlight Basin,” said Greg Pack, General Manager of Moonlight Basin.
Located in southwestern Montana, this Rocky Mountain resort has the steep terrain and consistent snowfall to make for excellent venue for upcoming skiers to earn their spot on the tour. Moonlight Basin averages over 400 inches of snowfall a year, boasts 2,720 feet of lift serviced vertical terrain and steep chutes and gullies on the north face of Lone Mountain known as “The Headwaters”.
“After scouring the western United States resorts , we found many good options to host a qualifier, but we choose Moonlight Basin over the rest based on their unique terrain and resort culture that embraces freeskiing. Its going to great to move the qualifier to Montana, and can’t wait to see some of the local talent that has been hiding up there,” said Event Director Bryan Barlow.
The caliber of skiing at qualifying events is always extremely high as athletes vie for these coveted spots on the Freeskiing World Tour. After Moonlight Basin, and the first North American stop at Revelstoke, the tour heads to the steeps of Crested Butte, Kirkwood and Snowbird. An overall Subaru Freeskiing World Tour Champion will be crowned at the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour Championships at Snowbird.
US Extreme Freeskiing Championships, Crested Butte, CO, February 8-12, 2012
North American Freeskiing Championships, Kirkwood, CA, February 22-27, 2012
Subaru Freeskiing World Championships, Snowbird, UT, March 14-19, 2012
About the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour (FWT)
The Subaru Freeskiing World Tour is the largest and longest running competitive big mountain freeskiing tour in the history of the sport with an unprecedented six stops. Founded in 1998, the FWT, created and produced by Mountain Sports International, Inc., is heading into its 15th year with alumni including Shane McConkey, Brant Moles, Kent Kreitler, Chris Davenport, Seth Morrison, Dean Cummings, Dave Swanwick, Wendy Fisher, Ingrid Backstrom, Dana Flahr, Kaj Zackrison, Karina Hollekim, Marja Persson, Julien Lopez, Chopo Diaz, Griffin Post, Drew Stoecklein, Crystal Wright and Hannah Whitney. In addition to up to $110,000 in winnings, the world tour champions are awarded the McConkey Cup, honoring legendary skier Shane McConkey, founder of the IFSA. The FWT also features the coveted backcountry.com Sickbird Award, which honors the athlete with the most spirit, style and wow-factor. The 2012 Subaru Freeskiing World Tour is supported by Subaru of America, The North Face, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Black Diamond Equipment, Clif Bar, Replay XD, Powder Magazine, Mountain Sports International, Comcast Sportsnet, Backcountry.com, Las Lenas, Ski Arpa, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Kirkwood Mountain Resort and Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort. The Canadian Freeskiing Championships are sponsored by Recon Instruments. For more information, visit www.freeskiingworldtour.com, www.facebook.com/freeskiingworldtour, or follow us on Twitter at @FreeskiingWT.
About Moonlight Basin
Moonlight Basin is an environmentally-sensitive, recreational resort and real estate development, surrounded by world-class Rocky Mountain skiing, 250,000 acres of wilderness and miles of nature trails. Offering luxury accommodations; Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf; a full-service spa; a variety of dining options; “The Biggest Skiing in America(r),” in combination with Big Sky Resort; fishing; hunting; rafting; camping; skiing; horseback riding and numerous other activities throughout the year, it’s the perfect balance of luxury and adventure. Located just one hour from Bozeman and 50 miles from Yellowstone National Park, this four-season paradise feels private and secluded, yet is easily accessible year-round. www.moonlightbasin.com
###
For Media Information: For Athlete Information:
Annie Aschim Julia Jimmerson
PR Coordinator Athlete Communications
Mountain Sports International Mountain Sports International