21-27 february 2015 ZERMATT, SWITZERLAND
SWATCHSKIERSCUP.COM
EDITORIAL FREERIDE WORLD TOUR
CONTENT
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EDITORIAL CONCEPT & HISTORY JP AUCLAIR ZERMATT THE CAPTAINS TEAM AMERICAS TEAM EUROPE JUDGES & SHAPER THE TROPHY BIG MOUNTAIN BACKCOUNTRY SLOPESTYLE COMPETITION SCHEDULE PUBLIC HAPPENINGS ABOUT SWATCH SWATCH COLLECTION
P. 3 P. 4 P. 5 P. 8 P. 9 P. 10 P. 12 P. 14 P. 15 P. 16 P. 17 P. 18 P. 19 P. 20 P. 21
“Welcome to the fifth edition of the SWATCH SKIERS CUP in Zermatt, Switzerland! This year will be very special as we will honor JP Auclair’s memory. JP passed away in an avalanche in Chile last year, a couple of months after leading Team Americas to victory in last year’s Cup. JP Auclair is one of the major contributors to the freeskiing and freeriding sport, and would have loved to see the two Teams compete with smiles on their faces. Seth Morrison, another of the sport’s legends, is taking over the leader role of Team Americas, and together with Julien Regnier, Captain of Team Europe, they will make sure this week is memorable. I thank them both for their remarkable spirit. I‘d like to sincerely thank Swatch, our local partners Gemeinde Zermatt, Zermatt Tourismus, Zermatt Bergbahnen, Backstage Hotel Vernissage, Air Zermatt, and clothing partners JLindeberg, and Kask, for making this week possible. Good luck to both teams!”
Nicolas HALE-WOODS FWT General Manager
SWATCH “It was a privilege for us to meet JP Auclair, a real pioneer in freeskiing and the man who led Team Americas to victory here in Zermatt last year. With his spirit to inspire them, and as a tribute to his amazing personality, the skiers will no doubt give everything they’ve got to make the SWATCH SKIERS CUP 2015 a remarkable event. The competition is unique in the world of freeskiing: it’s a dynamic and spectacular peaceful challenge between two continents, Europe versus the Americas, and both captains have called on terrific athletes to build their teams. With this year’s event set to break the 2-2 tie, we’re bound to see some truly great skiing. Good luck to all!”
Carlo GIORDANETTI
Creative Director Swatch International
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CONCEPT & HISTORY (5th edition)
Thank you JP Auclair! A tribute to JP Auclair 1977-2014
The fifth edition of the Swatch Skiers Cup will be marked by the loss of one of skiing’s most remarkable and truly inspirational human beings, JP Auclair (CAN), former captain of Team Americas. JP was a pioneer for putting the “free” back into freestyle and freeskiing. He passed away in an avalanche accident late September 2014. This edition of the Skiers Cup will be dedicated in memoriam of JP Auclair.
Welcome to the Swatch Skiers Cup – the unique intercontinental battle of freeskiing!
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Europe and the Americas are each represented by a team of 9 carefully selected top riders who meet in an epic showdown on the playing fields of both Backcountry Slopestyle and Big Mountain skiing. The riders are known for going all out for continental pride, a cash purse, the international showcase opportunity – and of course the Swatch Skiers Cup trophy. The current score between the two continents is 2-2 with Team Americas holding the trophy from last year. Team Europe and Team Americas have faced off four times so far, with events at Valle Nevado, Chile in 2011 and 2012, and in Zermatt, Switzerland in 2013 and 2014. The terrible loss of last year’s Team Americas captain, ski pioneer JP Auclair
(CAN), in September 2014 caused hesitation from his friends on both teams as to whether they could continue the Skiers Cup in his tragic absence. However, knowing that putting on a great show - in his spirit - would be the best tribute they could give him, they have set aside personal grief to celebrate the passion they had in common.
Julien Regnier (FRA) is thus back as captain for Team Europe and, Seth Morrison (USA) has agreed to step up from team member last year to new captain for Team Americas.
JP was possibly the most influential skier of modern times as he played a leading role in bringing back playfulness and freedom into the essence of skiing at a time when this was about to be monopolized by snowboarders having fun with gear and lifestyle inspired from wave surfing and skateboard. The world of skiing drastically needed to renew itself and JP was a driving force. The impact was such that it created new skis, new terrain, new markets and newfound ski pleasure in all kinds of terrain. Freeskiing had come to stay.
Which team has what it takes to take the lead? Follow along every day to find out when the battle is on February 21st - 27th!
The team behind the Swatch Skiers Cup is extremely proud to have worked with JP Auclair. We send our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.
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BEST OF SWATCH SKIERS CUP
CAPTAIN TEAM AMERICAS ZERMATT It is hard to imagine a better setting for this unique event than Zermatt, Switzerland. Picture perfect mountains, the ever-dominating Matterhorn, the clear air and the high altitude makes for spectacular shots in the snow to share with those who cannot make it there. And for those who are fortunate enough to experience this event on the spot, the action on the mountain is accessible for spectators to enjoy. The village of Zermatt, is full of contrasts combining Alpine history with modern comfort, top of the line luxury with practical mountaineering gear, traditional Swiss cuisine and health food, cozy chalets with the surrounding extreme mountains. The overall experience is greatly enhanced with the fact that the only cars around are electric.
CAPTAIN TEAM EUROPE
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Seth MORRISON Some would argue that the America’s Team Captain needs no further introduction. Seth Morrisson is the Peter Pan of skiing and has been blowing our minds for 25 years in video part after video part. His longevity and popularity in the industry would make any Hollywood star jealous. He has evolved alongside the sport and the hardware, ripping on skinny 195’s way back and still ripping today on the wonders of modern ski technology. His video parts have inspired a generation, watched by kids on TV’s that took up half the living room and now by kids on tablets and smartphones. His influence on modern skiing is unrivalled and he is a skier whose passion and dreams we have shared through a quarter of a decade of video parts that have no doubt inspired the dreams and passions of many of his younger peers. Seth takes over the Team Captain role at this years Swatch Skiers Cup and is humbled by the honor. “I accepted this title with regret, only hoping to make JP proud”.
9 Julien REGNIER A visionary rebel and trendsetter on skis. Julien is one of the founding fathers of freeskiing. He brings a creative approach to everything from his photography to ski design to his own skiing style and even to his strategy for the Skiers Cup. At the age of 18 he qualified for the French Olympic mogul team but soon began to develop his own unique style and was one of the key figures in the evolution and fusion of freestyle and freeride skiing in Europe. He debuted as Team Captain last year but he has been involved with the event since 2012 serving as a judge, and doubling up as judge and shaper of the Backcountry Slopestyle course in 2013. This year Julien wants his team to step up and deliver some «epic skiing» in honor and in memory of his good friend and peer JP Auclair.
14/03/1983 Home Mountain: Squaw Valley, California (USA)
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15/12/1981 Home Mountain: Whistler, British Columbia (CAN)
19/02/1995 Home Mountain: Whistler, British Columbia (CAN)
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Seth says: “When park skiing started to take off I was a coach at High North Camp in Whistler where I met and coached Dana for a brief period and later skied with him in films in Alaska and British Columbia. This guy can do it all as well. Easy going guy with a passion for the sport. Has a bag of tricks to go with the mountain scene.”
Seth says: “His father was a skier I looked up to at Logan’s age, and in recent years we shared a trip together in Alaska filming for Poor Boyz, the trip was tough with weather and conditions. We also camped out in a lighthouse for a few days. He was up for the adventure. Another well rounded skier. I look forward to seeing how he has progressed since Alaska, he’s a smart young guy!”
6-Andy MAHRE
8-Tanner RAINVILLE
16/07/1984 Home Mountain: White Pass, Washington (USA)
02/10/1985 Home Mountain: Breckenridge (USA)
Seth says: “This guy rips, son of an Olympian and from a ski family. Well rounded seems to prefer powder, yet can carve any surface, or pull a trick in a tight spot. Team mate with the K2 squad, have spent time together skiing in Chile, Alaska, British Columbia. This guy was born to ski.”
Seth says: “I met him at an Eye of the Condor event a few years ago in La Parva Chile. He had already caught my eye in Level1 movies. He is also a well rounded skier. At some point in time my sister babysat him as a child. Small world. He is a dark horse for sure and a good guy!”
team americas
Seth says: “Is very well rounded and an obvious choice for this event. Laid back attitude and love of the sport comes to mind when I think about Sage. We have enjoyed many Alaska trips over the years, besides countless others. Pleasure to have him back on the team.”
Seth says: “Last year was the first time I skied with Cody. He is a hard charger, film star. I first met him at the Woodward at Copper camp during the first season they ran it and he was honing his tricks. Worked his way through the big mountain comp scene and landed a rare spot in the film world. Entrepreneur and silly man, he brings a good mentality to the group.”
2-Callum PETTIT
4-Rory BUSHFIELD
04/01/1990 Home Mountain: Whistler, British Columbia (CAN)
30/05/1983 Home Mountain: Whistler, British Columbia (CAN)
Seth says: “I have known Callum since he was a kid. Early on you could see him going for it. Still today, sending it. Impressive to see, wonder what he will do next. Another well rounded skiing guy, cool to see his level each year. Strong member of the team.”
Seth says: “Is a wild child. From his many stunts we have seen in the films to his creativity as a skier. As all of us, he’s here to have a good time! Seeing his progression over the years puts him at the top of the game in mental calmness. He mostly does things that makes you go, Wow! Glad to have him on the team for sure.”
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photo TETON
27/12/1979
Home Mountain: Alta & Snowbird, Utah (USA)
photo S.KOURAS
7-Logan PEHOTA
photo B.HUGUES
5-Dana FLAHR
photo J.CRICCO
3-Cody TOWNSEND
team americas
1-Sage CATTABRIGA-ALOSA
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3-sverre LILIEQUIST
5-SAM FAVRET
7-Sven KUEENLE
09/05/1985 Home Mountain: Vallnord (AND)
09/03/1972 Home mountain: Stockholm (SWE)
22/06/1988 Home Mountain: Chamonix (FRA)
30/11/1983 Home Mountain: Munich (GER)
Julien says: “The Lion: Richie charges so hard it looks like he has no fear. Super fast skiing and big airs – I wouldn’t want to battle against him. He is also a really strong freestyle skier, he can send doubles off some of the biggest park jumps so he’s for sure one of my big names for the Backcountry Slopestyle day.”
Julien says: “The Bear: Sverre and Kaj have really similar styles on and off the snow. Sverre is a super solid Big Mountain rider with really strong alpine-style turns, huge cliff stomps, and a crazy backflip.”
Julien says: “The Fox: A very solid skier in both disciplines, Sam has strong legs and he knows how to use them. He built his reputation as a freestyle skier, but this Chamonix-based man knows how to freeride the craziest Big Mountain terrain, too.”
Julien says: “The Lynx: Sven has been traveling the world for fresh powder, building kickers and ripping lines for more then ten years. It is a great honor to have him in the team I know he will give all he has.”
2-Nicolas Vuignier
4-Fabien MAIERHOFER
04/12/1990 Home Mountain: Crans-Montana (SUI)
23/03/1984 Home Mountain: Les Ménuires (FRA)
Julien says: «The owl : Nico is the smooth operator he is clean and precise, I just love the way he makes his turns and he is a very good card for the backcountry slopestyle competition. A very original rider that sees things his own way.»
Julien says: “The Wolf: Unfortunately Fabien is one of my best friends so he can only disappoint me as a great French thinker once said. Fab has more than a few tricks in his bag it will be interesting who he will battle.”
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team EUROPE
team EUROPE
1-Richard PERMIN
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6 6-LOIC COLLOMB-PATTON
8-Jérémie HEITZ
06/09/1986 Home Mountain: La Clusaz (FRA)
28/09/1989 Home Mountain: Les Marécottes (SUI)
Julien says: “The Eagle: Loic is such a great rider I’m glad to have him on the team, he came back from a rough injury and I respect his career a lot. He is a trooper and loves skiing deeply. We will have fun watching him perform!”
Julien says: “I know Jérémie only by his reputation and he’s a super good skier, strong and fast. I really appreciate his very engaged style, he is a big asset for the Big Mountain competition.”
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ALL RISE! THE JUDGING BEHIND THE SWATCH SKIERS CUP
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Three experienced judges will decide the champions of the event – Woodie Bouma (AUS), Philippe Poirier (CAN), Dimitri Charrière (FRA). The head-tohead format of the competition keeps the judging format simple. After each completed match-up, the judges lift a blue card for a winning Team Europe rider, or a red card for a winning Team Americas rider. No worrying over tenths of points leading to a final score each winning rider tallies one point for their team, while the loser is awarded nothing. The team with the most points after both days of competition wins!
THE SHAPER The Shaper is responsible for designing and building terrain park-style jumps in an untracked, off-piste area. The result is the course for the crowd-pleasing Backcountry Slopestyle discipline. Passionate professional skier, downhill mountain biker, and experienced jump shaper, Arnaud Kugener (FRA) is head shaper for the Swatch Skiers Cup. Arnaud has been in charge of design and construction on countless backcountry jumps and terrain park features, and then throwing massive tricks off those same jumps.
THE TROPHY As the story of the Swatch Skiers Cup continues to grow with each edition, the individual battles that made up each competition fade into the past. But one item will always remain to represent the legacy of the event - the Swatch Skiers Cup trophy. The trophy is an iron ski boot, and its massive weight represents the honorable names of past winners that are engraved upon its base. When this year’s champions stand on the podium and raise the trophy high, they are raising a symbol of the legendary history of the Swatch Skiers Cup.
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BIG MOUNTAIN A show unlike any other sporting event, the Big Mountain (a.k.a. freeride) discipline is filled with intimidating challenges and unknowns. Riders choose a line down a mountain that they have only inspected visually before competition day, skiing full-throttle down thousands of feet of powder-covered steeps and cliff bands.
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Sluff noun: Fast moving, loose snow sliding on the surface of a slope. Caused by a skier descending a steep face of unconsolidated snow. <Sverre always outruns his sluff> Stomp verb: To land an air in a perfectly centered, balanced position. The ideal technique for landing. <Some riders backslapped on that jump, but Cody stomped it> Fluidity noun: Skiing a run from top to bottom with little to no hesitation. Shows confidence, style, and ability. <Favret has amazing fluidity, he didn’t slow down until the finish line>
BACKCOUNTRY SLOPESTYLE
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A series of giant, perfectly sculpted jumps lead down a ridge before the course turns left to another set of ramps that launch riders into a steep-sided canyon where even more perfectly groomed take-offs dot the cliffs and cornices below. The Matterhorn and other iconic 4,000 m alpine peaks serve as the backdrop, and the entire course is covered with soft, untracked Swiss powder. This might sound like a video game, but at the Swatch Skiers Cup this is the Backcountry Slopestyle event.
Switch adjective: Describes skiing, taking off, and/or landing backwards. <It was a switch 720 – he took off and landed backwards>
Dub 10 noun: A trick with two consecutive off-axis 540° rotations. Can be executed switch or regular. <That was a filthy dub 10, Richard>
Unnatural adjective: Describes a rotation executed in the opposite direction of the way a skier is most comfortable. <He normally spins to his right, so that left-side 540 was unnatural>
Tranny noun: Short for transition, denotes the location on a landing slope where impact will be the least. Often the steepest part of the slope. <Dane hit the tranny perfectly on that switch unnatural dub 10>
PUBLIC HAPPENINGS LOCATION: Event village DATE: 24-26 February 2015 TIME: From 3.00-7.00 pm
COMPETITION SCHEDULE In order to guarantee the best possible conditions for the Swatch Skiers Cup 2015, event organizers will choose the two best days out of the six-day window on which to hold the Big Mountain and Backcountry Slopestyle competitions.
Big Mountain Possible dates of competition (weather dependent): 22-27 February 2015
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Location: the Big Mountain location will be decided at the last minute to ensure the best possible conditions.
No public access.
Backcountry Slopestyle Possible dates of competition (weather dependent): 22-27 February 2015 Location: the Backcountry Slopestyle location will be confirmed two days prior to the event. The following options are foreseen: Option A: Schwarzsee Face. Public viewing from Restaurant Schwarzee Option B: Guggli North side. Public viewing from top of Breitboden lift
Stay tuned on www.swatchskierscup.com and www.facebook.com/swatchskierscup for the latest updates on the program, the contest venues as well as daily photo and video highlights!
The Swatch Skiers Cup is looking forward to welcoming you to the official event village located in the heart of Zermatt next to the Swatch Store. Come join us for the après-ski with specialty foods and thirst quenching drinks. Take part in daily competitions with plenty of prizes to win and enjoy the live music. Come meet your favorite riders during the autograph session and the official prize-giving ceremony on the main stage. Join us at the Swatch Movie Night for a screening of MSP’s «Days Of My Youth» at le Cinema Vernissage with guest appearances of Swatch Proteam athletes including Cody Townsend, Richard Permin and Markus Eder. And of course don’t miss out on the award ceremonies and official parties that will take place on the two competition days. OPENING PARTY – VERNISSAGE - Backstage Hotel 21 February 2015 - starting 10.00 pm THEME PARTY : “Gringo Party”
CONTEST DAY 1 – GEE’S BAR Date confirmed 48 hours in advance - as from 11.00 pm THEME PARTY : “Cocktail night”
CONTEST DAY 2 – PAPPERLA PUB Date confirmed 48 hours in advance - as from 11.00 pm THEME PARTY : “SUIT UP PARTY”
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STARS, STRIPES & A MAPLE LEAF
Swatch, launched in 1983 by Nicolas G. Hayek, is a leading Swiss watch maker and one of the world’s most popular brands. The first Swatch watches surprised everyone with their revolutionary concept, creative design and provocative spirit. Today Swatch continues to innovate and surprise with new models, collections and special editions. The brand maintains a strong presence in the world of sports with its commitment to snowboarding, freeskiing, surfing, beach volleyball and mountain bike slopestyle. Right from the start, Swatch connected with art and artists, and Swatch watches remain a prominent canvas for artists from a broad range of disciplines.
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Swatch pays tribute to free-spirited freeskiers with the score tied at two wins apiece for Team Europe and Team Americas, the stakes couldn’t be higher: Swatch Skiers Cup 2015 sees the world’s best freeskiers go head to head in spectacular Backcountry Slopestyle and Big Mountain disciplines. To celebrate freeskiing and full-throttle free spirits, Swatch has created two colorful New Gents with cut-away dials and multi-colored movements. The design was inspired by the traditional alpine heavy-knit sweaters: Team Europe in blue & white with blue stars (SUON112C), Team Americas in red & white with red stripes (SUOR102C). Part of the Swatch RED WHITE & BLUE collection, both feature the Canadian Maple Leaf. This symbol honors the memory of JP Auclair, the Canadian freeskier who led Team Americas to victory last year, and whose untimely death in 2014 rocked the freeski world and free spirits everywhere.
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PHOTOGRAPHERS : JEREMY BERNARD DAVID CARLIER DOM DAHER
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