Oakley and Shaun White present Air & Style Beijing 2012, bringing the world's best snowboarders to the Olympic stadium Beijing - the famous Bird's Nest. Badertscher, Toutant, Piiroinen and Smits are part of the 24 strong riders field to compete on December 8th 2012 with Sun Nan live on stage.
For the 3rd consecutive year the Air & Style takes place in Beijing, China, in the Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium. The Oakley and Shaun White present Air & Style Beijing is the most important and only 6* event of the World Snowboard Tour (WST) on the Asian continent
It's the year of the dragon and all 24 riders will need dragon's blood pumping through their veins when dropping in from the 50 meter high start gate on top of the monstrous ramp. Dragons are high flying, fearless, risk taking apex predators, who soar to faraway lands to seize glory and riches. These characteristics are also key in sticking a double cork or 1440 en route to winning the Oakley and Shaun White Air & Style.
"China is continually showing its strength as a global sports leader and the action sports arena is no exception," said Oakley Vice President of Global Sports Marketing, Patrick McIlvain. Now in its third year, Air & Style Beijing is building momentum behind the sport of snowboarding in one of the most important emerging markets in the world. Oakley is proud to partner with Shaun White in bringing one of the best snowboard events of the year to the Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium.
For the first time all 24 riders will start in a head-to-head competition from round 1 on. 12 winners and 4 lucky losers will advance to round 2 and battle their way through to the Super Final of 4 riders. 1,000 World Snowboard Tour points, a dragon's share of the 100,000 US- Dollar prize purse and the Ring Of Glory are the plunder waiting to be captured by the top vanquishing hero.
Ulrik Badertscher (NOR), winner of last year's Beijing event, will lead big names such as WST champion Peetu Piiroinen (FIN) and WST Big Air champion Seppe Smits, into the stadium. The North American delegation, with Slopestyle world champion Chas Guldemond (USA), Mark McMorris (CAN), Seb Toutant (CAN), Eric Beauchemin(USA), Antoine Truchon (CAN), Sage Kotsenburg (USA) and Maxence Parrot (CAN) poses a formidable challenge to all. A menacing field of norsemen will travel from Scandinavia to the middle kingdom, China. Stale Sandbech (NOR), Petja Piroiinen (FIN), Torgeir Bergrem (NOR), Roope Tonteri (FIN), Emil Ulsletten (NOR), Sven Thorgren (SWE) and Nils Arvidsson (SWE) are coming to strengthen their position as one of snowboards strongest heritages. Never to be underestimated, Werner Stock (AUT), Clemens Schattschneider (AUT), Mathias Weissenbacher (AUT), Pat Brugener (SUI), Marko Grilc (SLO) and Viktor de la Rue (FRA) from the European Alps are a venerated guild. Yuki Kadono (JPN) will have the shortest trip to make, but may have the most to gain from a victory in his home continent.
