Ever thought of bringing a snowboard to a sword battle? You is likely to be within the YETI Pure Choice DUELS, which launched its lineup of rivals this week.The occasion pits two snowboarders head-to-head at completely different mountain venues and features as a qualifier. The DUELS winners will advance to the massive Pure Choice present in Revelstoke, British Columbia.This is who will duke it out—and the place.
Tor Lundstrom and Stale Sandbech at Andermatt+Sedrun+Disentis, SwitzerlandStefi Luxton and Madison Blackley at Eleven Irwin, COBjorn Leines and Brin Alexander at evo’s Journeyman Lodge on the Callaghan, BCSeverin Van Der Meer and Brandon Davis at Kirkwood Mountain Resort, Lake Tahoe, CAGabe Ferguson and Blake Moller at Excessive Mountain Heli, Victor, IDAya Sato and Sarka Pancochova at Myoko, Japan
Picture: Pure Choice Tour
The distinctive face-off occasion collection sees every of the 2 riders judged on their potential to shred unmanicured, pure faces. Whoever throws down the toughest wins the two-person occasion. The match-ups can be obtainable to observe on Purple Bull TV on February twenty fourth. That very same day, Pure Choice will announce the DUELS winners.”I am actually excited to be competing within the DUELS this 12 months. The final time I did Pure Choice, it was a reasonably last-minute factor, so it is good to have time to organize,” mentioned Stefi Luxton, who final competed as a wildcard alternate in 2022. “The venue at Eleven Irwin appears to be like unimaginable–enjoyable, flowy, freestyle terrain. I am unable to wait to test it out and spend the week snowboarding with Madison in Colorado.”Now, I do know what you are considering. That is POWDER, and the Pure Choice Tour—whereas sick—is all about snowboarding. You are solely sort of proper.This fall, we realized that Travis Rice’s brainchild would come with snowboarding in 2025. The occasion’s organizers, whereas having roots in snowboarding, made positive to incorporate noteworthy skiers on the advisory council. Chris Benchetler, Michelle Parker, Kristi Leskinen, and Candide Thovex are all concerned (the checklist of invited rivals hasn’t been introduced but).
That is all to say that DUELS, even when it is snowboarding, might function an appetizer earlier than the primary snowboarding course arrives in mid-April. Rice created one of many best-ever occasions in snowsports. We will not wait to observe skiers shine within the Pure Choice format.Leskinen and Benchetler just lately shared their ideas on the upcoming occasion in a collection of social media posts uploaded by Pure Choice.”What I hope to attain on this first 12 months of competitors with 4 ladies coming to Alaska—we’re so distant, we’re within the absolute center of nowhere, individuals are gonna be snow tenting, that is the actual deal. What I hope to see is that this actually motivates the ladies’s subject particularly, and subsequent 12 months, we’ve got to carry eight ladies alongside,” mentioned Leskinen.”We’ve a possibility to do one thing fully distinctive and particular with the kind of snowboarding I’ve all the time performed,” mentioned Benchetler. “This is not an alpinism contest, this is not your typical huck and pray scenario. I wanna see skiers pushing their limits with tips, and creativity, and transfers, and touchdown on their ft.”Briefly, we’re in for one heck of a present in 2025. Keep tuned.
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