Climax to the Burton AM Tour 2009

Climax to the Burton AM Tour 2009

Mon 30 March 09

Last stop on the Burton AM Tour was up on the Val Senales Glacier in Italy, despite the weathers best efforts, the event till took place. Some excellent results for the Brits with 11yr old Katie Ormerod winning the overall Youth girls series

Still a big smile on our faces and the hearts filled with pleasure from the contest in Avoriaz, the Burton AM Tour crew made its way from France over to “Bella Italia”. But it was not the “dolce far niente” that brought the Tour to Val Senales, South Tyrol, but the last final stop of this year’s Burton AM Tour. Twelve contests in twelve different countries... Eleven done and one to go… Check it out!

Burton AM Tour 09, Maximilian Gschaider in Val Senales
Burton AM Tour 09, Maximilian Gschaider in Val Senales
Photo: Ueli Christoffel

It was last Saturday, 28 March, when Val Senales in South Tyrol hosted another Swatch TTR2 Star Event of the Burton AM Tour 2008/09. For the final show, 49 riders from eight different countries showed up. The main mission of this last stop was to ride hard, have some good fun and finally determine the Overall Winners of this year’s tour. Once more this season, the weather wanted to foil this master plan. Hard snowfalls, strong winds and zero visibility caused radical changes. The fantastic park on the glacier had to be closed and a brand new one was built next to the Valley Station… and all this in ONE day! Without the local shapers, better known as the Gentlemen Riders, this plan could have been called insane! Then two snowcats, the fabulous Gentlemen Riders and the AM Tour Crew did the job and turned dreams into reality… A sweet park with a sick setup awaited the riders on Saturday morning. As expected, the weather was bad, but the riders did their jobs, shredded hard and had great fun.

Burton AM Tour 09 Val Senales
Burton AM Tour 09 Val Senales
Photo: Ueli Christoffel

After the warm up, more sweet freestyle action followed during the two qualifications. The wind became stronger but still couldn’t keep the finalists from rocking the park. In the end Maximilian Gschaider from Germany did the best job. His sweet Frontside 720 Indy followed by a Backside 540 on the Kickers and the 540 on the Wallride was some brilliant work. In the Youth Boys category Tim-Kevin Ravnjak from Slovenia cleaned up with a Frontside 540 and a Backside 540 on the Kickers followed by a Rock 540 on the Wallride. The girls’ effort was super nice, too. Within the Junior Girls category Tiziana Casutt from Switzerland won with two stylish Backside 360s on the Kickerline and a Rock to Fakie on the Wallride. Katie Ormerod from United Kingdom came up with two convincing Backside Airs on both Kickers and a Rock to Fakie on the Wallride.

Burton AM Tour 09 Tour Winners Podium
Burton AM Tour 09 Tour Winners Podium
Photo: Ueli Christoffel

After a sick comp in the Italian Alps, it was time to party. In an awesome atmosphere the participants were celebrated as well as the winners. Everybody did a great job that day. When the Overall Tour Winners went on stage the cheering was on its peak. The applause and the full BEO Package, provided by the main partner Volvo, was their reward for an awesome AM Tour season. These are the winners: A big hooray for the two Dutch riders Bob Van Unnik, overall winner of the Junior Boys category and Rachida Aoulad-El-Haj-Amar, winner of the Junior Girls category. Congratulations also to the 13-year-old Slovenian sensation Tim-Kevin Ravnjak for winning the Youth Boys title for the second year in a row; and to British rider Katie Ormerod, overall winner of the Youth Girls category.

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