BURLINGTON, VT. (March. 2, 2006) - For the first time
ever, the Ticket To Ride (TTR) World Snowboard Tour will crown a global
champion at the upcoming Burton US Open, taking place at Stratton Mountain,
Vermont March 17-19. The US Open is the final 6-Star event on the TTR
World Snowboard Tour, which was originally created by Terje Haakonsen
as an alternative way to rank snowboarders around the world according
to their performance at participating TTR events.
At the US Open, the world's best riders will be united at the end of
the season to battle for a prestigious US Open title as well as the
lead in the TTR rankings. TTR works by giving points to every rider
who participates in a TTR World Snowboard Tour event anywhere in the
world. Points are given based on the rider's demonstrated talent and
the level of difficulty at the event. All riders from rookies and amateurs
to professionals appear on the same ranking list and are ranked according
to the same criteria.
The top 10 TTR riders will all be at the Burton US Open and will earn
points towards the championship in the halfpipe and slopestyle contests.
Currently, the top three male riders on the TTR Tour are Risto Mattila,
Mathieu Crepel and Nicolas Müller. Natasza Zurek, Cheryl Maas and
Claudia Fliri make up the women's top three spots.
