Last week the organizers released the athlete list for the inaugural McDonald’s Rail Session, a new event on the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival calendar for 2004.
The contest takes place tonight (Friday, April 23) under the lights in Skier’s Plaza at 9 p.m. The event will get underway with a jam, followed by elimination rounds to narrow the field down to two athletes. The total prize purse for the event is cool $10,000.
Ten skiers and 10 snowboarders are taking part in the event, which will be broadcast on national television. The organizers are hoping to attract the largest crowd ever to a rail session.
The 10 snowboarders on the list are:
Dennis Bannock – Squamish – Ripzone, Atomic, Nixon Technine, Grenade, 32, Etnies, OGIO, Ca$hle$$ Inc.
Simon Chamberlain – Whistler – Stepchild, M6, 32, Technine
Susi Davis – Oakville, ON – Capita, 32, Dragon, Nikita, Monix, OGIO
Jesse Fox – Whistler – Rome, M6, Oakley, Ambigious
Brendan Keenan – North Vancouver – Burton, Dragon, Grenade, Neff
Eero Niemela – Finland – Rossignol, Volcom, Oakley
Benji Ritchie – Whistler – Rossignol, Billabong
Roberta Rodger – North Vancouver – Hammer, 32, Velvet, Sessions
Aaron Shapiro – North Vancouver – Atomic Technine, 32, Dragon, Etnies
Dwayne Wiebe – Calgary – Rome, Westbeach, Grenade, Drake
The stand-by list includes Mikee HK and Travis Williams of Whistler and Paavo Tikkanen of Vancouver.
The list of invited skiers includes:
Iannick B. – Grandes-Piles, QC – Salomon, Orage, Silver Cartel, Scott USA, D-Structure
Sarah Burke – Midland, ON – Smith
David Crichton – Manotick, ON – Dynastar, DNA, Spy, D-Structure
Charles Gagnier – Victoriaville, QC – Salomon, Spy, D-Structure
Tanner Hall – Kalispell, MT – Armada
Kristi Leskinen – Uniontown, PA – Rossignol
Kye Petersen – Whistler – Rossignol
TJ Schiller – Vernon – Armada, Orage
Steele Spence – Snowmass, CO – 4FRNT
Matt Sterbenz – Truckee, CA – 4FRNT, VZ, Billabong, Level, OVO, Tecnica, Scott USA
The stand-by list includes Rory Silva of Mammoth Lakes, California; Josh Bibby of Vernon; Mark Abma of Whistler and Mickael Deschenaux of Switzerland.