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World's best race boarders to meet at Sudelfeld for a Parallel Giant Slalom / Sole stop in Germany / Newly minted World Champi

Friday, 30 January 2009

After the 8th FIS Snowboard World Championships wrapped up in Gangwon, Korea, with a Big Air last Saturday, it’s now time for the snowboarders to battle for points in the race for the Crystal Globes of the 2009 LG Snowboard FIS World Cup. The race boarders are the first ones to get back to business on Saturday, January 31st. The snowboarding elite including the newly minted World Champions meets at the sole stop of the World Cup circuit on German soil. For the first time in the history of the World Cup riders will get down to the nitty-gritty in a Parallel Giant Slalom with thrilling head-to-head duels at Sudelfeld, the ski resort located between Bayrischzell, Oberaudorf and Brannenburg.

For sure, the German riders like World Championships Bronze medallist in the Parallel Slalom Patrick Bussler want to be in on it. He and his team mates from the strong ladies’ squad including Amelie Kober, Anke Karstens, Selina Joerg and Isabella Laboeck are hoping for some good results at their first race on home turf after five years. “Everyone in the team is more excited than at the races in other countries. We are really keen on competing in a race in Germany after such a long time. We all want to strut our stuff” Patrick Bussler describes the morale of the team.

Personally, the 24-year-old Aschheim resident aims for a “top-3 result” at his 60th World Cup start although his last Parallel Giant Slalom appearances “were characterised by bad luck. But I know that my current performance is good. So, a positive output should be possible if it’s going well.”

However, the strong international competition is also hoping for top results. So, Bussler has to have an eye on the new PSL World Champion Benjamin Karl from Austria and his fellow team mate and current World Cup leader Siegfried Grabner, Simon Schoch (SUI), Roland Fischnaller (ITA), Rok Flander (SLO), Sylvain Dufour (FRA) as well as Canada’s Jasey Jay Anderson and Matthew Morison. Especially the last three named riders have underlined their shape at the last major event in Korea with Dufour grabbing Silver twice plus Anderson and Morison taking home Gold and Bronze in the Parallel Giant Slalom.

On the ladies’ side, Kober & Co. have to face some strong contenders from Austria. With Marion Kreiner (PGS Gold) and Doris Guenther (Silver in PGS and PSL) two ladies from the neighbouring country won three out of six possible race medals at the 2009 WCS. In addition, Guenther leads the World Cup due to three victories in so far held five parallel competitions. In addition, Heidi Neururer and Claudia Riegler both coming also from Austria as well as Tomoka Takeuchi (JPN), PSL World Champion Fraenzi Maegert-Kohli (SUI), Michelle Gorgone (USA), Australia’s Johanna Shaw (AUS) and Dutch Nicolien Sauerbreij are looking forward to bring home a good result, too.

Time schedule Sudelfeld, Germany - All local times:

Saturday, January 31st, 2009:      Parallel Giant Slalom           Qualifications           at 09:00 AM
                                                      Parallel Giant Slalom           Finals                        at 12:30 PM