Burton AM Tour launches for fourth season

The Burton AM Tour, one of Europe's largest amateur freestyle snowboarding contest series, has launched into its fourth season. This winter, the tour will shake twelve resorts in twelve different countries.

The Swatch TTR 2-star events give young riders born 1989 or later the chance to show their freestyle skills and put themselves on the map of European snowboarding. With the new main sponsor Volvo Cars the contest series will step up the quality and maintain the unique atmosphere of the past years.

The first three stops of the tour will be indoor events, the first taking place on November 15 in Bispingen, Northern Germany. All 2009 stops will see sunlight, starting on January 24 in Flachauwinkl, Austria.

The tour stop winners will receive a guaranteed starting slot for the slopestyle competition at the Burton European Open (BEO) in Laax, Switzerland, and prizes from tour sponsors Burton, RED, and Anon. The overall tour winners will be crowned at the last stop on the glacier of Val Senales (Italy) on March 28. They will receive a Burton European Open package, consisting of starting slot and full board accomodation.

 Last year's overall winners were Stefan Ackeret (1989/SUI/Junior Boys), Laura Berry (1988/UK/Junior Girls), Tim-Kevin Ravnjak (1996/SLO/Kid Boys) and Enya Beutler (1993/SUI/Kid Girls). They all showed an insane level of riding over the entire past season. Like the tour stop winners they will seize their chance and compete in this winter's BEO in January 2009.

A regular podcast will keep you posted about the tour. It will feature tons of riding and impressions from the stops. Subscription and download under www.burtonamtour.com

Burton AM Tour Calendar 2008/09

15/11/2008 Bispingen (GER)

22/11/2008 Castleford (GBR)

06/12/2008 Landgraaf (NED)

24/01/2009 Flachauwinkl (AUT)

31/01/2009 Adelboden-Lenk (SUI)

07/02/2009 Grandvalira (AND)

14/02/2009 Bialka Tatrzanska (POL)

28/02/2009 Tandådalen (SWE)

07/03/2009 Sappee (FIN)

14/03/2009 Zolotaya Dolina (RUS)

21/03/2009 Avoriaz (FRA)

28/03/2009 Val Senales (ITA)