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“This has been such an incredible season on the ski contest circuit,” said
Lindsay O’Brien, athlete manager, W1 Inc. “The skiers have been pushing
themselves and the sport to a whole new level. We anticipate big things from
the skiers at this year’s World Skiing Invitational.”



The inaugural Slopestyle Qualifier will see 40 male skiers go head-to-head,
April 13. The top 7 qualifiers advance the Finals where the 13 invitees will
be primed to take them down, April 14. There is no Slopestyle Qualifier for
the ladies, but 10 of the world’s best will duke it out in the Slopestyle
Finals, April 14. 60 male and 10 female qualifiers will suit up for the
Superpipe Qualifier, April 15, with the top 10 and 3 respectively advancing.
They will meet up with the 20 male and 7 female invitees at the Superpipe
Finals, April 16. For more information, visit

www.whistler2005.com



Slopestyle: Both the Slopestyle Qualifier and Finals give the skiers two
runs, with the better of the two ranking the field. The top 5 men and 3
women in the Slopestyle Finals advance to a one-run Super Final to determine
the ultimate winners. There will also be an athlete-judged wall-ride for all
Slopestyle finalists, where the skiers lay it all on the line in a half-hour
jam session. The skier with the best hit of the session wins.



Superpipe: A one-hour jam format will take the pressure off and allow skiers
more than one shot at putting together their best run of day. For both the
Qualifiers and Finals, each skier’s best run will be used to determine who
will stand on the podium. The legendary SuperHit is also back with a
half-hour jam session for all finalists. The competition is judged by the
skiers, with the biggest and best hit winning it all.



The TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival, Whistler’s event of the year, is
produced by W1 Inc. – Whistler’s largest sport and entertainment marketing
company. Experience the synergy of legendary music, arts, and sports events,
featuring the World Snowboarding Invitational, the World Skiing
Invitational, the DKNY Jeans Outdoor Concert Series and the Kokanee Freeride
Club Concert Series, as well as the Pro Photographer Showdown and Filmmaker
Showdown. New additions to the line-up this year include the Smirnoff
Experience, Brave Art and the Red Bull Gelandesprung. For more information,
visit www.whistler2005.com.



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Media Note: The attached low-resolution photo is available for editorial
use. Photo Credit – Steve Li.



Contact:

Jen Riley

Public Relations Manager

W1 Inc. – Producers of the TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival

Tel.: 604.938.3399 ext. 21

jriley@w1.ca