2010 kicks off with countdown to 2014 Sochi Olympics
The 2010 Freeride World Tour sponsored by Nissan kick-offs in the Russian resort of Sochi, host of the 2014 Winter Olympics. 2010 will see reigning champions Aurelien Ducroz (FRA) in ski and Xavier de Le Rue (FRA) in snowboard once again take on the world’s best on the world’s greatest faces for the right to be crowned 2010 champion.
The 2009 Freeride World Tour (FWT) set the standard for freeriding with Sochi, Russia, Squaw Valley, USA, Tignes, France and Verbier, Switzerland all hosting events. 2010 will see the switch from Tignes to Chamonix as competition grows to stage legs of the FWT.
After a summer spent training and filming in Asia and Latin America the athletes are now all back in Europe and ready for the journey to the home of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi to get the 2010 season underway. Going into the 2010 season all eyes are on reigning men’s champions and Nissan athlete team members Aurelien Ducroz and Xavier de Le Rue
Aurelien Ducroz, 2009 Freeride World Tour Ski Champion and Nissan commented, “January is my favourite time of the year, because I know it is the start of competition for me and the end of training. As the reigning champion and with a FWT stage in my home town of Chamonix the pressure is certainly on me this year. I have been training hard though, and I look forward to getting to Sochi and leaving that start gate for the first time!”
2010 marks a significant step forward in Nissan’s commitment to the winter sports scene. As part of the Nissan Sports Adventure (NSA) programme Nissan will not only be the title sponsor of the four stages of the FWT but also the title sponsor of Freeride World Qualifiers in Spain and Italy. 2010 will also see 2009 FWT Snowboard champion and Olympic Bordercross hopeful Xavier de le Rue join the Nissan Athlete team. Alongside the main FWT events Nissan will also be undertaking a full marketing campaign in 13 ski resorts across Europe, which will see three resorts in Livigno and Tignes in France and Verbier, Switzerland playing host to the ‘Nissan Prove It Piste’. The ‘Nissan Prove It Piste’ will run for the entire length of the piste and include multiple challanges for skiers and borders of all abilities to engage with.
Nissan’s commitment doesn’t stop with the physical resort activity, for the 2010 season Nissan has created a iPhone App. The ‘Prove It’ App will provide skiers with 3D piste maps for resorts across Europe, and allow them to geolocalise and upload video and images of themselves.
Jean-Pierre Diernaz, General Manager of Nissan’s Marketing Communications in Europe said, “2010 sees Nissan significantly increase its level of activity in ski resorts across Europe to coincide with the Winter Olympics. We hope that the increased interest in winter sports and our overall activity will help to increase the number of people who engage with an active outdoor lifestyle.”
Nicolas Hale-Woods Founder, FWT commented, “For 2010 we are looking to continue to increase the quality of our events, and Nissan’s support is key to this. Their involvement has seen the near doubling of FWQ events and the quality of our FWT substantially improve. 2010 sees the tour heading to Chamonix as its main French leg before a number of our athletes including Xavier de la Rue head to Vancouver for the Winter Olympics. The number of athletes competing in the Olympics is a great reflection on the development the tour has made over the last three years.”