20% More Terrain Park This Summer.
For summer 2010 the camp’s private terrain park, which already the largest summer park in the world, is expanding in size and is going to be 20% bigger.
According to our park builder, Steve Petrie of Arena Snowparks, the new, larger COC Park will see an expanded array of beginner, novice and intermediate features providing campers an even greater opportunity to progress their skills. An urban, skate style plaza area will be added to the camps existing selection of rails, which will be a first for summer any camp in North America. Lastly a competition sized big air feature is being added to the camp’s already legendary array of jumps, so the pros can send it for the campers.
As if things couldn’t get any better the camp’s host mountain, Whistler Blackcomb, is experiencing it’s 2nd snowiest season ever with over 14 metres or 47 feet of snowfall to date. All that snow is sitting on the glacier, waiting for Arena Snowparks to shape it into one of the sickest parks on the planet. Get ready to hit the even larger, largest summer snowpark, now with 20% more space, and 20% more jumps, features and rails for summer 2010.
Camp A - 5-Star TTR Big Air Event
Billabong is proud to present Billabong ANTE UP, the first 5 Star TTR World Tour Men’s event of the 2010-11 tour year, taking place in the Camp of Champions terrain park in Whistler June 26th-30th, 2010!
May 3,2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Billabong is proud to announce the Billabong Ante Up, a 5 Star Swatch TTR World Sno...wboard Tour event, taking place June26‐30th in the Camp of Champions terrain park at Whistler Blackcomb. The event will kick off the Swatch TTR World Snowboard tour for the ’10‐’11 season in North America, and will also be a qualifying event for the 6 Star Billabong Innsbruck Air and Style event taking place Feb. 5th, 2011.
Billabong Ante Up will be a Big Air event, with the jump being built by Vancouver 2010 Olympic halfpipe builder Steve Petrie of Arena Snowparks. With $50,000 USD in prize money, and a batch of 5 Star TTR points on the line, Billabong Ante Up will be drawing athletes from across the globe to compete in late June up on the Blackcomb Glacier. The event will feature 50 riders, with the top 10 Swatch TTR World Tour finalists from the 2009/2010 season receiving automatic invites. The remaining spots will be filled through a registration/selection process that will take place online at www.billabong.com/anteup. Registration is open May 3rd to May 24th, with a list of qualified riders available on the website May 31st, 2010.
Additionally, there will be the Push.ca Rail Feature on course after the Big Air jump. While not part of the overall judging for TTR points, riders that choose to hit the feature will all vie for additional awards.
"Having this event in the summer is going to be killer. Everyone loves summer riding, and especially in a place like Whistler. To partner with the Swatch TTR World Tour and all our sponsors was an easy decision, and we’re stoked to be getting the world’s best riders together for this great event,"says Risto Scott, Marketing Director at Billabong Canada.
For more info, you can go to:
www.billabong.com/anteup
www.ttrworldtour.com
or contact:
Risto Scott: risto@billabongcanada.com
Jim Kempton: jkempton@billabong‐usa.com
ABOUT SWATCH TTR:
Founded by Terje Haakonsen and industry innovators in 2002, the Swatch Ticket To Ride (TTR) World Snowboard Tour is a non‐profit, rider‐driven organization with the mission “to create the highest quality competitive snowboard environment in the world, using authenticity, accessibility, innovation as guiding principles”. Since its foundation, the Swatch TTR Tour has been developing into the most exposed snowboard tour worldwide featuring global grassroot and key independent freestyle
snowboarding events over a ten‐month period from Southern to Northern Hemisphere locations. Events are rated via a 1‐through‐6Star system, with points allocated accordingly, a 6Star event holds the highest(1000points). Any rider participating in these events, from up‐and‐coming to professional talent, earns ranking points and a position on the Swatch TTR World Ranking List. The top male and female rider based on an average of their best six results of the season (5+1system) is crowned Swatch TTR World Snowboard Champion. For more information visit www.ttrworldtour.com
Ride "The Compound"
Originally when we were building camp we were going to do three 2 hour sessions a week at The Air Dome. Then we got to thinking..., how can we get more riding? So we thought, lets build our own dirt jumps and mulch pit at "The Compound". Then we got crazy and thought, "We have an airbag on the glacier for the snowboarders and skiers, we should get one for The Compound so the mountain bikers can get the same possibilities for progression." So we did. Then we thought we should build some stunts for campers to practice their north shore style stunt skills on so that when we get in the park, we are riding the park instead of the skills zones...
So now instead of riding three 2 hour sessions a week at The Air Dome, you can ride for 6 hours a DAY in the "The Compound" after riding the park all day. You can now ride from 10 til 10 every day at The Camp of Champions. We'd light "The Compound" but come on, you have to sleep sometime.
So... The Camp of Champions is blowing up. Literally. The Camp of Champions is blowing up the 365 Sports Big Air Bag all summer in "The Compound". If you've never seen an Air Bag, they are like the idea of a foam pit, designed to help riders learn new tricks by having an amazingly soft, safe, landing. The 365 Sports Big Air Bag is enormous so you can attempt any trick you can think of. Best of all you don't use all your energy digging yourself and your bike out after landing like you do in a foam pit.
The 365 Sports Big Air Bag is like a stunt bag you see on movie sets for jumping out of buildings, but designed for going big and learning tricks on a mountain bike and BMX bike. It sets the new standard for learning.
365 Sports, The Camp of Champions and "The Compound" have added a whole new dimension to summer camps and riding in Whistler.
More Bikes at COC.
Everyone has a different taste in what is his or her "Favorite Bike Ever" is. This summer you can ride Freeride, Race, Downhill and Slopestyle bikes from Transition, Banshee, Santa Cruz, Morewood, Spank, NS, Llama. We tried to get as many different types of bikes as possible so that you can test ride the bike of your dreams in the Whistler Bike Park instead of just reading a review of it online. All the bikes are spec'd out by Straitline, Chromag, Race Face, Maxxis and others. It's insane the spec's on the COC bikes. You can compare dream bikes to dream bikes at camp all while having an epic week riding the famous Whistler Bike Park. No other bike camp on the planet offers the variety of different bike types and brands as COC does for your exclusive use.
Gareth Dyer - New Head Coach
Gareth Dyer is now our head coach. Brent Floyd has retired from coaching to raise a family in Calgary. Gareth brings to camp all his years as a pro to the mix as well as rounding up some new names to join our coaching pose of up and coming rippers.
Amazing New Bike Coaches
We’ve added new coaches, with names and skills that will blow you away. That is, if you like riding with four of the top 15 finishers in the 2009 Monster Energy Slopestyle at Crankworx. We’ve also added more coaches than just those four. We added riders who have the magic combo - great personalities, the ability to ride like gods, coach like genius’s and crack jokes like comedians, so that the Camp of Champions experience is better than ever.
The coaching line up for summer 2010 features a broad spectrum of riders and riding styles, so that no matter what you want to get out of camp we have a coach that rules at that kind of riding and can teach you to rip it as well.
Greg Watts
Greg had an awesome part in NWD 10 and is the 2009 Monster Energy Crankworx Slopestyle Champion, need I say more? To say we're excited to have him on board for 2010 is an understatement. Learning from Greg will be epic.
Mike Montgomery
Mike started with us part way through last summer and not only showed us a whole new level of amazing riding but finished the 2009 Crankworx Slopestyle in 14th place. Mike is also one of the nicest guy you’ll meet, but is part owner of Republik Apparel as well.
Andrew Taylor
2009 Crankworx Slopestyle 13th place, and organizer of the Andrew Taylor Dirt Jump Showdown in SF, and an amazing rider with the Crankworx results to prove it. Marin, AT's new sponsor will be giving away a Marin Alcatraz during AT's session. There's nothing better than winning a free bike. AT is here during Camp A. You should be too.
Mike Hopkins
The best way to get an idea of Mike’s skills is check out his www.mike-hopkins.com website. You’ll be stoked you did. Or you could just check out the latest cover of Dirt Mag to see him boosting a huge air on the cover.
Alan Hepburn
A mainstay at camp for the last few years, Alan always throws it down ripping everything in the Bike Park and the Air Dome. His part in "What’s Next" says more then we ever can, so check it out.
Casey Groves
Casey joined us last year as a coach and blew everyone’s doors off with his riding skills. Always fun to ride with and a super nice guy that will show you “How it’s done.”
Andi Wittman
Andi throws down hard and will show everyone a thing or two in the park and the Air Dome. It’s going to be super fun riding with Andi all summer. If you want to learn how to crack jokes in German he can help you with that too.
Darcy Turenne
Darcy is so fun to hang out with that sometimes you forget that she is such a good rider. Then she reminds you. Then you will never forget again.
Kelly McGarry
Kelly was our first addition to the 2010 line up. Kelly fits in well with everyone here, rides like a maniac, and super nice. Not bad at contests either with a 2009 Crankworx Slopestyle 9th place under his belt. Also likes to blow stuff up.
Ryan Berrecloth
Ryan had a sick part in "Roam" with mad skills as well as a good head on his shoulders. Also knows a thing or two about candy. Ryan will be showing you not just how to throw down in the park and Air Dome but help you learn how to get sponsors to throw down – for you. He’ll coach your riding and on the “The Industry”.
Tammy Donahugh
In addition to being really fast, Tammy knows how to teach you to be fast. She won the Women's Pro Dual Slalom at Colorado Crankworx so you know she has skills. We don't have any photos of her other than the one she sent us when she joined us so we'll get some posted as soon as we have them.
Cho Cho
Cho Cho came to camp as a camper and schooled everyone when it came to speed and flow. We asked him to come back and coach. That was a few years ago. He's definitely someone you want to have coach you if you want to get fast, fast.
"Be A Hero with GoPro"
GoPro has jumped on board as a COC Sponsor. Their cameras are so awesome we just keep thinking up fun things to do with them. This year the coaches will have helmet cams so you will end up with a ton of footage to take home. The cameras we are using are the GoProHD model. When you get home you will think HD stands for Hey Dude... Nice footage, instead of High Definition.
Free Bikes and Frames.
We are known for giving away so much stuff that you go home feeling like you are sponsored. We stepped up this part of camp this year as well. Banshee and Transition are giving away a frame a week. Marin is giving AT a complete Alcatraz to give away during Camp A. Haro is giving a bike away during Greg Watts week at camp. Add in all the other cool stuff from our sponsors you will be blown away how much cool stuff you win at COC.
In keeping with our “almost as good as” joke for naming our food places. This year we have added “Dumken Donuts” to the camp experience. It is a mini donut kiosk at the tent. Ken’s mum Hilary is going to running it and she will be making and selling awesome mini donuts and Vitamin Water. She will also tell you she doesn’t like the name Dumken Donuts, because she doesn’t think Ken is dumb. You have to love your Mum, they always have your back.
Bigger, Better Compound.
We blew out the sides of The Compound half way through camp in 2009 and now The Compound is better than ever. For 2010 we are going to have a bigger tent with more pool tables, more ping pong tables, a bigger miniramp and just more space to chill. It will be awesome. The whole compound will now be about 15,000 square feet. The Dumken Donuts kiosk is right beside the tent as well so you can always hit it up for fresh hot mini donuts. We have other surprises up our sleeves for The Compound as well but for those you'll just have to come and find out what they are for yourself.
Bigger, Better 6-10.
We called the COC convenience store in The Dorm, "6-10" because we joke that with it's slurpee machine it's "Almost as Good as 7-11". The 6-10 rocks The Dorm with the slurpees, sodas, ice cream, samosas, tandoori wraps, candy, pizza, calzones, chips and chocolate/candy bars. We added scoop ice cream last year and that became the after riding pitstop. Milkshakes were also the hit of the summer, coaches were calling our shakes the best in town, so that was cool. John and Deanne who do all our lunches on the glacier and used to own the best deli in town, Ingrids, are sourcing and making us more healthy and delicious food for this coming summer. If you liked the 6-10 last year, you are going to love it in 2010. Also the 6-10 girls, Alex, Hayley and Aloura all miss being in the 6-10 and can't wait to see you all next summer.
Other Stuff...
We've got more up our sleeves for this coming summer, and because this is our 22nd anniversary it's going to be even better than usual. We're rollin' on Dubs now.. Sign up for the RSS feed on our blog and you'll be the first to know.