Ward, Logan and Hughes Win at Waterville

Kolby Ward and Devin Logan win Park, Erik Hughes and Devin Logan win Big Air for the final stop of The North Face Park and Pipe Open Series at Waterville Valley, NH

Waterville Valley, NH – March 10, 2012
The final stop of the 2012 The North Face Park and Pipe Open Series concluded today under sunny, blue skies at Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. Twenty thousand dollars in prize money was awarded to the top finishers, with Kolby Ward of Telluride, Colorado and The North Face athlete, Devin Logan of Mount Snow, Vermont taking top honors in the park competition. Topping the podium in the nighttime big air event was Erik Hughes of Park City, Utah and the champion from the women’s park competition, Devin Logan.

Qualifiers for the men’s park competition took place on Friday, with over fifty male athletes trying to advance into the semi-finals in a best of two run AFP judged format.

On Saturday, with sunny, clear conditions, twenty competitors battled it out in the park semi-finals narrowing the field down to eight men for finals. 
Taking top honors for the men was Kolby Ward, who skied a very technical and clean run, consisting of a switch left-side 720 japan, a switch right-side 720 mute, and a switch left-side 900 mute to japan on the jump line. He then attacked the rail portion of the course with a left-side 270 onto the “Jersey Barrier” rail, a front swap on the down bar, and finally a switch lip front-side 270 onto the staircase rail, scoring an 89.25.

“After crashing in his first finals run on a switch 1260, Kolby laid down a super technical run consisting of switch spins in both directions, and near flawless rail features., putting himself on the top of the podium. ” stated AFP head judge for the event Dan Allen.

Rounding out the men’s podium in second place was the park champion from Northstar, James Campbell of Sugarloaf, Maine scoring an 86.75 and Alex Gorham of Stowe, Vermont in third with an 83.50.

In the women’s park competition, The North Face athlete Devin Logan, continued her highly decorated competition season by dominating the women’s field by nearly ten points. Devin successfully landed a jump run consisting of a switch left-side 360, a switch left-side 540 mute, and a forward left-side 360 tail. She then 270’ed onto the “Jersey Barrier” rail, switch buttered onto the down bar, and finally slid the staircase rail forward to forward, scoring an 88.75.

In second place was Annalisa Drew of Sugarloaf, Maine, laying down a progressive left-side rodeo 720 in her first run, receiving a score of 79.50. Rounding out the women’s podium in third was Julia Marino of Loon, New Hampshire with a score of 75.50.

The big air competition took place under the lights at the base of Waterville Valley Resort on Saturday night with hundreds of spectators cheering on all the competitors. A 45-minute jam format, with overall impression criteria, advanced five men into the big air finals for a best run of two to determine the champion of the night.

Taking top honors for the men’s big air was Erik Hughes of Park City, Utah laying down a nearly perfect forward to fakie left-side double cork 1260 high mute grab.

“Erik’s double cork 1260 high mute was flawless and got the crowd as equally stoked as the judging panel.” noted AFP judge Jon Lang.

In second place was Alex Beaulieu of Mont Original, Canada stomping the landing on a switch left-side double rodeo 900 mute grab. Rounding out the podium was top finisher from the park competition, Kolby Ward of Telluride, Colorado, successfully landing a switch left-side 1080 mute to japan grab.

On the women’s side, only two females decided to throw down under the lights, and in the end, The North Face athlete and the champion from the women’s park competition, Devin Logan took top honors with a smooth left-side 540 tail grab. In second place was Annalisa Drew of Sugarloaf, Maine showing the judges and crowd her talents attempting a left-side rodeo 720, just missing a clean landing.

The North Face Park and Pipe Open Series concludes for the 2012 season in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. For more information, please visit:

The North Face Park and Pipe Open Series website: www.TheNorthFacePPOS.com on Facebook and on Twitter.

About The North Face Park and Pipe Open Series:
Founded in 2010, The North Face Park and Pipe Open Series is a three-stop tour featuring freeskiing slopestyle and halfpipe competitions rewarding $60,000 in total prize money and is an AFP (Association of Freeskiing Professionals) “Gold Level” competition series. The North Face Park and Pipe Open Series will dedicate one competition day to halfpipe and two days to slopestyle and will work in conjunction with the Association of Freeskiing Professionals (AFP) on competition judging, with AFP General Manager and X Games competitor, Steele Spence serving as the head judge for the series. Judging is based on the AFP overall impression criteria consisting of; execution, amplitude, degree of difficulty, combinations of tricks, and progression.
The first Park and Pipe Open Series competition at Whistler Blackcomb, Canada was the last event that rewarded an invitation to the 2012 Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado.
About The North Face:
The North Face, a division of VF Outdoor, Inc., was founded in 1968. Headquartered in San Leandro, California, the company offers the most technically advanced products in the market to accomplished climbers, mountaineers, snowsport athletes, endurance athletes, and explorers. The company’s products are sold in specialty mountaineering, backpacking, running, and snowsport retailers, premium—sporting goods retailers and major outdoor specialty retail chains. For more information visit www.thenorthface.com.
About Mountain Sports International:
Mountain Sports International (MSI) is a private company, founded in 1997, to develop and produce action/adventure sports events and programming in North America. MSI owns and produces the Freeskiing World Tour, in addition to several other properties and concepts. MSI provides event management services for The North Face, Burton, Salomon, and Red Bull and has provided infrastructure and expertise for the NBC Gravity Games and ESPN Action Sports Projects, including the Tony Hawk Gigantic Skatepark Tour. MSI specializes in matching clients with events for brand penetration into target demographics, developing product identification and loyalty. MSI matches brand and culture, company and credibility to create sought– after events that help to define the action sports culture. For more information, visit:
www.mtsports.com.
About Waterville Valley Resort
Waterville Valley Resort, New Hampshire is located two hours north of Boston in the White Mountain National Forest. The mountain boasts a 4,000 foot summit with 2,020 vertical feet of fall-line trails, tree skiing and four terrain parks, which ranked #1 in New Hampshire by SKI Magazine 2011. The resort is known for its Exhibition Terrain Park and Sunnyside Slopes, both training grounds for many of today’s top freestyle ski and snowboard pros. For more information, visit:
www.waterville.com.