Sugar Bowl, CA is hosting the return of 'The Silver Belt Classic' from Friday March 29-Sunday March 31st. The 80-year-old off-piste giant slalom race has been reimagined to a premier freeride competition featuring some of the world's best athletes.
Check out the announcement video below in which the competition's unique freeride/slopestyle hybrid format is explained. Tap to play.
Sugar Bowl is taking inspiration from other skiing freeride competitions, and even mountain biking with this new format.
Notably, The ShafeShifter competition on Saturday and Sunday is mimicking the build-it-if-you-can mentality of freeride mountain biking's Super Bowl- Red Bull Rampage.
Athletes will inspect the natural terrain features of Sugar Bowl's 'Silver Belt Gully', and then use shovels and machinery to shape and shift the natural features into slopestyle hits, jibs, and more.
Sugar Bowl President and CEO Bridget Legnavsky provided the following statement to add to the excitement:
“The Silver Belt is not just a competition. We’re redefining it as a celebration of innovation, skill, and progression,”
“We’re confident this event and the terrain it will be held on, will continue to inspire a high caliber of freeride performance—like the Silver Belt Classic did 80 years ago.”
If the information about the competition's details wasn't exciting enough, take a look at the stacked roster of professional athletes vying for glory at The Silver Belt:
The athlete roster speaks for itself. They are undoubtedly some of the best freeride skiers in the entire world, and Sugar Bowl will certainly be the place to be this weekend.
I will be on hand to make sure my "oohs" and "aahs" are added to the collective amazement of the crowd. See you there?
More details about the Silver Belt Classic here.
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