A special obstacle is always unusual but our shapers conjured up something that won’t be toped in near future. A phat kicker called Moby Dick causes a sensation. But not only the size is similar to that of a whale but the amazing similarity is the reason where it got its name from.  We talked to park designer and new Captain Ahab, Rene “Renilla” Margreiter about Moby Dick and the great season finale in the Snowpark Alta Badia.

Hi Rene! It’s surprising what we discover in Alta Badia again and again. Recently, Moby Dick has run aground there!

Yes, we are proud that Moby Dick has chosen our park for a short break on his long journey. On closer examination, you can see  that the purportedly whale is a phat kicker on which high-altitude flights are guaranteed.

Can you describe this kicker for us?

Moby Dick has a 23m sweetspot and with a 5m dropping height a rush of adrenalin is inevitable. The landing area is laid out steeply, 25m wide and 50m long. Between jump and landing is a 18m gap.

This sounds like pure action and nothing for an unpracticed rider.

Exactly! We have built Moby Dick for media teams and pros that they can organize a sensational special obstacle shooting in Alta Badia. Last year, we already had numerous pros here in the park for special obstacle shootings and I’m sure that they produce great clips this year, too.

We’ll give you a foretaste on the awesome clips with our teaser. The riders Daniel Tschurtschenthaler, Patrick Pitter, Max Weickl and Sebi Geiger come together and showed some massive moves on Moby Dick. Besides our stout fish, there will be another highlight before the season ends, Renilla: “Yes, unfortunately the finale is close but we still sweeten this time for our riders with a sensational event. On March 31^st  the QParks Tour stops in the Snowpark Alta Badia with the event “La Freestyla”. This is one of the highlights of the season and it is more than okay, if the shred finale is opened like this.

Rene has just mentioned it: the QParks Tour stop “La Freestyla”. The QParks Tour will stop in the Snowpark Alta Badia again this year and give the go-ahead for the season finale. Over the whole day snowboarders and freeskiers will battle for, a total of, EUR 3.000.- prize money and cool goodies. After this action packed day, a phat party is going on! A nice DJ set will get you pumped up for celebrating together. We offer special Sleep&Ride packages to facilitate the stay in Alta Badia for you.

You’re interested in one of the Sleep&Ride Packages? Please send us an E-Mail with your inquiry to info@qparkstour.com.

Now it’s time to get excited because we’ve about to reveal the contest line to you, so that you’ll be optimally prepared for your runs:

1)      8m Flat/Down Rail or 8m Down Rail

2)      Kicker with medium + pro jump

3)      Kicker with medium + pro jump

4)      Kicker with medium + pro jump

5)      Multi-Obstacle: Wallride/Corner/Box

6)      Pyramide XL

Enjoy the nice tricks on Moby Dick in our snowboard teaser and mark the 31^st of March for the QParks Tourstop “La Freestyla” bold in your calendar. No matter which information you need, on the QParks Tour website, the Snowpark Alta Badia homepage and the Facebook fanpage you will definitely find what you’re looking for.

Eric Beauchemin, photo: Rudi Wyhlidal

In the last three days thousands of snow park addicts came to the Kaunertal and celebrated the start into the new park season. The theme of this weekend was „shred, test and party till dawn“.

Fresh snow, clear blue sky and three days of sunshine accompanied the visitors through an unforgettable opening – perfect conditions to start the season in the Snowpark Kaunertal with lots of action. The open park and the contest line were perfectly shaped, which was great for the riders to show their best tricks and jumps. The pros and amateurs battled in the contests on the kicker line, equipped with a canon box and a pipe, which guaranteed also jib-fun.

The KTO 2011 Testival. Photo: Florian Trattner

But not only the snow park was full of action. The testival area with 50 brands held out against the big run and people tested their gear three days long. For sure everyone found his or her shred-gear for this winter season in the end. The rail at the glacier restaurant was a magnet for all jibbers who showed their best tricks in relaxed sessions and also the K2 snowboard „pop this!“-tour stopped on the youngest glacier of Tyrol. At this highest-ollie-contest the riders demonstrated their jumping skills.

„There could not have been any better snow and weather conditions than at this year´s 26th Kaunertal Opening. For the first time at a Kaunertal Opening the mini shred snow park was open for everyone. That is one reason why we could see lots of happy faces, which had jib-fun in the sun. The perfectly shaped snow park is now officially open and welcomes the park shredders”, says the marketing manager of the Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen, Stefan Richter.

Julia Baumgartner. Photo: Rudi Wyhlidal

CONTEST RESULTS

PRO CONTEST
On Saturday numerous well-known snowboard pros entertained the crowd and the organizers guaranteed a perfect setting and also a smooth running order. This gave the pros the best conditions to show their best performances, which gave the judges a hard time for their decision-making. American snowboarder Eric Beauchemin convinced the judges with a „cab 9 und BS rodeo 7 nosegrab“ and won the prize money.

1st man – Eric Beauchemin (USA)
2nd man
- Dani Mösl (A)
3rd man
- Chris Schaidreiter (A)

1st woman
- Julia Baumgartner (A)

Best Rookie – Philipp Kuntraditz (A)

Prizegiving. Photo: Rudi Wyhlidal

AMATEUR CONTEST
Also the amateurs battled hard for their ranks and showed their tricks in the same set-up. The winners were rewarded with cool product prizes from the testival partners and the Kaunertaler Gletscherbahnen.

Snowboard:
1st man – David Loibl (A)
2nd man
- Roman Dlauhy (CZ)
3rd man
- Stefan Karl (CH)

1st woman
- Melina Merkhoffer

Best Rookie – Dominik Metzler (A)

BUFF RAIL SESSION presented by ONBOARD
Already on Friday the program started with the legendary rail session at the glacier restaurant Weisssee. In middle of a huge crowd. Steve Grumser was awarded with the „best overall“ in the snowboarders field.

PARTY
After grandiose days on the mountain numerous party addicts celebrated in the party tent in Feichten. On Friday IBK Tribe, Bilderbuch and Chrisfader & Testa kept the crowd dancing all night long. In addition M.O.G. Production and Aestivation Entertainment showed their latest movies. On Saturday evening the Pirate Movie Production and Legs Of Steel presented their newest flicks before Nosliw and Afrob, D-Flame & DJ Dynamite and the Wax Wreckaz rocked the tent and continued the party marathon.

PREVIEW – KTO 2012
After this awesome opening weekend we are already looking forward to next year’s 27th Kaunertal Opening from 10th to 12th October 2012.

The KTO 2011 Party. Photo: Florian Trattner

Results

Felix Georgii – best style & overall winner.

Luca Schranz – best trick.

Marvin Salmina – best rail trick.

Jesse Augustinus – best youngblood.

Lea Baumschlager – best chicken.