The training day of the 2012 Protest World Rookie Finals couldn’t be better with a sunny day, blue sky, a lot of powder and a perfectly shaped snowpark.

All the riders enjoyed their first day on the mountain fine-tuning their runs for the qualification heat. The set up consist of 3 big table top with double jumps, a corner fun box obstacle and a big jibbing area at the end of the slope.

Saether Tischendor Fridtjof at last year's WRF. All Photos: Eleonora Raggi

20 Snowboard Rookie Teams from all over the world have landed in Ischgl, Austria, for the 4Star 2012 Protest World Rookie Finals, which is going down from April 11-15. The WRF is the most important youth snowboard event of the season where the yearly WSF World Rookie Champions titles will be awarded.

England, France, Canada, Rumania, Italy, Czech Republic, Japan, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Polland, USA, Germany, The Nederlands, Slovenia, Austria, Russia, Australia and Andorra are the national teams confirmed for the 2012 Protest World Rookie Finals: almost 100 rising stars from all over the world will face off in Ischgl for a slice of the 30.000€ prize purse.

Peder Dale Midttomme

Among the many prizes there will there will be invitations to Onboard and Cooler photoshootings to offer the winners a chance to get their first international picture published.

“We are exhited to host again this incredible event in Austria” stated Meinhard Trojer, WRT organizer and WSF board of director. “Every year we offer the partecipants a unique program packed of lifestyle activities and we have the honor to see the future stars of snowboarding before they start to shine”.

The park is not too shabby.

Follow the 2012 Protest World Rookie Finals online on www.worldrookietour.com

Prizes for the Protest World Rookie Finals 2012

Filming with Pirate Movie Productions,

Onboard and Cooler photoshooting,
2 Golden tickets to 2012/13 World Rookie Fests
5 tickets to Halfpipe Rookie Fest 2013 in Monte Bondone Italy,
2 Freeride Film Trip to Australia,
Snowboard goodies, Pieps, Tech Riders, CHUCKBUDDiES, Trophies.

For more information about the World Rookie Tour go to worldsnowboardfederation.org

Emil Andre Ulsletten (1st rookie)

Sven Thorgren (2nd Rookie)

Haavard Bergheim (3rd Rookie)

Katarzyna Rusin (Best Girl)

Fridtjof Saether Tischendorf (Best Grom)

Katerina Vojackova (Best Girl Grom)

This is the mal winner, Emil Andre Ulsletten, as seen by our photog Elionora Raggi.

The 4Star Protest World Rookie Finals are finally concluded: Emil Andre Ulsletten from Norway and Katarzyina Rusin from Poland conquered the World Rookie Champions titles 2011 in a perfect and sunny day in Ischgl, Austria. Among the many prizes awarded, there was also an unexpected extra ticket to Oslo 2012 World Snowboard Championships for the male rookie champion.

In a slopestyle consisting of 4 table tops and a big jib area, all the riders showcased an high level of snowboarding for the end of season Protest World Rookie Finals 2011. Also, in the tradition of the World Rookie Tour, the event was not only a competition but included many other activities in the 5 days program: avalanche clinics by Pieps, art workshops with “special” people by We.Art, shredding with snowboard legends from USA (Mike Ranquet, Terry Kidwell and Bob Klein), video premiere about the History of Snowboarding, and a presentation of Oslo 2012 World Snowboard Championships and W.A.S (We Are Snowboarding) by Henning Anderson, CEO of The Arctic Challenge.

And here's the female groms' winner, Katerina Vojackova. Photo: Eleonora Raggi

The male winner of the event and new WSF World Rookie Champion 2011 is the norwegian rising star Emil Andre Ulsletten, who impressed the jury with frontside 1080, cab 900 and tons of style on the rails. Sven Thorgren from Sweden and Haaverd Bergheim from Norway completed the male rookie podium: all of them won a freeride trip to Chile with international pros to join the South America Rookie Fest 2011 in Valle Nevado.

In the girls rookie category, Katarzyna Rusin from Poland conquered her second World Rookie Champion title and moved in the position 20 of the TTR World Pro Rank. Valentina Barengo from Italy got second and Caroline Hockel from Switzerland third.

What? Katarzyna is Indonesian? Oh wait, this could also be the Polish flag. Or is it Singapore?

The groms section, reserved to riders borned from 1996 and up, showcased a great level of riding from very young shredders. Fridtjof Saether Tischendorf from Norway and Katerina Vojackova from Czech Republic resulted the male and female winners in their age groups, both shredding the big kicker line of the snowpark.

Straight after the event, the best male and female riders joined a Cooler and Onboard photoshooting in Ischgl, Kronplatz and Val Senales which will be featured in next season issues to present the rookie fest champions to the international snowboard community.

The male rookies' prizegiving.

Protest World Rookie Finals 2011 – Results

Male Rookie

1- Emil Andre Ulsletten – NOR – (World Rookie Champion 2011)
2 – Sven Thorgren – SWE
3 – Haaverd Bergheim – NOR

Male Grom

1 – Fridtjof Saether Tischendorf – NOR
2 – Lucien Koch – SUI
3 – David Hablutzel – SUI

Female Rookie

1 – Katarzyna Rusin – POL – (World Rookie Champion 2011)
2 – Valentina Barengo – ITA
3 – Caroline Hockel – SUI

Female Grom

1 – Katerina Vojackova CZE
2 – Verena Rohere SUI
3 – Chloe Sillieres FRA

Watch the picture gallery from finals and awarding ceremony at the World Rookie Tour facebook page.

Video highlights from finals and complete event photogallery will be available soon.

Check the Ästhetiker cut from the recent WRF.

The Ästhetiker’s Mone Monsberger was drafted in to coach the Austrian groms at the recent World Rookie Fest Finals in Ischgl, and has fired in his cut of the event. Old dogs riding powder and young guns killing pipe? Sounds about right…

Austrian rookie Clemens Schattschneider back rodeos the WRF beastie. Click in for bigger eye candy. All photos: Eleonora Raggi.

A gallery of crazy-good grommets.

To celebrate the fact that these young scamps will shortly be tearing European snowboarding a new one like previous WRF winners Peetu Piiroinen and Gjermund Bråten are right now, we’re giving them free reign of the Photoblast eye candy store.

Check the best of the action from the event that give you a glimpse at who’ll be ruling snowboarding in the not-too distant future…

The World Rookie Fest Finals is the season-ending stop on the World Rookie Tour, series of contests across the globe offering grommets the chance to showcase their skills and shred with their peers at the same time. The fact that Peetu Piiroinen – current TTR tour champ and the only rider to have won back-to-back titles – won this back in 2004 tells you all you need to know about this end-of-season rookie throw down but if that’s not enough you should know this year’s winner, Roope Tonteri, finished off the season in 8th on the TTR rankings, while Gjermund Bråten – who won two years ago – finished up 4th. These kids are on the verge of busting down the door.

Watch the video to see the kids who’ll be dominating European snowboarding’s next generation right now. It takes a while to really get going but until it does you can amuse yourself with Roope’s attempt at growing a ‘tash…

Roope Tonteri. Photo: Raggi Eleonora

It must be what is commonly known as “sisu“: The strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity that only Finnish people seem to have. Because once again a kid from Suomi has dominated a big snowboard contest: Roope Tonteri becomes the first rider ever to take the WSF World Rookie Champion Title for the second time with his victory at the 4Star World Rookie Finals in Ischgl, Austria last Saturday, April 10th 2010. With Finnish Peetu Piiroinen and Enni Rukajärvi crowned male and female Swatch TTR World Champions, Finland was able to take home all Swatch TTR World Champion Titles as well as the WSF World Champion Title this season, which roughly translates to Finland kicked ass big time in 2009/10.

But back to the WSF World Rookie Finals: Second came Austrian rookie Clemens Schattschneider followed by Sven Thorgren from Sweden. The winner of the Rookie girls category was Polish Katarzyna Rusin, followed by Anna Gyarmati from Hungary in second place and Silja Suitiala from Finland in third.

After an already successful season for Tonteri, he ends his season in an impressive World No. 8 on the Swatch TTR Ranking. Among his results are a third and fifth place at the 5Star Burn River Jump in Italy, a sixth place in the slopestyle format of the 5Star Burton Canadian Open and a seventh place at The 6Star Oakley Arctic Challenge.

Diana Augustinova. Photo: Raggi Eleonora

The World Rookie Fest stop in Ischgl boasted a park setup par excellence for the rookies with three jumps up to 18m, a hip and finishing with a jib section. The 18-year old Tonteri took the victory with a run consisting of a cab 900, frontside 720, backside 720, a massive double backside rodeo on the final hip and a lot of the aforementioned sisu stuff. Roope does not only walk away with the Rookie World Champion Title, but can also look forward to freeride trip to Chile, an invitation to the Red Bull Evolution Camp in New Zealand, a film shooting with Pirate Movie Production and a ticket to the Billabong Air & Style Rookie Challenge 2010 in Innsbruck, Austria. And best of all, Roope, along with Tim Kevin Ravnyak, Clemens Schattschneider and Sven Thorgren, are now joining an Onboard Europe on a photoshoot in Italy.

In the Groms category (born after 1995), Tim Kevin Ravnyak from Slovenia stood atop the boys’ podium while Diana Augustinova from the Czech Republic won the girls’ comp. Both riders win a “Golden Ticket” to all Rookie Fest events in 2011.

The set-up.

[All photos: Eleanora Raggi.]

Ischgl welcomed the Protest World Rookie Finals 2010, a 4-Star TTR contest, with a sunny day and a massive snowpark consisting of 3 table tops with multiple jumps up to 18m, one hip and 2 jibbing area. Already during Tuesday’s training the riders showed their skills with cab 9s and corked 7s commonplace and we’re anticipating an epic show in the upcoming qualification and finals day of the event.

Roope Tonteri.

Roope Tonteri from Finland, ranked 8th on the TTR Ranking, will defend his World Rookie Champion 2009 title while Sven Thorgren looks to take back his grom title. All the participants will challenge in order to bag themselves amazing prizes. While the most were training, Matthias Weissenbacher from Austria hit a couple of powder lines with follow cam by Mone from Aesthetiker. Immediatly after the event, 4 selected rookies will join an Onboard photo shoot in Italy, untill 15 april.

They call this 'Training'. Heh.

Qualification will be held on Friday 9 April, finals on Satudary 10 April and the World Rookie Champion 2010 will be announced at Saturday Night Party at Fire&Ice in Ischgl.

Sven Thorgren.

The Swatch 4 star Protest World Rookie Finals 2010 will be presented by n.asa (new austrian snowboard association). The rookies will compete for the WSF World Rookie Champion Title and unbelievable prizes: one invitation to filming sessions with the Pirate Movie Productions, a freeride film trip in Chile with international Red Bull pros, shooting with Onboard European Snowboard Magazine and a wild card for the Air&Style Rookie Challenge 2010 in Innsbruck.

Rider meeting.

Prizes for Protest World Rookie Final in Ischgl

- For the overall winner of the event:
o the title of WSF World Rookie Champion
o Filming with Pirate Movie Production
o Photoshot with Onboard
o Protest Bicycle
o Freeride Filming Trip to Chile
o Ticket to Air & Style Rookie Challenge 2010 in Innsbruck, Austria.
- For the best girl and the best male grom: a golden ticket to join for free every World Rookie Fest 2010/11 (except Chile)
- 5 ticket to Protest World Rookie Fest in Livigno 2011
- and many other goodies like avalanche tranceivers from Pieps…
- 2 tickets for the RedBull Evolution Snowboard Camp in New Zealand

Stay tuned for the results next week.

Where: Ischgl, Austria

Snowboard connoisseurs don’t turn away from competitions after the US Open: They focus their attention on the smaller events of the season in search of some new talent and the ginger-boys of tomorrow. No really! How else would you fill your AM team? And since you were asking: The riding in 9 out of 10 sponsor-me-videos is worse than ours. That’s how bad they are. That’s why we’d rather talk about the World Rookie Fest Finals. Let’s cut to the chase: The riders await many team managers’ googly eyes, prize money, a spot in the next Pirates movie, a freeriding trip to Chile, an Onboard mag shooting, and a wild-card for the next Air&Style rookie challenge. You almost wonder why you would want to become a pro if all of this is up for grabs for rookies?!

Armin Popp took this picture of Roope Tonteri popping.

This 4Star TTR even goes down from April 7th to 10th 2010 in Ischgl, Austria. It features the hopefuls of the Swatch TTR Tour battling for some of the last points available this season. All throughout the season, upcoming snowboard talents from all over the globe have been competing at international 1, 2, and 3Star World Rookie Fests that were held under the wings of the World Snowboard Federation in corporation with National Associations. Now the 4Star finals are up ahead which offer up to 500 Swatch TTR ranking points and the title of the 2009/2010 WSF World Rookie Champion.

One of the most impressive rookies of the season, Roope Tonteri (FIN), is back to defend his World Rookie Champion title in Ischgl. After a successful season at 5 and 6Star Swatch TTR events around the world, Tonteri is now ranked 8th in the TTR world ranking list and is certainly more prepared than ever for the rookie battle this weekend. Also on the start list is one of the youngest talents out of Switzerland, Patrick Burgener who currently sits in World No. 46 due to his good performances at the 4Star Nescafe Champs Leysin, where he placed second and the 5Star Burton Canadian Open where he finished in 8th in the halfpipe. In the mix are also Max Glatzl out of Austria, and World No. 43, Tor Lundström from Norway who has collected some good results at the 5Star Burn River Jump and the 3Star Protest World Rookie Fest this season.

On the women’s side Katarzyna Rusin (POL), currently sitting in World No. 43, comes to Ischgl to try to repeat her victory at the 3Star World Rookie Fest in Livigno, Italy earlier this season. Other rookie girls eager to measure their talents include Finnish Kristina Nisula and Italian Lisa Caserotti who will be making some of their first appearances on the competition circuit outside their home countries this weekend, after many victories at 1 and 2 Star events in their home countries.

The Protest World Rookie Fest is presented by the new Austrian snowboard association (n.asa) and offers additional prizes such as an invitation to film with Pirate Movie Productions, a freeride film trip in Chile with international Red Bull pros, shooting with Onboard European Snowboard Magazine and a wild card for the Billabong Air & Style Rookie Challenge 2010 in Innsbruck. This event is a true opportunity for newcomers to enter the international stage. Furthermore, it forms the link between the WSF and the TTR and their rookie to pro structure set up.