We just received this press release and video clip announcing three new team riders on the Planet Sports snowboard team: Tim-Kevin Ravnjak, Moritz Neuhäussler and Linus Birkendahl. Read on to find out more about these three promising groms!

The Kids Are Alright

Snowboarding now has more than 30 glorious years under its snowy belt, and our sport certainly wouldn’t be where it is today if new and daring kids hadn’t consistently done their thing to turn the scene upside down with fresh styles and limitless motivation. So it is absolutely normal for the superstars of today to hand over the reins to the shredders of tomorrow at safe and secure intervals, thereby ensuring that snowboarding not only stays alive, but also continuously further develops accordingly. We can now welcome three ballsy and talented young guys with the stuff to continue this legacy right away at Planet Sports. With 16-year-old Linus Birkendahl from Starnberg (Germany), considered Germany‘s no. 1 youngblood boarder and top hope for the 2014 Olympics, 19-year-old Moritz Neuhäussler from Miesbach (Germany), who everyone is talking about as a jib specialist on all rails and boxes, and 14-year-old Tim-Kevin Ravnjak from Velenje (Slovenia), who will be taken under the wings of none other than our team member and Burton Pro, Marko Grilc, and is already seen as the next big name in the game, we have laid an important foundation stone for the brand new Planet Sports Snow Rookie Team, which promotes young talent and will also secure the sport’s development for the next 30 years. To this end our experienced Pro Team with icons such as Eero Ettala, Torstein Horgmo or Silli Mittermüller, for example, will guide the “next generation”, and not only accompany it with tricks and the like, but will also be on hand for advice and actions in business matters. With professional support like this, pretty much nothing can go wrong, and there’ll be plenty to hear from Linus, Moritz, Tim-Kevin and other Planet Sports Rookies. So let’s just say, welcome on “board” guys – let’s get it on!

Quotes from their friends:

Christophe Schmidt about Linus

I really got to know Linus four years ago on a trip we both made to New Zealand. He is now sixteen and not just a good snowboarder and in my eyes Germany’s most promising talent – he is also and especially, a really cool guy, who we will be

Munich, 12th October 2011hearing a lot about in coming years!

Marko Grilc about TK:

TK is the future of snowboarding. he has insane board control and a sick style. and what makes me happy is that he is a really cool guy, and he has the right attitude. nowadays the spirit of snowboarding is getting attacked by mass media, sponsors, … but with guys like TK snowboarding is in safe hands. and its spirit will never die. love you bro. now go brush your teeth. Hehe

Basti Rittig about Moritz:

What’s the best way to describe Moritz? Hmm …, I think a mixture of the words motivated, lazy, chaotic and intelligent would probably best hit the mark. But there’s no one word for this combo, so my invented word would simply be, “Mo”…, yeah,

and he can snowboard as well

This is the women's champion Conny Bleicher.

2011 German Pipe Championships

Men’s Final Ranking
1 Christophe Schmidt 85.33
2 Christoph Weber-Thoresen 80.33
3 Xaver Hoffmann 78.33
4 David Benedek 78.00
5 Ethan Morgan 65.00

Women’s Final Ranking
1 Conny Bleicher 74.33
2 Annette Steinbauer 62.00
3 Veronika Rajcsanyi 58.33
4 Vanessa Tinney 52.67
5 Alexandra Klaass 49.33

Groms (U16)
1. Linus Birkendahl 64.67
2. Luis Eckert 60.00
3. Johannes Höpfl 56.33

Jan Scherrer, Photo: Peter Rauch

When it comes to Davos, it is currently the World Economic Forum that dominates the news from the glitzy Swiss resort. Don’t waste your time reading through the lengthy reports – according to the Wall Street Journal the main message has been “First, kill all the bankers.”

What is more important is that at the same time more than 100 snowboard groms had made their way through the massive police blockades to take part in the halfpipe and big air comps of the Iceripper Junior Open.

Halfpipe Results

As in the Laax leg of this small contests series it was Rafael Imhof who showed the highest level of tricks in the halfpipe. At the U16 kids it were Joel Staub, Jan Scherrer, and Linus Birkendahl who combined amplitude and style in the best manner. David Hablützel is not even 14 years old and already has tricks like a cab 7 up his sleeve. The ladies’ comp was dominated by Gina Somaini (U20) and Tamara Beutler (U14).

Markus Mathis, Photo: Peter Rauch

Big Air Results

The contest made use of the O’Neill Evolution kicker, but added two smaller options to make things a little less perilous for the smaller ones. Markus Mathis won in the U20 category with a BS 7 Melon. Jan Scherrer (U16) and David Hablützel (U14) once again dominated their categories. And at the girls it was Caroline Höckel (U20) and Verena Rohrer (U14) who took home victory. All winners received 3000 Swiss Francs. And points for the Move Sympany Snow Series. And prizes from Swiss brands Zimtstern and TSG.