Since Norway is like the European New Zealand anyhow, the Norwegian snowboard team takes to the NZ parks like a fish to water! And don’t forget: There are only about 5 million Norwegians, compared to 315 million US-Americans…

If we spotted them correctly, you are going to watch Stale Sandbech, Gjermund Braten, Roger Kleivdal, Ulrik Badertscher, Torgeir Bergrem, Fredrik Austbo, Emil Ulsletten, Helene Olafsen, Simen Neraker, and Aleks Oestreng.

Yesterday’s release: Freddy Austbo’s part.

A mere four days after the second teaser the Norwegian production crew Process Films just dropped the third teaser for their highly, highly anticipated snowboard double-movie-feature A Shot in the Dark. Trust us, this will make you want to see the films even more.

PROCESS FILMS – A SHOT IN THE DARK – TEASER 3

What´s it like to ride big kickers?
In Teaser 3, Norwegian DC team rider, Mats Hofgaard shares what goes through his mind.

Teaser 3 is the 3rd of 3 teasers released by Process Films for its current 2 year film project. Following some of Norway´s most progressive snowboarders, A Shot in the Dark will be split into two separate films. The first is a trick film while the second follows a documentary format.

Progression in snowboarding has been moving at an alarming rate over the last few years. A Shot in the Dark takes a look at the various channels of pressure riders face, and the harsh reality of injuries.

The films will be distributed internationally by major snowboard publications near the end of 2011.

Filmed in Norway, New Zealand, Switzerland, Austria, France and America.
Fredrik Austbø, Petter Kristiansen, Tore Holvik, Torgeir Berre, Ulrik Badertscher, Aleksander Oestreng, Mats Hofgaard, Roger Kleivdal, Joacim Nyhaugen, Mikkel Bang, Pål Sørensen, Torjus Thomassen and Sondre Tiller

We accompanied them on a shoot in Norway earlier this year, and the dedication, spirit, and their riding skills are astonishing. We were expecting much after seeing their first teaser in November but this one blew us out of the water. It almost feels like a Lord of the Rings of snowboard movies. Best of all: A little later this season A Shot in the Dark will come for free with yours truly Onboard Magazine!

Here’s the official description:

Teaser 2 is the 2nd of 3 teasers released by Process Films for its current 2 year film project. Following some of Norway’s most progressive snowboarders, A Shot in the Dark will be split into two separate films. The first is a trick film while the second follows a documentary format.

Progression in snowboarding has been moving at an alarming rate over the last few years. A Shot in the Dark takes a look at the various channels of pressure riders face, and the harsh reality of injuries.

The films will be distributed internationally by major snowboard publications near the end of 2011.

Filmed in Norway, New Zealand, Switzerland, Austria, France and America.

The 3rd day of the Burton European Open continued with Men’s Halfpipe Pre-Qualifications and Women’s Slopestyle Qualifications. Some fresh snow in the morning and a little fog didn’t hinder the riders in today’s competitions.

99 men from 18 nations dropped into the Halfpipe on Monday to determine which 40 riders will move on to the Halfpipe Qualifiers on Tuesday. Riders were divided into four heats and had two runs, the best one counted. The top 5 riders from each heat plus the next 20 highest scored riders from all four heats advanced to the Qualifiers. The outstanding rider of the day was Australian Nathan Johnstone who received the highest score from the judges, stomping an impressive run that put him ahead of the rest of the field. Nathan went huge all the way and had the biggest amplitude of all riders. Another rider from down under, New Zealand’s Ben Stewart, who won his heat too, showed a massive Alley Oop McTwist on the last hit.

The ladies were scheduled for the Slopestyle Qualifications on Monday with 38 women from 15 countries hitting the course. Switzerland’s Isabel Derungs was the winner of the Qualification with a top score of 82.33.  Ty Walker, who won the Junior girls’ slopestyle two days ago extended her trip and made it into 2nd place in the Qualification round of the Women’s event.

On Tuesday the Burton European Open continues with Women’s & Men’s Halfpipe Qualifications.

Halfpipe Pre-Qual Men Session I Heat 1

1. Johnstone Nathan AUS RIPCURL 99.00
2. Shaw Spencer USA UNDER ARMOUR 95.33
3. Campbell Mike USA UNITY 94.67
4. Brown Mitchell NZL RIPCURL 93.33
5. Mensch Joseph USA FLOW 92.00
6. Osanai Shuhei JPN KISSMARK 90.00
7. Scherrer Jan SUI NIKE6.0 86.33
8. Grimsrud Per Iver NOR NITRO 85.00
9. Van Der Wal Dolf NED PROTEST 84.00
10. Kavcic Filip SLO ELAN 83.00
11. Moline Scott USA O’NEILL 71.33
12. Hoepfl Johannes GER BURTON 70.00

Halfpipe Pre-Qual Men Session I Heat 2

1. Kleivdal Roger NOR SWEET 94.00
2. Mindnich Nils USA BURTON 90.33
3. Esser Brett USA SMITH 89.67
4. Piiroinen Petja FIN BILLABONG 87.33
5. Tierney Chris USA LIBTECH 85.33
6. Oesch Adrian SUI RIDE 84.67
7. Weissenbacher Mathias AUT QUIKSILVER 77.00
8. Schattschneider Clemens AUT RIDE 75.67
9. Baume Lucas SUI VOLCOM 73.00

Halfpipe Pre-Qual Men Session II Heat 1

1.Stewart Ben NZL O’NEILL 93.00
2. Kleivdal Morten NOR BILLABONG 90.00
3. Harada Naoki JPN ALLIAN 87.00
4. Nilo Enzo FRA QUIKSILVER 85.00
5. Ciancaleoni Giorgio ITA BURTON 81.33
6. Jones Quinton USA FLOW 80.33
7. Rüedi Moritz SUI RIPCURL 73.33
8. Hryckiewicz Ryan USA NICHE 71.33

Halfpipe Pre-Qual Men Session II Heat 2

1. Friberg Daniel SUI DC SHOE CO USA 89.33
2. Ruegg Thomas SUI HEAD 87.00
3. Farrow Benji USA PACSUN 86.67
4. James Scotty AUS RED BULL 85.67
5. Birkendahl Linus GER NITRO 85.33
6. Kilner Ben GBR PROTEST 84.67
7. Swanson Brennen USA RIDE 82.33
8. Grigis Marco ITA NITRO 74.00
9. Koch Lucien SUI O’NEILL 70.67
10. Imhof Rafael SUI ELEVEN 70.00
11. Buzzoni Lorenzo ITA PROTEST 69.67

Slopestyle Qualification Women

1. Derungs Isabel SUI 82.33
2. Walker Ty USA ROXY 79.17
3. Somaini Carla SUI NEVER SUMMER 78.17
4. Olafsen Helene NOR OAKLEY 76.00
5. Pehkonen Saana FIN ICON 74.33

There was clearly a hell of a lot of spinning on show, with 12s now seemingly a fairly standard affair [what?!] at contests these days. Halldor Helgason mixed it up with some straight shifties but cats like Roger Kleivdal, Gjermund Braaten, Torgeir Bergrem and Sondre Tiller unleashed some triple roundhouses and doppel dubs to put on a rather fancy show, with Bergrem edging out Gjermund in the final and having to buy him drinks all night long. Happy days…

Featured riders: Mikkel Bang, Tore Holvik, Torgeir Berre, Fredrik Austbo, Petter Krisitansen, Ulrik Badertscher, Sondre Tiller, Aleksander Oestreng, Torjus Thomassen, Joacim Nyhaugen, Daniel Josefsen, Mats Hofgaard, and Roger Kleivdal!

Visit process-films.com for updates!

US Olympian Louie Vito training in Breckenridge. Photo: Cole Barash.

The majority of nations have made the final selection of who’ll go to Vancouver. See who’ll be flying the flag for you.

So there we were, tapping up our contacts at the various national snowboard organisations trying to get a definitive list of all the guys and girls who’ll be repping their countries in the pipe at the upcoming Olympics and, wouldn’t you know, our homies over at the Swatch TTR World Tour beat us to the punch. Thanks guys!

It must be said, it can often seem the selection process is more confusing than an algebra exam, with each country having different required criteria, and for the riders bidding to go it must certainly be a nerve-wracking experience waiting to see if all the points tally right and planets have aligned properly. But now, for most, the wait is over.

As ever there’s some big names who didn’t make it and some relative unknowns who did so, drum roll please, here’s who’s announced their pipe ninjas so far…

MEN

USA

Shaun White
Scotty Lago
Louie Vito
Greg Bretz

FINLAND

Peetu Piiroinen
Janne Korpi
Ilkka-Eemeli Laari
Markus Malin

FRANCE

Mathieu Crepel
Arthur Longo
Aluan Ricciardi
Gary Zebrowski

SWITZERLAND

Christian Haller
Iouri Podladtchikov
Markus Keller
Sergio Berger

NORWAY

Fredrik Austbø
Tore V. Holvik
Roger S. Kleivdal
Ståle Sandbech

CANADA

Jeff Batchelor
Justin Lamoureux
Brad Martin
Micheal Lambert

AUSTRALIA

Scott James
(15 year old youngest ever snowboarder to compete at a Winter Olympic Games.)
Ben Mates

GREAT BRITAIN

Ben Kilner

NEW ZEALAND

James Hamilton
Mitch Brown

GERMANY

Christophe Schmidt

WOMEN

USA

Gretchen Bleiler
Kelly Clark
Hannah Teter
Elena Hight

SWITZERLAND

Ursina Haller
Manuela Pesko

NORWAY

Kjersti Ø. Buaas
Linn Haug
Lisa H. Wiik

CANADA

Palmer Taylor
Sarah Conrad
Mercedes Nicolls

AUSTRALIA

Torah Bright

POLAND

Paulina Ligocka

NEW ZEALAND

Juliane Bray

Kendall Brown

Rebecca Sinclair

CZECH REPUBLIC

Sarka Pancochova

GREAT BRITAIN

Lesley McKenna

FRANCE

Sophie Rodriguez
Mirabelle Thovex

As you can see, Japan have yet to announce their team and they certainly have riders who can have a say in the final outcome, but them aside all the big hitters are accounted for. Check out over on the TTR webpage where you can see how those riders have been performing on the World Tour so you can have all the information possible when you head down the bookies’ to have a wee flutter.