Absolut Park gets ready to host Spring Battle & FIS Snowboard World Cup

For the first time, Absolut Park Flachauwinkl in Austria will host a FIS Snowboard World Cup, and it will also be the season finale for the freestylers, where the small and large crystal globes will be awarded. The FIS Snowboard World Cup Flachau takes place immediately after the legendary Spring Battle, which has been a must-attend event in the independent snowboard scene since 2002, thanks to its unique format.

The start lists for the Absolut Park Spring Battle and the FIS Snowboard World Cup Flachau have been overflowing for weeks, featuring the crème de la crème of freestyle snowboarding. No one wants to miss out on this double event in Austria’s largest snowpark, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Among the names are Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard (USA) and 24-time X-Games medalist Mark McMorris, who will be joined by his Canadian teammates Cameron Spalding and Liam Brearly, who currently lead the WSPL rankings. Also on the list are Big Air Olympic gold medalist Yiming Su (CHN) and Hiroto Ogiwara (JPN), who recently landed the first 2340 in snowboarding history.

Among the women, Zoi Sadowski Synnott (NZL) and Mia Brookes (GBR) are the top favorites, challenging local legend Anna Gasser at her home training grounds. The double Olympic gold medalist will be strongly supported by the Austrian junior team, including Hanna Karrer and Selin Lakatha.

Clemens Millauer, who is recovering from a knee injury sustained in Aspen, is already back on the snow, stating:

“The competition format of the Spring Battle opens doors to an incredibly high trick level, as you have many attempts over the four days to land a completely crazy run. It will be exciting to see if we will also see the same tricks in the World Cup that follows. After all, there are only two attempts in the World Cup, and you need to be much more strategic.”

The first half of the week, from Sunday to Wednesday, features the Absolut Park Spring Battle with its unique Follow-Cam-Jam format. Snowboarders are followed by cameramen and high-speed drones, trying to capture the perfect run on video over the four competition days. There are two rankings, one for the slopestyle course, which will also host the World Cup, and one for the new rail setup. All submitted videos are judged and awarded at the ESBN Award Show on Friday evening.

On Thursday, the event seamlessly transitions into the FIS Snowboard World Cup Flachau. The extra days of practice on the same course at Absolut Park promise an incredibly high trick level. Only those who manage a 100% perfect run through all the rails and kickers will have a chance at a top placement. Since the FIS Snowboard World Cup Flachau is the final tour stop, the small crystal globes for slopestyle and the large ones for the Park & Pipe overall World Cup will be awarded after the finals on Friday, March 14th.