Rockstar Energy Releases Roster for Innaugural Snowboard Competition at Breckenridge

Taking after their Portland based skateboarding contest, the Breckenridge snowboarding competition uses Rockstar Energy Open’s signature Video Qualifier Series (VQS) to ID and select a handful of up and comers from around the world. Riders send in DIY clips and hope for their chance to compete in the big show. After weeks of video submissions, the lineup has been finalized. The contest features a mix of unknowns and full blown pros. In short, expect fireworks.

The snowboard competition and festival is heading to Breckenridge Ski Resort December 19-21, and is free and open to the public. Kicking off with the Rail Jam at 3:30 p.m., the festivities move down hill to Blue Ridge Plaza beginning at 6:30 p.m. with the Film Festival, interactive fan experiences and live DJ performances (to be announced soon). Visit RockstarEnergyOpen.com for a complete schedule breakdown.  

The VQS, which ran from October 20 - December 9, is a four-week global video submission designed to elevate emerging snowboarders with the opportunity to qualify and earn a coveted spot on the main Park Style competition roster. Each week, a world-class judging panel selected finalists who also earned cash prizes for Best Video entry, Best Trick (Men/Women) and Viewer’s Choice from an $18,000 total prize purse. 

"After two successful years of the summer skateboard edition in Portland, we are excited to introduce the Video Qualifying Series to snowboarding for the first time,” said Kemp Curley, managing director, Platfrm. “This open concept has proven it delivers great riders, and the volume and quality of submissions in this first year made narrowing the field to the top 10 extremely difficult. This shows a real desire for a format where emerging and non-traditional snowboarders can shine alongside the world’s best pros in the same, progressive competition.” 
 
Invited Pro Snowboarders include: 
 
●      Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.) - Rockstar Energy athlete; Olympic gold medalist, two-time X Games gold medalist; Slopestyle and Big Air
●      Nik Baden (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) – Rockstar Energy athlete; One of today’s most stylish and all-around riders; Known as an underground MVP since earning a Rookie of the Year title in 2018 
●      Mons Roisland (Hovik, Norway) - Rockstar Energy athlete; Two-time Olympian with a silver in Big Air; Slopestyle and Big Air
●      Mark McMorris (Regina, Saskatchewan, CAN) - Three-time Olympic medalist, 11-time X Games gold medalist; Slopestyle and Big Air
●      Jamie Anderson (South Lake Tahoe, Calif.) - Olympic gold medalist and 21-time X Games medals; Slopestyle and Big Air; recently gave birth to her second baby girl
●      Hailey Langland (San Clemente, Calif.) - Two-time Olympian, three-time X Games medalis
●      Laurie Blouin (Stoneham, Quebec, CAN) - Olympic medalist, six-time X Games medalist, two-time World Champ; Slopestyle and Big Air
●      Dusty Henrickson (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) - Olympian, five-time X Games medalist in Knuckle Huck and Slopestyle
●      Jill Perkins (Los Angeles native, now lives in Salt Lake City, Utah) - Rockstar Energy athlete; Pioneer in women’s street snowboarding praised for her video parts
●      Egan Wint (Denver native, now lives in Park City, Utah) - Dominant force on the international street and rail jam contest scene
●      Benny Milam (Chicago City, Minn.) - Podium regular at rail jam contests, accomplished street rider

*For the full roster of invited riders head to RockstarEnergyOpen.com.
 
The top 10 VQS men’s snowboarders include:
●      Brooklyn DePriest (Rocklin, Calif.)
●      Dane Menzies (Canmore, AB, CAN)
●      Elias Hamalainen (Ylästö, Vantaa, FIN)
●      Jesse Parkinson (Yaroomba, Queensland, AUS) 
●      Lucas Ferry (Pennington, N.J.)
●      Øynind Kirkhus (Gjettum, NOR)
●      Tosh Krauskopf (Smithers, BC, CAN)
●      Truth Smith (Whistler, BC, CAN)
●      Yuto Miyamura (Kameyama, Mie, JPN)
●      Yuto Yamada (Niigata-Ken, JPN)
 
The top VQS women’s snowboarders advancing straight to the Semi-Final include:
●      Hahna Norman (Truckee, Calif.)
●      Jaylen Hanson (Minnesota native, now lives in Salt Lake City, Utah)
●      Juliette Pelchat (Whistler, BC, CAN)
●      Mela Stalker (Coolum Beach, Queensland, AUS)
 
*Roster subject to change. For the most current list, visit RockstarEnergyOpen.com.
 
The Rockstar Energy Open is free and open to the public, with a limited quantity RSEO Premium VIP Experience upgrade option available. In addition to competitions and live music, fans can engage with sponsors activations and purchase exclusive RSEO merch – all in a dynamic, festival-style setting. The competitions will be livestreamed on ThePlatfrm.com and broadcast globally via Platfrm channels, ProSieben, FuelTV and more.  
 
For the most updated information, to view athlete bios, VQS video submissions and more, visit theplatfrm.com and rockstarenergyopen.com.