CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Maine — Sugarloaf is making preparations to welcome the nation’s top up-and-coming snowboarders when the 2009 US Snowboarding Revolution Tour makes its final stop of the season at the mountain, March 9-11. The United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) tour will makes its only east coast stop at Sugarloaf, and will crown its overall champions for the season. Riders will compete for more than $5000 in cash, and to qualify for the US Snowboard Grand Prix and the Burton US Open.

Several local riders from Carrabassett Valley Academy (CVA), an award winning ski and snowboard academy located at the base of Sugarloaf, are expected to compete in the event.

The Revolution Tour is the top junior snowboard tour in the country, featuring competitions in halfpipe, slopestyle, and snowboardcross. The Tour is also used to qualify athletes for World Juniors, U.S. Open, U.S. World Cup, USASA Nationals and Project Gold camps. The entire field of riders for this year’s tour sold out in 20 minutes.

“This is a very sought after, very fun series,” said Abbi Nyberg, US Snowboarding Program Manager. “It’s a great event for young and developing riders because it helps them build their skills and prepare themselves for the next level of competition. Sugarloaf has always been a great supporter of snowboarding events and we are looking forward to them hosting the Revolution Tour.”

Each event consists of roughly 300 athletes, the majority of whom compete in halfpipe and slopestyle. At Sugarloaf, the halfpipe competition will take place on Monday, March 9, followed by slopestyle on Tuesday, March 10, and snowboardcross on Wednesday, March 11. Sunday, March 8 will be a training day at all venues (see complete event schedule below).

The snowboardcross competition will take place on Sugarloaf’s brand new Sidewinder Snowboardcross Course, which was designed by Olympic Gold Medalist Seth Wescott. Wescott, a CVA graduate, will help with the design of the course in the days leading up to the event.

A total of 15 riders from CVA are expected to compete in the Revolution Tour, including senior Alex Tuttle, who is currently first in the United States of America Snowboard Association (USASA) snowboardcross rankings, and siblings Benjamin and Juliet Bisson. Juliet Bisson took first place in women’s snowboardcross at last season’s final Revolution Tour stop.

Sugarloaf has a long history of hosting world class competitions, including the US Alpine Nationals twice in the past three years, and the 2007 Champions Cross Sugarloaf Open, which featured the world’s top snowboardcross athletes.

For information on Sugarloaf and lodging packages, visit www.sugarloaf.com or call 1-800-THE-LOAF.

The schedule of events at the Revolution Tour will be as follows:

Sunday, March 8 ??“ Training Day

10am-3pm: Registration Open
9am-3:30pm: Halfpipe & Slopestyle training
5pm: Halfpipe Riders’ Meeting

Monday, March 9 ??“ Halfpipe Competition

8:00am: Media Room Open (Sugarloaf Mountain Hotel, Caribou Room)
8:45-9:10am: Women’s halfpipe warm-up
9:15-10:30am: Women’s halfpipe qualifications
10:30-10:55am: Men’s halfpipe warm-up, Heat 1
11am-12:15pm: Men’s halfpipe qualifications, Heat 1
12:15-12:40pm: Men’s halfpipe warm-up, Heat 2
12:45-2:00pm: Men’s halfpipe qualifications, Heat 2
2:00-2:30pm: Halfpipe finals warm-up
2:45-4:00pm: Halfpipe finals
4:30pm: Awards on the Beach
5:30pm: Riders’ Meeting

Tuesday, March 10 ??“ Slopestyle Competition

8:00am: Media Room Open (Sugarloaf Mountain Hotel, Caribou Room)
8:45-9:10am: Women’s slopestyle warm-up
9:15-10:30am: Women’s slopestyle qualifications
10:30-10:55am: Men’s slopestyle warm-up, Heat 1
11am-12:15pm: Men’s slopestyle qualifications, Heat 1
12:15-12:40pm: Men’s slopestyle warm-up, Heat 2
12:45-2:00pm: Men’s slopestyle qualifications, Heat 3
2:00-2:30pm: Slopestyle finals warm up
2:45-4:00pm: Slopestyle finals
4:30pm: Awards on the Beach
5:30pm: Riders’ meeting

Wednesday, March 11 ??“ Snowboardcross Competition

8:00am: Media Room Open
8:45-9:45am: Course inspection/Training
10am-12:30pm: Snowboardcross time trials
1:30-3:00pm: Snowboardcross finals
4:00pm: Awards on the Beach