The Arctic Challenge

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The Arctic Challenge is a snowboarding contest arranged for and by the riders themselves. It was started by Norwegian professional snowboarders Daniel Franck and Terje Håkonsen. The contest was established as an alternative to the former competitions that had become streamlined and run by schedules and directions from TV-coverage, major sponsors and other external forces. It formerly held the status as the final for the "World Snowboard Tour", and is held in Norway annually - usually at a location north of the Arctic Circle.

Snowboarding Recreational activity andWinter Olympic and Paralympic sport

Snowboarding is a recreational activity and Winter Olympic and Paralympic sport that involves descending a snow-covered slope while standing on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet.

Norwegians people

Norwegians are a North Germanic ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in the United States, Canada, Australia, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and South Africa.

Daniel Franck is a Norwegian professional snowboarder. He started riding in 1991, professionally since 1993. After winning the National and Nordic championships he aimed higher and started riding world cup competitions in 1993. Daniel won his first international championship Gold at the European championships in 1995, and earned 2nd. place at the World Cup Ranking the 1995–96 season. He won the silver medal in the men's halfpipe in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. He also participated in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. There he finished 9th. place, after riding with a concussion from a crash in his last practice run. Daniel Franck was the first snowboarding athlete to win gold at the ESPN X-Games in Snow Summit – California – in 1997, where he also took the Silver medal in the slope style contest.

Since 2005 the "TAC", as it is often referred to, moved to Oslo and has been integrated into the TTR World Snowboard Tour at the 5Star level. Oslo is south of the Arctic Circle, and is thus not in the arctic.

Oslo Place in Østlandet, Norway

Oslo is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. Founded in the year 1040 as Ánslo, and established as a kaupstad or trading place in 1048 by Harald Hardrada, the city was elevated to a bishopric in 1070 and a capital under Haakon V of Norway around 1300. Personal unions with Denmark from 1397 to 1523 and again from 1536 to 1814 reduced its influence, and with Sweden from 1814 to 1905 it functioned as a co-official capital. After being destroyed by a fire in 1624, during the reign of King Christian IV, a new city was built closer to Akershus Fortress and named Christiania in the king's honour. It was established as a municipality (formannskapsdistrikt) on 1 January 1838. The city's name was spelled Kristiania between 1877 and 1897 by state and municipal authorities. In 1925 the city was renamed Oslo.

Due to its great success last season it has moved to the TTR 6Star level, the highest status an event can hold on the World Tour, giving out 1000 TTR ranking points to the winner and $100,000 in total prize money. [1] It is now the only 6Star rated event owned by a professional rider. [2]

At the Arctic Challenge 2007, the organizer and snowboard legend, Terje Håkonsen broke the highest air record in the quarterpipe with 9.8 m above the lip (top part of the obstacle), established by Heikki Sorsa at 9.3 m in 2001.

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References

  1. ↑ TAC TTR event bio Archived 2011-07-24 at the Wayback Machine .
  2. ↑ [ dead link ]


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