Louie Vito, Simon Dumont and Kaya Turski Set to Compete in Winter Dew Tour’s Pantech Invitational

The Winter Dew Tour continues this weekend with its second stop of the season when the Pantech Invitational hits Killington, Vermont.  The top athletes in snowboarding and freeskiing will descend on one of the East Coast’s biggest resorts to battle it out for points toward the Dew Cup.

Louie Vito comes to Killington on the heels of a second place finish at the Winter Dew Tour’s first stop in Breckenridge, Colorado.  Eager to repeat his championship performance in the superpipe during the 2011 season, Vito will be aiming to redeem himself with the top spot in Vermont.  The slopestyle course will be crowded with internationally recognized snowboarders, from triple-corking Canadian Mark McMorris to the Norwegian winner of the Nike Open, Gjermund Braaten, as well as a large group of American-bred riders fighting through the last chance qualifiers. 

Gjermund Braaten

Competition in the men’s freeski events will be sure to deliver excitement.  After combating an injury in Breckenridge, Simon Dumont will take to the superpipe looking to dethrone reigning champ Kevin Rolland.  Tom Wallisch will attempt to go two for two in Winter Dew Tour ski slopestyle wins this season, bringing huge air and smooth landings to a slopestyle run that is sure to defy the laws of physics.  Last year’s Killington winner Bobby Brown, along with Alex Schlopy and Nick Goepper, will be among the top skiers intending to push him off the podium.

The top names in women’s freeskiing will have their Winter Dew Tour season debut at the Pantech Invitational with bigger stakes than in years past.  For the first time in Dew Tour history, women freeskiers will compete towards a Dew Cup.  Devin Logan, who took the freeski halfpipe world by storm in her breakout rookie year in 2011, will bring her signature style to Bear Mountain, while young up-and-comer Kaya Turski will be showing off on the slopestyle course.  Several women with eyes on the 2014 Olympics are also headed to the Pantech Invitational, including Grete Eliassen, Brita Sigourney and Ashley Battersby.

Simon Dumont

In addition to action-packed competitions, the weekend will also include a Friday night VIP party at the Wobbly Barn, a well-known Killington watering hole.  The night will feature a live DJ set from RAC, the Portland-based cutting edge duo of Andre Allen Anjos and Karl Kling, spinning original remixes and party favorites.  Party entry will be $10 for those 21-and-over.

The pre-qualified athlete list for Pantech Invitational is as follows:

The full schedule of events for the Pantech Invitational is as follows:

Thursday, Jan. 19th – Festival Village Opens at 9:30AM
8:45 AM – 9:50 AM – Women’s Freeski Slopestyle Qualifier
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM – Men’s Freeski Superpipe Last Chance Qualifier
11:05 AM – 12:45 PM – Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle Last Chance Qualifier
1:30 PM – 2:15 PM – Men’s Snowboard Superpipe Last Chance Qualifier
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM – Men’s Freeski Slopestyle Last Chance Qualifier
4:30 PM – 5:30 PM – Women’s Freeski Superpipe Qualifier

Friday, Jan. 20th – Festival Village Opens at 9:30AM
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM – Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle Semi-Final
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Women’s Freeski Superpipe Semi-Final
1:30 PM – 4:00 PM – Men’s Freeski Slopestyle Semi-Final
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM – Men’s Snowboard Superpipe Semi-Final
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM – Men’s Freeski Superpipe Semi-Final
9:00 PM – 11:00 PM – RAC @ Wobbly Barn

Saturday, Jan. 21st – Festival Village Opens at 9:30AM
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM – Women’s Freeski Slopestyle Semi-Final
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM – Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle Final
3:00 PM – 3:40 PM – Women’s Freeski Superpipe Final
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM – Men’s Freeski Superpipe Final

Sunday, Jan. 22nd – Festival Village Opens at 9:30AM
10:00 AM – 10:45 AM – Women’s Freeski Slopestyle Final
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Men’s Freeski Slopestyle Final
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM – Men’s Snowboard Superpipe Final
 
**Schedule is subject to change. To stay up to date on the action, follow live updates via the Dew Tour on Twitter**
 
Running through the entire weekend, the Festival Village offers something for everyone attending the Dew Tour.  Visit the Pantech tent to test out the newest cell phones, play pool or air hockey at Paul Mitchell, and grab a ride all weekend in one of Toyota’s free shuttles.

Danny Davis

The Mega Pass offers exclusive access to the world’s best action sport athletes at the Pantech Invitational.  Mega Pass lets you experience the Winter Dew Tour like a VIP, including athlete meet and greets, admission to the Dew Tour VIP Part, fast pass access on the Skye Peak Express Quad, discounts throughout Killington and Dew Tour swag.  Mega Passes are on sale now for $50 at Killington.com or at the Winter Dew Tour merchandise tent in Festival Village on Thursday, Jan. 19 – Sunday, Jan. 22.
 
The Pantech Invitational will air finals competitions live on NBC at Saturday, January 21 at 4:00PM EST and Sunday, January 22 at 3:00PM EST.
 
For additional Winter Dew Tour event information, visit www.Allisports.com and the Dew Tour Facebook page.
 
The complete 2011-12 Winter Dew Tour schedule is as follows:
 
Event                                       Date                 Location
Nike Open                                Dec. 15-18        Breckenridge Ski Resort – Breckenridge, Colo.
Pantech Invitational                   Jan. 19-22         Killington Resort – Killington, Vt.           
Toyota Championships              Feb. 9-12          Snowbasin Resort – Ogden,Utah