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TWO WEEK COUNTDOWN FOR ULLRGIRLS TO JOIN ONLINE FREERIDE COMMUNITY FOR CHICKS WHO RIP$25,000 prize purse up for grabs
WHISTLER, BC , February 5, 2008 – Having thrown down huge for girlpower with last year’s If Ullr Was a Girl contest, Whistler backs up again with another $25,000 prize purse dedicated to female rippers.
Female riders and skiers have just 2 weeks to join the online community at ifullrwasagirl.com, by posting their profiles alongside fellow mountain-gals from across North America.
Four wildcard athletes from ifullrwasagirl.com will join up to 12 invited ski and snowboard pros, to contend for the crown at April’s TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival.
The online voting aspect from 2007 has been nixed, and the four wildcard athletes will be selected by a panel of judges based on their demonstrated passion for mountain life, to compete alongside the hottest talents on snow today.
Says Michelle Leroux, If Ullr Was A Girl judge and PR & Communications Manager for Whistler Blackcomb, “Four girls will win a seven day, six night trip to Whistler to compete with the pros and we want to see creativity, enthusiasm and proof that these girls rip and deserve to compete for $25,000.”
The women will gather for the most unique women’s only competition ever seen on snow, combining a slopestyle event, a big mountain event, a Superpipe event and Ullr Unleashed, a showcase of arts and culture. It’s all about finding the ultimate mountain woman, worthy of dethroning the god of snow, and taking the crown herself.
"Whistler Blackcomb saw the importance of this competition for women in the ski and snowboard industry and the entire team was thrilled to work on this event again,” says Meredith Armstrong, Whistler Blackcomb's Brand Marketing Manager. "This year we decided to work creatively with two partners on the project to ensure we could build and improve upon last year's event."
Watermark Productions, the producers of the TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival (TWSSF), has stepped up to take over the management of the event, making the If Ullr Was A Girl competition an official event of the TWSSF. They are also contributing half of the cash prize purse with Whistler Blackcomb making up the remainder. Whistler Blackcomb’s creative agency Origin Design + Communications is stepping up with their marketing and communications expertise to ensure the competition and the athletes get the exposure they deserve.
"The Ullr Girl campaign is really close to our hearts," says Origin creative director Danielle Kristmanson. "We worked with Whistler Blackcomb to develop the concept last year and were so happy to see that the girls really embraced it. When the opportunity arose this year for us to be part of the team we jumped at the chance."
Last season Whistler Blackcomb posted 442 online profiles from girls all over North America seeking the Ullr Girl title and the site, ifullrwasagirl.com < http://www.ifullrwasagirl.com/ > , generated, on average, 660 user sessions per day with 20 page views per session. Competing athletes, like Sarah Burke, cited the event as the best of the season because of the camaraderie the girls enjoyed. Skier Grete Eliassen took the crown and donated the entirety of her prize purse to charity.
The comp will once again bring North America’s top women skiers and riders to Whistler in April for the 2008 TWSSF, which excites the Festival’s Communications Director, Lisa Richardson. “The teams behind this event, at Watermark, Origin and Whistler Blackcomb are well-stacked with passionate women who love living and riding in the mountains. So it’s exciting to be part of such a unique event that really encourages female talent.”
Want in on it?
JOIN NOW < http://community.ifullrwasagirl.com/kickapps/user/displayUserRegisterPage.kickAction?as=13425&STATUS=MAIN > , create a profile for yourself, add yourself the the “CONTESTANTS” group and start loading your photos, video and comments and rate the posts of everyone else. Wanna hang out here and not compete? No problem. Create a profile but then add yourself to the “COMMUNITY” group instead.
The TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival is produced by Watermark Communications, a Whistler marketing & communication company, and presented in partnership with Tourism Whistler and Whistler Blackcomb. Founded by W1’s Doug Perry thirteen years ago, and now the largest annual winter sports and music festival in North America, the TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival is a high-octane 10 day and night showcase of the best of snowsports, music, arts and mountain life. Featuring major professional ski and snowboarding competitions, the largest free outdoor concert series in Canada, the legendary Pro Photographer and Filmmaker Showdowns, and many more unique art and cultural showcases, the Festival is the ultimate winter wrap party. For information on the 2008 TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival , April 11-20, visit www.whistler2008.com
Consistently ranked as North America's top ski and snowboard resort , Whistler Blackcomb continues to raise the level of mountain excitement for its guests. With the landmark Peak to Peak Gondola project underway, the return of the popular Symphony Amphitheatre, and a host of other on-mountain improvements, this winter promises to be one of the most exciting yet. Located a scenic two-hour drive north of Vancouver up the spectacular 'Sea to Sky' Highway, this resort is home to the continent's two greatest vertical-rise ski mountains – Whistler and Blackcomb. With over 17 alpine bowls, four glaciers, 200 trails, 8,171 acres of skiable terrain and a one mile vertical rise, the choices of where and what to ski/ride at Whistler Blackcomb from beginner to advanced terrain are staggering. Joined at the base by a vibrant pedestrian village filled with restaurants, patios, cafes, shops, galleries and spas, and surrounded by breathtaking scenery, this four season resort is spectacular. Check it all out at www.whistlerblackcomb.com < http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/ > .
Origin Design + Communications Ltd is a marketing and creative agency specializing in action sports and mountain culture. With offices in both Whistler and Montreal, Origin operates as the agency of record for Whistler Blackcomb,Tourism Whistler and Salomon Canada and its past and present client list includes the Canadian Ski Council, Kombi Sports, Liquid Boardwear, Lamar, Nikita, Split and Bike Parks of BC
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Contact:
Lisa Richardson
Communications Manager
Tel: 604 938 3399 x34
Email: lrichardson@watermarkinc.ca
Watermark Communications Inc
10-1006 Lynham Road
Whistler, BC V0N 1B1
whistler2008.com
Fax: 604 938 3398
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