WSI Hosts The AFP World Championships, April 19-24

AFP Elevates Event to Platinum Level for Historic World Championships

Whistler, B.C. – The Association of Freeskiing Professionals and producers of the 16th annual TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival, Watermark, are proud and excited to announce the elevation of the AFP World Championships, hosted by WSI, to Platinum level on the AFP hierarchy of competitions. The AFP, who strives to be “proactive in the future direction for events, judging, growth and evolution of the sport as well as fostering opportunities for emerging riders to climb a clear ladder to higher levels of competition”, announced the success of WSI today, with Watermark President Sue Eckersley noting that “the AFP and WSI World Championships has reached this incredible level, in an effort to create the best athlete experience, by garnering over $125,000 in cash and prizing, almost doubling the prize pool from past years.”

The AFP is the recognized global freeskiing ranking system that strategically and consistently awards points to skiers competing in the 50 events around the world. The Platinum level of competitions is the highest possible achievement for events that award points going towards the ultimate World Champion title. The AFP website explains that “the AFP World Ranking is created with the results from all competitions listed on the AFP Event Calendar. A competitor's top 5 results in each discipline generate the competitors point score. The Overall Ranking takes competitors top 2 results in each discipline, Half Pipe, Slope Style & Big Air, which cumulatively creates each competitors score for Overall World Champion.”

The AFP World Championships at WSI joins the ranks of only 2 other major events, the Winter X Games and the Dew Tour, increasing its overall points allocation and providing an additional incentive for athletes to compete at WSI.

"All roads lead to the AFP World Championships this year in Whistler. We're super stoked that the WSI stepped up big time and earned a Platinum ranking. The 300 day race for a World Championship will likely come down to this one event for many disciplines. An event of this calibre is what the athletes deserve and a great way for our sport to celebrate a long season of competition. The World Champs will be crowned in center village up on the stage they deserve in front of the well-known Festival crowds. It's going to be historic for our sport." says AFP Co-Founder Christopher Jerard.

WSI is the most well-rounded event on the AFP scheduling, along with X Games, by offering all three components of the freeskiing program, Big Air, Slopestyle and Superpipe. The event was also in the position to increase its standing in the overall events ranking through a number of means and WSI 2011 is happy to announce a motivating prize pool increase for athletes. For Big Air, the prize pool includes a brand new $24,900 fully loaded Chevrolet Cruze as first prize and a total of almost $38,000 in prizing across the board, the Degree Superpipe is offering $15,000 for Men’s first prize and a total of $47,500 in cash and prizes for men and women, and the Slopestyle is offering up a grand total of $25,000 in cash and prizes.

Communications Manager for the TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival, Jess Smith enthuses “the WSI is proud to be part of the Platinum level of competitions and even prouder to be hosting and crowning the AFP World Championships on home soil.”

AFP/WSI Finals Schedule: http://www.wssf.com/files/docs/page/WSI_Schedule_and_Formats_2011_V2.15FEB_0.pdf

Slopestyle Finals: Thursday April 2st

SuperPipe Finals: Friday April 22nd

Big Air Finals: Saturday April 23rd

Visit http://www.wssf.com/event/world-skiing-invitational-afp-world-championship or http://www.afpworldtour.com for more information about the current rankings and athlete profiles.

For information on the 2011 TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival, April 15-24, visit http://www.wssf.com, or follow us on twitter @wssf.

The TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival is produced by Watermark Communications, a Whistler-based event production & communications company, and presented in partnership with Tourism Whistler and Whistler Blackcomb. Having grown over 16 years into the largest annual winter sports and music festival in North America, the TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival is a 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, cultural events that match up art-lovers and the art-makers, career-making fashion, photography and film showcases, the best spring snow conditions in the world, and burn-the candle nightlife, the TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival is the poster child for the ultimate ski and snowboard festival experience. In blazing the way for the youth of tomorrow, the TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival stays true to its First Chair Last Call lifestyle. Add ‘Party in April, Sleep in May’ and you’ve got it made.