On December 19, 2012, Beijing time, the press conference for Asia’s highest-level freestyle snowboarding competition — the 11th Red Bull Nanshan Open — was held at Nanshan Ski Resort in Beijing. As a five-star event under the WST (World Snowboard Tour), the competition will be held from January 19 to 20, 2013, at Nanshan Ski Resort, and will feature a women’s division for the first time. A total of 27 top global athletes from nine countries including the United States, New Zealand, and Norway, along with seven qualifiers from the domestic trials held from January 12, will compete for a total prize purse of $65,000.
Among various types of snowboarding competitions, freestyle (SLOPESTYLE) stands out as the most visually exciting due to its long course, multiple consecutive jumps and obstacles, and the full display of snowboarding techniques. This discipline is the finale event of the X-GAMES World Extreme Championship and was officially added to the 2014 Winter Olympics program by the International Olympic Committee in June this year.
The WST World Tour is divided into six star levels, and among freestyle events in Asia, only the Red Bull Nanshan Open holds a five-star rating. Launched in 2003, the Red Bull Nanshan Open was first included in the TTR (predecessor of World Snowboarding Tour) global ranking system in 2007, upgraded to a four-star event in 2010, and officially advanced to a five-star event in 2012. This year, the competition adds a women’s division on top of previous formats, and the total prize money has increased from $50,000 last year to $65,000. The top ten WST-ranked athletes will qualify automatically for the main event, and the organizers will also invite internationally renowned riders with diverse styles and technical skills. According to the schedule, the domestic qualifiers will be held on January 12, open to all snowboarding enthusiasts across the country, with the top six male and one female riders advancing to the main event. Men’s preliminary round one, women’s preliminary and finals will take place on January 19, followed by men’s preliminary round two and finals on January 20.
In terms of course design, the 11th Red Bull Nanshan Open will feature two sets of jumps and four sets of obstacles. The highest jump stands 12 meters above ground, and the container obstacle is especially creatively designed — the organizers will place a real-size, open-ended container midway down the course, allowing riders to either jump over it or ride through the middle. “The course is different every year. The Red Bull Nanshan Open is not just a competition, but a lifestyle. We focus not only on what tricks the riders pull off but also on their overall experience,” said Huang Xuefeng, the event director.
Regarding event organization, WST has listed the Red Bull Nanshan Open as one of the most important stops on its annual tour. “This year, WST is fully involved in the Red Bull Nanshan Open. The international rider invitations and judge arrangements are all handled by them,” said Steve, a 36-year-old Austrian who, back in 2001 while studying in China, gathered over a dozen “high-energy snowboard fanatics” for a party at Nanshan Ski Resort. With strong backing from Red Bull China, this grassroots event born from a party has risen to become one of the world’s top snowboarding contests. “WST once asked us to open the qualifiers to foreign riders and allocate advancement spots based on performance, but we’ve always reserved 3–6 spots for Chinese riders. That’s also Red Bull’s stance — we want to give Chinese kids the chance to make it to the world stage. Red Bull has given us the greatest trust and support while allowing us to maintain the event’s independence,” Steve said.
Zhang Qiong, Director of Sports Marketing at Red Bull China, stated, “Since its inception, the Red Bull Nanshan Open has continuously elevated its level and influence, attracting hundreds of world-class riders and helping Chinese snowboarders secure a place on the global winter extreme sports stage. It has also created opportunities for Chinese riders like Wang Lei and He Wei to go global. I believe Chinese riders will one day become the stars of this scene.”
In 2010, “China’s No. 1 snowboarder” Wang Lei delivered an outstanding performance in the second round of the 8th Red Bull Nanshan Open, defeating strong contenders from Northern Europe, Japan, and other regions to become the first Chinese rider to reach the finals in the event’s history, marking a historic breakthrough for Chinese snowboarding both in this competition and in the broader TTR global series. In 2011, Chinese rider He Wei performed difficult moves including a switch 720 grab, a frontside 720, and a backflip to 180, securing third place in the finals and ultimately finishing eighth, setting a new best result for Chinese riders in the event. In 2012, He Wei missed the 10th Red Bull Nanshan Open due to an injury sustained during training in New Zealand. After a year of treatment and recovery, He Wei, currently training in the United States, will make his comeback in this edition. Meanwhile, in the newly added women’s division, 24-year-old Zhu Hong is expected to become the first Chinese female rider to compete in and earn points at a WST five-star event.
“Xiao Hu (He Wei) is in great form now. His 1080s are better than before the injury, and if he performs well, both he and ANDREW (Wang Longsheng) have a shot at making the top 12. Xiao Hu is a competitor who rises to the occasion — if he gets in the zone, even better results are possible,” Steve said.
At the press conference, Zhu Hong, the sole female representative, took the stage to perform and was interviewed by reporters. “I’ve been looking forward to this competition for a long time. I’m not thinking about rankings — to me, it’s going to be one big party. Secondly, I’m really grateful to our sponsor Red Bull for inviting me and for their efforts in promoting women’s snowboarding in China.” Born in 1988, Zhu Hong has 10 years of riding experience and is respectfully called “Sister Hong” by peers, even by riders in their 30s and 40s. If she makes the finals, she may face off against true veterans like Hana Beaman, a top contender who has ranked in the top ten in every competition she’s entered for the past decade, and snowboarding legend Leanne Pelosi, who has placed in the top three in every event since 2004.