Tue, 03/30/2010 - 5:41pmENNI RUKAJAARVI IS CROWNED 09/10 WOMEN’S SWATCH TTR WORLD CHAMPION

The 6Star Roxy Chicken Jam slopestyle and halfpipe finals both went down under sunny skies at Mammoth Mountain in California and Enni Rukajaarvi (FIN) has been officially declared the women’s Swatch TTR World Snowboard Champion for the 2009/2010 season. 

Sina Candrian (SUI) was able to post a sixth place finish in the slopestyle finals to defend her World No. 2 position and Sarka Pancochova (CZE) squeezed in a fifth place in slopestyle to finish her season in World No. 3.  All three of the women mentioned above will go home with some hefty prize money and will also receive automatic invites to all major TTR events for the 2010/2011 season.   

The day began with slopestyle finals in the morning under the blazing California sunshine making
the course a little bit slow, but the ladies powered through the slush and put on a great showing.
 

The slopestyle course is larger than in years past and the riders were loving the setup that
consisted of a 65-foot jump, 55-foot jump, a rail section, pole jam and finished with a 50-foot
kicker.  It was American rider, Jamie Anderson, who had the speed and style on the course and
was able to throw down a run that included a backside 540, switch backside 540 and a Cab 540
mute to take the top spot of the day.  On the TTR side of things, Enni Rukaja?rvi came in ninth
place, but that was enough to keep her in the TTR World No. 1 spot.  Sina Candrian was able to
place sixth in slopestyle to keep her World No. 2 position.  And, Sarka Pancochova (CZE) took
the fifth place finish to put her in the World No. 3 spot.  However, the ladies still had halfpipe finals
ahead where some riders had a chance to shake up the final TTR results.
 
There was a two-hour break after the slopestyle competition wrapped up before the halfpipe finals
kicked off.  Over the past couple of years, the Chicken Jam was running an 18-foot pipe and the
ladies were definitely stoked on the 22-footer being used for this year’s event.  It was Kelly Clark
(USA) putting up her signature huge airs and smooth spins to take the top spot for the day in the
pipe.  Japanese rider, Rana Okada, was also going big and took the third place spot and Elena
Hight (USA) rounded out the podium in third.  
 
With none of the riders on the pipe podium in contention for a top TTR Tour finish, Enni Rukaja?rvi
was able to clinch the TTR World Champion title at the close of the Chicken Jam with Candrian
officially finishing in World No. 2 and Panchochova in World No. 3.  Rukaja?rvi was beyond excited
with her win saying, “I feel awesome.  I am so happy and stoked and also surprised.  I did not
expect to be Tour Champion at all at the beginning of the season.”  With her TTR Tour Champion
title win, Rukaja?rvi will take home a cool $50,000, Candrian will be awarded with $25,000 and
Pancochova will walk away $15,000 richer.
 

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