INDEPENDENT NEWS

Motocross meets freestyle for Parklife Invitational

Published: Tue 30 Jul 2013 02:45 PM
30 July 2013
Motocross meets freestyle for Parklife Invitational in Queenstown
Rider Francis McGuire takes on a rail in last year’s Parklife Invitational, Queenstown
An anticipated huge crowd will be in for a night of pure adrenalin when motocross meets freestyle for the highly-anticipated Parklife Invitational in downtown Queenstown on Saturday August 17.
Set up at the Queenstown Rec Ground by The Remarkables ski area Terrain Park crew, 30 invited freestyle skiers and snowboarders will go big and pull out their best tricks as they battle it out on a purpose-built stair feature, complete with snow trucked in from the mountain.
Scheduled for Saturday August 17 with a reserve day set for Sunday August 18, the event will also see the return of top international freestyle motocross riders keeping heart rates pumping with death-defying demos over the rail set up, at the beginning of the evening and between the freestyle heats and finals.
The Remarks Terrain Park crew will set up and groom the two-rail feature, and ski area manager Ross Lawrence said they were already amped for an “epic” night.
“There’s a lot of energy on the night and the crowds spur on the competitors to deliver their very best tricks,” he said.
“Over the years we’ve seen some young stars in the making competing in the PLI including the Wells brothers who now shine on the international stage.
“This night is one of the highlights of the season -- our park athletes have been practicing hard up the mountain and are excited to be bringing it to town so be prepared to be amazed.”
The Rail Jam starts with a qualifying round where each competitor laps the feature hoping to impress the judges enough to advance on to the finals. Then the best female and male boarders and skiers will ‘take it up another gear’ as they aim to take home cash prizes and branded gear up for grabs.
The event starts early at 5.30pm so the kids, families and Queenstown’s next ski and snowboard generation can catch the action on the rails and dirt bikes, and Spike and Shred will come down from The Remarkables to catch up with youngsters.
Mr Lawrence said he was happy to confirm a ‘weather’ day contingency this year, although as always he said he was confident the event would go ahead on the scheduled night as planned.
The Parklife Invitational has been running for 11 years and moved to the Queenstown Rec Ground for the first time last year to accommodate a bigger stair structure, the FMX ramps and better visibility for increased crowds.
Gates open 4.30pm and tickets are on sale from the Queenstown Snow Centre from Monday August 5. The event runs from 5.30pm to 9.30pm and tickets are $5.
Sponsor support includes Red Bull, Skinny Mobile, Corona, Jim Beam, The Find, St Goliath and Rip Curl Clothing.
An after party will be held at The Find bar at 54 Shotover Street.
ENDS

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