On December 21, 2012, the FIS Snowboard World Cup tour returns to Carezza, Italy, with a parallel giant slalom. After a successful debut as a World Cup host last season, which brought back the international contest series to South Tyrol after a break of five years, the regions sunniest winter sport resort organises the season's Parallel World Cup opener at Karerpass.
The season's first event will be run with new start gates. As from now on, the old “western gates” which opened like a swing door to the left and right will be replaced by snowboard cross-like drop down gates.
The world's best athletes are part of the starter field competing on the Pra di Tori slope featuring the likes of World Cup title defenders Andreas Prommegger (AUT) and Patrizia Kummer (SUI), PGS World Champions Benjamin Karl (AUT) and Alena Zavarzina (RUS) as well as local heros Roland Fischnaller (ITA), who won the PGS in Carezza last winter and Aaron March (ITA).
Before the thrilling head-to-head action will take place on the slope with the qualifiers starting at 9 AM and the finals scheduled for 1 PM on Dec 21, the top-16 female and male race boarders in the world will get their start bibs in a public bib drawing at Grandhotel Carezza on Dec 20 at 6 PM.
Eurosport 2 and RAI 2 will broadcast the finals live.
Time table PAR World Cup Carezza, Italy - all local times:
Thursday, Dec 20: Public Bib Draw men and women Grandhotel Carezza at 6 PM
Friday, Dec 21: Qualifiers men and women Pra di Tori Slope at 9 AM
Finals men and women Pra di Tori Slope at 1 PM