We’ve got a couple rad dudes looking to get your vote in order to secure a spot at the World Heli Challenge. Take a look at the entries below and then head over and give ’em a vote!
Team Vacation / VOTE HERE
All Us In Winterland – Lucidity / VOTE HERE
Team Australia / VOTE HERE
About the Call Up from the World Heli Challenge:
Fourteen teams are in the chase for just two sought-after slots in the new format World Heli Challenge competition and a ‘money-can’t-buy’ ticket to 9 days of adventure including two heli-accessed backcountry competition days in the mountains around Aoraki Mt Cook and Lake Ohau in New Zealand.
Big mountain freeriding skiers and boarders from Australia, New Zealand and around the globe answered the World Heli Challenge “Call Up” sending in their “Big Adventures/Big Rewards” videos to win entry into this year’s new-look event.
One team will be chosen by a “People’s Choice” online vote earning the chance to take home the $10,000 first prize purse. The World Heli Challenge judging panel will pick the opposing team to take them on in the new head-to-head format.
“We have been blown away by the quality and quantity of entries for this first ever “Call Up”. The edits are awesome and our judges are going to have a tough time narrowing the field” said event founder and director Tony “Harro” Harrington.
“It was a big step to change up the format for the competition moving it to a team dynamic and opening up the entry online with the “Call Up” but it’s paid off and I’m stoked to see the athletes and filmers have embraced it. The entries are fun, celebrate the talents of the athletes and filmers and are super creative – it’s what the event is all about.”
Some World Heli Challenge veterans are entering to defend their titles, Sam Smoothy and Fraser McDougall have buddied up and three-time champion Will Jackways and skier Charlie Lyons with Riley Bathurst filming are in the mix also. Australian duo Watkin McLennan (Mt Buller) and Charlie Timmins (Perisher) have thrown down the gauntlet forming “Team Australia” with Joey Corcoran behind the camera. Snowboarders Jake Koia and Ryan Teine are in the hunt as are NZ clubfielders Cam McDermid and Tom Brownlee amongst others.
All “Call Up” video entries will be posted on Friday 22 August and voting will kick off here on the site at approx. 4pm NZ time/6pm AEST. Voting will close at the same time on Friday 29 August when the final votes will be tallied to determine the “People’s Choice” team to go through to the World Heli Challenge.
“The teams are frothing and stirring up their supporters to vote for them so they get to Mt Cook and have a crack at the prize money,” said Harrington. “We’ve set the polling so people can vote daily and really get behind the team they want to win.”
The two winning teams will be officially announced in Wanaka, NZ on 4 September.
The World Heli Challenge is held between 7-15 September based at Lake Ohau Lodge.