<p style="text-align: justify;">In creating a series with international event sanctioning, the level of quality and consistency can be applied across the domestic events, attracting a larger pool of athlete talent. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">“With these events, athletes no longer need to travel to gain valuable competition experience.” SSA Park & Pipe Coordinator Richard Hegarty said. “The events also attract big name international athletes and teams to Australia, improving the competition landscape and experience for all competitors.” </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Series allows young athletes to compete with the best in the world in their age groups; a positive way to nurture and develop kids in the sport. It will create a stronger competition scene and give kids experience at home that they would have had to spend a fortune in the past to gain overseas.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">“The sport becomes so much more interesting to the wider audience if it has a tour structure and World Wide ranking systems,” Hegarty said. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The series begins with the Playstation Slopestyle event in Perisher and finishes in Thredbo with the One Hit Wonder, which will include Snowboard for the first time this year. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The One Hit Wonder event is an AFP Gold sanctioned event as well as an International World Snowboard Tour event, boasting the largest Big Air jump anywhere in the world. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">“It will be a display of the very best progressive freestyle you will ever see in a Big Air event” Hegarty said.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Live Scoring of these events will be available through SSA’s new <strong><em><a href="http://www.snowracer.com.au/home/" target="_blank">Snowracer website</a></em></strong>. This will allow family and the public to follow the events and results live from anywhere in the world. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">You can register for the events via <strong><em><a href="http://www.snowracer.com.au/home/" target="_blank">this link</a></em></strong>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>SSA Park & Pipe Series events:</strong></p><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>July 15 - Playstation Slopestyle </li><li>August 11-13 - Australian Junior Freeride Champs</li><li>September 1 - Thredbo Slopestyle Series </li><li>September 2 - Thredbo Series Big Air </li><li>September 5-9 - Toyota One Hit Wonder</li></ul><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>SSA Park & Pipe Series is sanctioned by:</strong></p><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>AFP (Association of Freeski Professionals)</li><li>WST (World Snowboard Tour)</li><li>FIS (International Ski Federation).</li></ul><p style="text-align: justify;">Registration and Membership:</p><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>All Free Ski competitors need to be SSA licensed members of the AFP</li><li>All Snowboard competitors need to be licensed members of the WST</li></ul><p style="text-align: justify;">Athletes can sign up for these registrations via the SSA membership portal <strong><em><a href="https://www.skiandsnowboard.org.au/membership/" target="_blank">here</a></em></strong>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Please ensure that you are a current member of SSA and when registering or renewing that you select the appropriate AFP or WST registration. Visit the SSA membership page for more details.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Registration information for all events can be found directly on the resort or event websites.</p>