Registrations for the 2024 Transfer Banked Slalom are now LIVE. With this year marking the 10th anniversary of The Tournament of Turns, categories will fill fast – so don’t sleep on it. The unofficial gathering of Australian Snowboarding will be taking place at Thredbo Resort on Friday 16th of August, 2024 with the official Arbor Snowboards wax night and BBQ taking place on Thursday night (15/06/240) before the big show, and the anticipated Pirate Life afterparty following presentations after the race.
With year-on-year turnouts teetering on 200 plus boarders, we’re ringing in TBS X as the day-of-days for Australian Snowboarding this season. So what do you need to know …
Divisions and Registration, Formalities
Official registration for the 2024 Transfer Banked Slalom is now LIVE, click HERE.
Year after year, spots fill fast – so if you’re contemplating ‘competing’, don’t sleep on it! As spots are limited, and our hands are tied with formalities we can’t accommodate last-minute, off-the-books entries. The skinny on this year’s divisions are:
Open Women: Any Age
Masters Men: 35yrs old & over
Masters Women: 35yrs old & over
Junior Men: 13yrs – 17yrs
Junior Women: 13yrs – 17yrs
Grom Men: 7yrs – 12yrs
Grom Women: 7yrs – 12yrs
*Age calculated as of 16 August 2024
The TBS is purely a snowboard-only event, honouring the tradition of the Banked Slalom format. No wacky cross-contamination here. No snowskates (we’re still sorry about that Terje). Hardboots are permitted, however.
Want to know who you might be up against? Check this out
Helmets are mandatory but don’t let that stop you from being creative. We’ll be attaching the provided race plates (come souvenirs) via duck tape, if you intend to wear shorts best shave your legs first.
We’ll be using timing transponders, which get attached to your front leg. This gives us the ability to time your run down to the nanosecond, it’s the sort of tech that would make Olympic officials fizz themselves into ecstasy. Responders are to be returned after your final run, at Friday Flat where our highly organised admin team will be receiving them and giving you your new TBS 24 t-shirt.
Failure to return these tracking devices transponders will result in no shirt and copping $100 fine. Dang.
The official run time of the 2024 Transfer Banked Slalom is 9am – 4pm, Friday 16th August. Thredbo Resort, Australia.
Arbor Wax Night & BBQ
In tradition with the TBS, we’re ringing in this year’s race with an evening of hot wax, and BBQ’ing at ESS Boardstore, Jindabyne. It’s the sort of sud-sucking, fluorocarbon-dripping, overly-sauced-snag social event that settles the nerves. Free wax, free Pirate Life beer and a free feed thanks to Arbor – you’ll be feeling like snowboard royalty. Mingle among fellow disciples of speed, or stand over in the corner and get vibey, everyone is welcome. The TBS is as much a social gathering as it is a snowboard spectacle. Come one, come all.
The Course
While last year’s TBS was held in Thredbo’s High Noon, this year, with snow permitting – we’ll be back over in Crusier’s Playground area – a natural banked location for this sort of hip-swinging snowboarding. We can’t disclose the specifics of the course, but the build will no doubt be a testament to the incredible efforts of Thredbo’s Park crew, alongside the ambitious ideas of Transfer. For those partaking in the heckling, there’ll be plenty of track-side vantage points to cut sick upon.
Prizes and Freebies
Partnering with this year’s Transfer Banked Slalom are Arbor Snowboards, The North Face, Pirate Life Brewing, Yeti, GoPro and G-Shock. You can bet you’re bottom dollar that the bounty for podium placers will be top-notch. Keep your eyes on the Transfer socials, as this loot will be released leading up to the event. It’ll be premium, baby.
Every competitor will get an official Transfer Banked Slalom Tee, following their final run. Along with opportunities to pick-up a little something-something here and there throughout the day. Long-live the product toss!
Presentation and Afterparty
Following the final race runs, will be the official Pirate Life presentation and after-party. Tossing cheese-wheel and apres antics to the wind, we boarders will be bending-elbows and boisterously celebrating our race winners while wrapping lips around cold-cans of Pirate Life. This will be all happening from 3pm, on the deck at Merrits Mountain House.
Theme
Although the origins of dressing-up for the Transfer banked Slalom is unconfirmed, we’re all for it. In fact we’ll be giving the spirit award to the boarder who embodies this year’s event. Now, just like the iconic 90s streetwear acronym, SMP brand – this year’s ‘X’ theme could represent any one thing. All we know is that we’ll be X-ing up. Stare into the artwork long enough and your answers will be realised.
What to do between now and then.
The lifts are spinning, so let the heel-toe rehearsal happen. Make every turn count in anticipation for this year’s Torment of Turns. Make arrangements with your local wax chemist, run up a flights of stairs and tell your best boarding buddy how much quicker you’ll be than them this year. Let the countdown to the tournament of turns officially begin.
See you on race day.
