17 of the world's best snowboarders will compete to own a piece of a $100,000 prize purse as Anthrax performs and other soon to be announced music acts, giving the crowd a show they'll never forget.

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  Shaun White

  Shaun White has transcended the snowboard game: bringing the sport to the masses becoming a globally acknowledged top athlete. Yeah, he's that famous. Through his historic "perfect season" in '06 where he dominated every snowboard event he entered, culminating in an Olympic gold at Torino - White has grown larger than life. Through uncanny athleticism and an unyielding competitive will, he's redefined what fame and fortune mean to the snowboard community. The scope of his influence has clearly broken through the ceiling of snowboard mags and movie parts. A Rolling Stone cover alumni and world-renowned vertical skateboard champ, Shaun is a true action-sport icon and bona fide celebrity rolled into one. Surprisingly grounded for all his successes, the Lambo-driving SoCal kid has yet to let off the gas pedal, much to the chagrin of his competition.

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  Travis Rice

  Considering the craggy peaks and steeps of Jackson Hole it's no small wonder athlete Travis Rice has carved a career of charging death-defying powder gaps and shirking inevitable dangers in the most hostile backcountry conditions. The dichotomy of Travis lies is his penchant for powder and total control over all things hard packed. It's a true marvel how a boy from the powder laden steeps of Wyoming could exhibit in such a commanding and immediate mastery over the halfpipe and snowboard park - yet Travis is an X Games slopestyle gold medalist with a laundry list of wins ranging from quarter pipe victories to rail jams. With incredible competitive range, he regularly dominates big air, and even places top ten in halfpipe disciplines. When not competing or working on his own Natural Selection event, Travis is starring in, directing, and producing snowboard movies.

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  Pat Moore

  Everyone's talking about Pat Moore right now, largely in part of his recent mind-blowing role in the snowboard shred film Forum Or Against 'Em. Forget about contest invites and reflect on peer respect for a moment - if he quit today he's resoundingly earned his place amongst the sport's upper echelon. Via the medium of film, Pat has made us believers: Perfect style punctuated with much "pain" for every bit of "gain". Pat wears his heart on his sleeve as he strives to achieve. Like his personality, the film is an honest effort that's paid off in spades. He punishes his body striving for next level stunts of the highest caliber on the streets of Quebec to the powdery steeps of British Columbia. TransWorld Snowboarding Magazine was so smitten with the performance, he's a 2009 Riders' Poll Best Video Part Of The Year nominee. A New Hampshire native and graduate of the famed Waterville Academy's Snow Program, he's also an experienced competitor with podiums at numerous Superpipe, slopestyle, and handrail events.

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  Eero Ettala

  When you're widely regarded as one of the most progressive riders ever to come out of Finland - you're a dead-serious technician! Bred on the hard packed slopes of tiny Talma Resort, Eero Ettala is a master of all things snow - be it park riding or 30-stair street rail. Lest you take him for a cupcake, bear in mind he routinely throws 1080's over 70-plus-foot gaps. He made a splash in Europe early on, eventually before making waves in the States though photo and film. Now a veteran of several standout Mack Dawg movie parts, he's made his presence known in the U.S. Though not recognized as a career competitor he has several international big air wins.

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  Dustin Craven

  A throw back to the days of old, dark horse Dustin Craven isn't scared to stay out late night and get up early - if need be. The Calgary Canadian bad boy likes to stir things up, and on the hill he's a competitive menace. Often looked past or straight over, he's usually the spoiler at any event - brimming over with raw skill and talent. In the pipe he displays a mish-mass of the old and new - square spins combine with renaissance era super tweaks. In slopestyle and big air, watch out, 'cause Craven has a big brass sack full of ultra difficult switch tricks. This super talent recently claimed his first U.S. cover shot on TransWorld Snowboarding Magazine's October issue as well as a surprise banger part in the TWS' film These Days.

• Kevin Pearce

  Quite simply, Kevin Pearce is a leader amongst a new generation of all-terrain competitors. Forget the days of when pros specialized in halfpipe, slopestyle, or handrails. Nope, Kevin and his "Frends" have elevated current competition to a new level, as true gamers in any and every discipline. The proof is in the pudding and this east coaster makes the podium at just about every event he enters, including an amazing medal in slopestyle, Superpipe, and big air at the 2008 X Games. Kevin is a two-time Arctic Challenge victor and an Air & Style winner as well. If all this competitive greatness wasn't enough, young Kevin has a clean, truly eye-pleasing style of his own in the air.

• Mikkel Bang

  Norwegian prodigy Mikkel Bang has been considered the "next big thing" since he was little. There's nothing little about this guy anymore, however. As a long and rangy 6'2" teen, Mikkel has finally graduated from high school and become free to travel, film and compete at his leisure. A junior Air & Style champion, then on the podium in the Men's division, Mikkel is poised to make noise this year. Surely an exception to the rule, Mikkel is the rare breed of XL rider with exemplary style. The guy makes real tall look real good. A young contest veteran with all the progressive moves you'd expect from a Scandinavian, he is also quite comfortable "going big" thanks to a youth spent rotating high above Hemsedal's infamous monster kickers.

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  Terje Haakonsen

  Addressing Terje Haakonsen as anything less than "Living Legend" would be downright disrespectful, but let's dispel the notion his best days are behind him. A world halfpipe champion as a teen, Terje has been on top of the heap for decades now. And he continues to break new ground. Busting the world quarterpipe record wide open at 32 feet - with a backside 360 even - proved the point handily in 2007! An early freestyle innovator as well as an icon of style, his Method airs are world-renowned as is his signature Haakon Flip. More than an athlete, Terje is molding aspects of the sport in his likeness through his rider judged event, The Arctic Challenge. At Burton, Terje serves as the ultimate gatekeeper leading the kids by example. He's the consummate professional who's older and wiser, stylish in the park and a legendary backcountry rider. And however impossible, he still wields a skill-set more complete than the guys he mentors. A magician of transition and author of Proper Style, perhaps Terje will open another chapter in, something like "Schooling The Kids At An Urban Event."

• Danny Davis

  Danny Davis arrived at the 2005 US Open, a young unknown rider from Michigan, and left as a standout with an Outstanding Rookie award to his credit. He then joined the U.S. Snowboarding Team and hasn't slowed down since. Falling just shy of the Olympic team in 2006, Danny turned pro and stepped on the gas - winning the US Open quarterpipe event. Over the last couple years he has evolved into a live "triple threat" standing on the podium at top-tier superpipe, quarterpipe, and slopestyle contests. With a wealth of style, and technical prowess, Danny is a charismatic competitive force to be reckoned with in any competitive format.

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  Kazuhiro Kakubo

  A member of the Japanese Olympic crew in 2006, Kazu Kakubo first blew up as one of the best riders out of Japan. Since then he's progressed to become known as a top halfpipe rider. With massive McTwist's in the pipe and a slew of 1080's, inverts and technical shenanigans to go with it, his skill set is dead serious. Not to be labeled a one trick pony, Kazu has also demonstrated fearlessness in Norway with corked spins spanning the notoriously-large Hemsedal kickers. With career highlights including 2nd place in both slopestyle and halfpipe at last year's Nippon Open, he's a proven dynamo at any contest.

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  Scotty Lago

  True to form, New Hampshire native Scotty Lago loves to bow hunt and fish when he's not shredding. Upset minded on the hill, he's always hunting for that "W" - halfpipe or slopestyle, Scotty has a sweet lanky style and the tools to win it. In the pipe, Lago goes absolutely huge with a style that's always on point, hence his X-Games medal in Superpipe. Equally formidable on the QP, he's amassed seconds at both the Air and Style quarterpipe, King of Quarters in Aspen, and is also a former World Quarterpipe Champion. Lago balances competition with solid photo and film work, including a TransWorld Snowboarding Magazine cover and a starring role in Grenade's newest, The Boned Age.

• Andreas Wiig

  Over the last five years Norway's Andreas Wiig has firmly established himself as a true icon of the sport. From X Games gold to groundbreaking moves on film - including Wiig's death-defying backside rodeo off a four-story cliff - he's the man amongst boys. With a physical and mental toughness that can only be described as, well, Norwegian, Wiig once accidentally snapped a guys limb while arm wrestling! His consistent competitive beat down's on snow however, are measured and cold hearted - he takes 'em out with dizzying spins, seamless style and robot-like consistency.

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  Torstein Horgmo

  Norway's Torstein Horgmo is a competitor's worst nightmare - hardened on the European circuit as a youth, nobody has more will to win than Torstein. With a one-track mind, hell bent on victory, and an arsenal of tricks that are literally head spinning - including switch 1080's and 1260's - Torstein is usually unstoppable. Solidifying his position at the top of the field, Torstein won the last X Games 13 big air convincingly. He also surprised everyone with movie parts in both Aesthetica, by Standard Films, and I Ride Park City.

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  Jake Blauvelt

  At first glance it might seem peculiar to see Jake Blauvelt on the roster for a kicker contest in New York. After all this young style master has carved a living and identity out of freestyle free ride segments of the highest caliber in movie's like That or Forum Or Against 'Em. Free riding it seems is so much his passion that Jake literally spends the winter buried in the Northwest - holed up at Mt. Baker. Although his main focus is filming nowadays, Jake's roots do lie in east coast competition. A native of Vermont, Jake's initial big breakouts were wins at the US Open slopestyle and Best Trick at the Abominable Snow Jam quarterpipe event. And just like riding a bike, Jake can send it on the hard pack - sailing effortless corked maneuvers sky high.

• Greg Bretz

  Undoubtedly the young gun, Greg Bretz started shredding at just five. Last year served as his official coming out party as he landed podium finishes and wins on the World Cup and Grand Prix circuit securing a spot on the U.S. Snowboarding team. A young Forum rider on the come up, Bretz handled himself with aplomb at Snowboarder Magazine's Superpark - launching huge rotations over the transfer gap. A pipe specialist, Bretz, like most of the younger generation, is equally adept at big air and slopestyle.

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  Bjorn Leines

  Bjorn Leines came up in the Midwest honing his craft in the flats of Minnesota's small parks and pipes. A Leines family move to the west quickly established Bjorn and his brother Erik as Snowbird locals. Big mountain power and rudiments in the park created a monster. Bjorn would soon become a member of the vaunted Forum 8 - a crew of riders who literally redefined freestyle snowboarding in the 90s. Leines is widely recognized for pushing the sport in every discipline, from early Red Bull Heavy Metal rail contest wins to futuristic moves in the backcountry.

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  JJ Thomas

  An Olympic bronze medalist at the famous U.S. "three peat" in Park City, Colorado's golden boy JJ Thomas remains relevant and reliable amongst the competitive circuit's best. A shift in focus has seen his skills move beyond the walls of the Superpipe, and translate to starring roles in major snowboard film productions. Shredding the powder with timeless style, winning a big air event, and even placing fifth in a rail jam - JJ continues to progress personally and professionally. A seasoned veteran with more experience than most anyone, JJ has a remarkably long, diverse, play list to draw and execute from.