O’Neill is proud to announce the signing of Finnish freestyle snowboarder Janne Korpi to its European team of riders. The 20 year old ripper has spent the last two seasons cementing his reputation as one Finland’s best up-and-coming freestyle snowboarders, and announced his arrival on the global stage with an appearance in the halfpipe event at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.

A 1st place finish in the 5 star Nescafé Snowboard Championships in Leysin and a podium place in the slopestyle event at the 2006 Burton European Open in Laax put him firmly on the path to his 7th place finish in the 2005/06 Ticket to Ride ranking list. With last season’s performances earning him automatic qualification to all 6 star events on the 2006/07 TTR world tour, Janne is looking to make an even bigger impression on the competitive scene now that he has the world’s most prestigious snowboarding events in which to showcase his talent.

O’Neill team manager Franck Corbery couldn’t be happier with the latest addition to what is already one of Europe’s strongest snowboarding teams, adding:

"O’Neill has supported the TTR from the very start, and the tour’s growth year-on-year demanded the presence of a rider with a proven track record on the TTR tour itself. The 2006 ranking list highlights Janne’s position as one of snowboarding’s next big things, and we’re stoked to have him on board – his determination to push snowboarding’s progression is second-to-none, and his passion for the sport fits right in with the rest of the team.”

Armed with one of the biggest bag of tricks in the game, Janne also has his sights set on exploring the backcountry and shooting plenty of photos with compatriot and fellow O’Neill European teamrider Anssi Manninen. With so many things on his to-do list for the upcoming season, you can bet your bottom dollar that you’ll be hearing plenty more about Janne Korpi.