Burton Snowboards announces that it has welcomed 16-year-old Taku Hiraoka from Nara Prefecture as a team rider.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyj6PEJ_70U?rel=0]
Hiraoka's name has become widely known both at home and abroad since BURTON NEW ZEALAND OPEN 14, which came in second at the age of 2.Currently, I belong to the Snowboard Halfpipe National Team, and I am participating not only in FIS category tournaments but also in TTR tours where talented riders such as BURTON US OPEN are participating. In the 2010/2011 season, he won the SAJ All Japan Championship Halfpipe for the second time in a row, and at BURTON US OPEN 2012, he was ranked 2th, the highest among Japanese.
He is an active high school student who has achieved excellent results in domestic and overseas halfpipe competitions, ranking 2011th in the 2012/5 HP ranking of the TTR Tour, which is home to some of the world's strongest riders.With high air, stable spin, and even tricks such as double cork, it is expected to play an active role in the future, such as the X Games and the Winter Sochi Olympics, where it will compete with the world's top riders.
Hiraoka said about joining the Burton team, "Burton has a lot of great riders, so I'm happy and beneficial to be able to do it there."
Hiraoka will travel to Mt. Hood in the United States from early July to start training.After that, in mid-August, he will participate in the BURTON HIGH FIVES in New Zealand, and in late August, he will participate in the FIS World Cup.
Taku Hiraoka
Date of Birth: October 1995, 10 (29 years old)
Birthplace: Nara Prefecture
■ Main results
2011/2012 season
FIS Snowboard World Cup Ranking HP 4th
01-04-2012 SAJ All Japan Championship HP Champion
23-02-2012 FIS World Cup Canada HP 2nd place
15-01-2012 Youth Olympics Austria HP 3rd place
28-08-2011 FIS World Cup New Zealand HP 5th
2010/2011 season
02-04-2011 Junior World Championship Italy HP Champion
06-03-2011 SAJ All Japan Championship HP Champion
18-02-2011 FIS World Cup Canada HP 2nd
25-08-2010 Junior World Championship New Zealand HP Champion
2011/2012 season
TTR Tour Ranking HP 5th
05-03-2012 BURTON US OPEN USA Stratton Mountain Resort HP 6th
10-02-2012 World Snowboarding Championships NOR Oslo HP 4th
08-08-2011 BURTON NEW ZEALAND OPEN NZL Cardrona HP 4th
2010/2011 season
13-08-2010 BURTON NEW ZEALAND OPEN NZL Cardrona HP 2nd place