A little bit later than expected it's time for the raceboarders to finally kick off things on the FIS Alpine Snowboard World Cup tour. Carezza, Italy will host the season's opening Parallel Giant Slalom (single run format) on the Pra di Tori slope on December 16th, 2014, being the prelude to an action packed racing week.

As another Parallel Slalom (single run format) as well as the first ever Team Parallel Event will be staged in Montafon, Austria on the Seebliga/Hochjoch (Dec 18th and 19th) a total of three events of the Alpine Snowboard World Cup will take place within only four days.

With all nations having confirmed to be able to adjust their travel itineraries to the new calendar – Montafon had been added last week – the world's best athletes will compete for the first points in the race for the Crystal Globes.

Olympic PGS Champion Patrizia Kummer (SUI) is willing to defend her three titles (Parallel Slalom, Parallel Giant Slalom as well as Alpine Snowboard Overall) on the women's side while Lukas Mathies (AUT, PGS, PAR) as well as Sylvain Dufour (FRA, PSL) hope for another successful season, too.

Besides the reigning World Cup title holders all riders who podiumed at the Sochi Olympic Winter Games will go for Gold in Carezza and Montafon.

PSL Olympic Champion Julia Dujmovits (AUT) will try to capitalize on the home turf advantage while two-time Olympic Champion Vic Wild (RUS) and his wife Alena Zavarzina (RUS, Bronze PGS) are also keen to enter a new season.

The entry list also features the likes of Anke Karstens (GER, Silver PSL), Amelie Kober (GER, Bronze PSL), Tomoka Takeuchi (JPN, PGS) as well as Nevin Galmarini (SUI, Silver PGS), Benjamin Karl (AUT, Bronze PSL) and Zan Kosir (SLO, Bronze PGS, Silver PSL).