The entire OC with the brothers Jérôme and Ramon Hunziker can be proud of themselves. None of them would have thought 7 years ago that they would one day be organizing an international event of this size. "For us, the promotion is a reward for the good work we have done together in recent years," says Ramon Hunziker, explaining the system behind the classification: "In the Freeride Mountain Bike World Tour, there are Diamond League, Gold, Silver and Bronze levels. The higher the event level, the more points the riders receive for the tour and the more important our event becomes." But what exactly does the Gold level mean for the Swatch Rocket Air? "In terms of the event, the gold level doesn't change too much," says organizer Jérôme Hunziker. "We were already at a very high event level in recent years in terms of the course and the level of the riders. However, we expect that the new classification will attract even more top riders to the event
. will be interested." He also mentions the increased media attention. The level will certainly give the event a greater presence in the media, which could make the increasingly difficult search for sponsors easier.

The promotion to the FMB Gold Event will also be used as an opportunity to fine-tune a few details. Spectators can look forward to some news at the Thun ice rink. The Swatch Rocket Air OC is adapting both the course and the motto. Course builder Ramon Hunziker doesn't want to give too much away just yet. He has already spent many hours designing the new course. "It's almost impossible to build the course in a completely different way, the ice rink restricts us greatly with its design." Nevertheless, we can look forward to a few surprises again this year. This much can be revealed: The riders will have to show off their tricks in the jungle. In 2016, the theme "Into the jungle" will dominate the hall. A horde of wild monkeys can be expected to fight for golden points in the worldwide freeride circus for the FMB Worldtour.

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