The countdown is ON and the O’Neill Evolution 2013 is ready for blast off as the world’s best male and female riders prepare to head to the Jakobshorn in Davos, Switzerland from January 14-19, 2013.

This progression-fueled, maximum rated World Snowboard Tour contest has been pushed back a dozen days in the contest calendar to guarantee even better snow conditions, and an even bigger kicker and obstacles. And that’s music to the ears of the 15,000 spectators expected to attend the event.

The 6-star Big Air event will see the return of Seb Toots among dozens of other leading riders. As a former O’Neill Evolution Big Air Champion, Toots knows what it takes to win in Davos, and will be looking to recapture the crown he lost last year. But with world-class talent peppering the field, including the likes of compatriot Antoine Truchon, it won’t be an easy ride to the podium. And as the only Big Air event on tour with open qualifications, who’s to say the O’Neill Evolution won’t shine a spotlight on the next big name in snowboarding? Although chances are our next champion will have to have triple corks on lock.

The O’Neill Evolution will also bring the city to the slopes with a heavily street-inspired rail set up located at the foot of the men’s and women’s Big Air course. Taking inspiration from the world of street skating, the set up of rails and transfers offers up tons of possibilities, and will no doubt feed and test the imagination of every rider present.

The 5-star men’s and women’s Halfpipe contests will be back after last year’s hiatus due to challenging snow conditions, and you can be sure Davos will continue its long-standing tradition of showcasing some of the best pipe riding in Europe.