For the snow and ice set, MINI has announced partnerships with Burton and Red Bull for two winter sports competition series for 2011. The first, with Burton, is an international snowboarding competition series called the Burton Global Open Series (BGOS). From the press release, “As the presenting sponsor, MINI will play a key role in the BGOS, starting with the Burton European Open (BEO) next month in Laax, Switzerland. Along with a variety of other onsite activities, MINI will provide athlete and VIP shuttle services at the BEO in the new MINI Countryman” Events are as follows: European Open: January 8-15, 2011, Laax, Switzerland Canadian Open: February 1-6, 2011, Canada Olympic Park, Calgary US Open: March 7-13, 2011, Stratton Mountain Resort, USA The second sponsor partnership is a continuation of MINI’s relationship with Red Bull, here sponsoring the Crashed Ice series, where “groups of four athletes on ice skates plunge down an ice cross downhill track some five metres wide and peppered with bumps, jumps and banked turns. This innovative and – in every sense – cool winter sports events comprises four events. The races take place on an artificial ice cross downhill track specially created for each event and extending to around 350 metres in length.” Events as follows: Red Bull Crashed Ice Germany: 15 January 2011, Munich Red Bull Crashed Netherlands: 5 February 2011, Valkenburg Red Bull Crashed Ice Russia: 26 February 2011, Moscow Red Bull Crashed Ice Canada: 19 March 2011, Quebec So if a bit of MINI-sponsored winter sports spectacle is your cup of hot cocoa, motor over to the event nearest you.