MTV is on deck with captivating, behind-the-scenes access to Canada's national snowboard team in the new original series OVER THE BOLTS, premiering Sunday, Sept. 20 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. The show, shot over 12 months, brings viewers unprecedented access to Vancouver 2010 hopefuls. With 28 riders and a maximum of 18 Olympic spots up for grabs, some feel the rush of fulfilling a life-long dream while others experience the agony of being left out in the cold. Encore presentations air Saturdays at 5:30 p.m. ET on CTV beginning Sept. 26.  The show, produced in association with Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium, uncovers the high-stress world of both athletes and coaches. Watch as they train and compete at World Cup snowboard competitions in Italy, Switzerland, the United States, and Canada for a coveted spot on Canada's Vancouver 2010 snowboard team. Viewers get an intimate look at the battle to maintain balance between competitors' personal lives and careers while coming to grips with Olympic Winter Games pressure.

OVER THE BOLTS airs on a total of nine networks within Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium and its promotional partners - MTV, CTV, TSN, TSN2, Rogers Sportsnet, OLN, OMNI, APTN, and, V, the re-branded French network TQS (dates/times TBA).  "We are extremely proud of this MTV original series," said Brad Schwartz, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Much MTV Group, CTV Inc. "The MTV audience today is optimistic, ambitious, and have the bravado and drive to reinvent the world. There is no better example of this spirit than in the quest for Olympic Games gold. OVER THE BOLTS is the very real account of the blood, sweat, tears, sacrifice, training, drama and conflict our young Canadian Olympic Games snowboard athletes go through to represent all of us and be the very best."  The athletes narrate each of the episodes which follow their journey and battle for points on the ultra-competitive World Cup circuit."
Athletes featured in the series include Jasey-Jay Anderson (alpine), Jeff Batchelor (halfpipe), Michael Lambert (alpine), Brad Martin (halfpipe), Matthew Morison (alpine), Mercedes Nicoll (halfpipe), Dominique Vallée (halfpipe), and Kimiko Zakreski (alpine), in addition to 22 other team members.

"As our athletes begin the most important season of our history, having MTV around to show the real, behind-the-scenes perspective of their training and competitive and personal lives is truly remarkable," said Christian Hrab, Director of High Performance for the Canadian Snowboard Federation, the governing body for snowboard in Canada. 
"This show is truly the first of its kind in Canada and viewers will be hooked by the compelling stories of our snowboard athletes," said Keith Pelley, President, Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium. "These Olympic Games hopefuls are fresh faces who embody the youthful spirit of the Olympic Games. Canadians can't help but root for these athletes on their quest for gold at Vancouver 2010."  The series builds off the successful one-hour documentary MTV PRESENTS: SUMMER SESSIONS. The special aired in November 2008 and followed the off-season training regimens and lifestyles of 40 Canadian snowboarders.  Episodes of OVER THE BOLTS will be available on demand at CTVOlympics.ca. Executive Producers are Don Young, Mark McInnis and Ben Rotterman. Senior Producer and Director is Tom Chenoweth.

OVER THE BOLTS is the latest in a series of original programming to air as part of the Consortium's comprehensive pre-Olympic Winter Games programming package.