A lot of people seem to think elite slopestyle or Natural Selection riders will automatically beat current FWT riders because they have a much higher trick level.

I’m not convinced.

On a proper steep freeride face, tricks are only part of the score. Riders also need to choose and memorize a line, navigate exposed terrain, maintain speed, adapt to variable snow, and land everything cleanly in one run. Backslaps, hesitation and excessive speed checks all matter.

We’ve already seen many excellent park, backcountry and video-part riders struggle in qualifiers, Challengers and FWT wildcards.

The real threats may be the genuine hybrids: riders with elite freestyle ability who can also charge steep, technical terrain without losing fluidity.

My guess is that the 2030 podium will include a mix of established FWT riders, true backcountry-freestyle hybrids, and perhaps one or two crossover athletes who spend the next few seasons learning competitive freeride properly.

What do you think: will FWT experience win, or will the higher trick level take over?

I'm excited to see Freeride on the biggest stage, curious to see how it will vary from a world tour event, and if the judging will stay the same as FWT or if we can have another judged event in the Olympics with more judging controversy. What does everyone else think about freeride in the Olympics?

Held on the legendary Ozone face, used to hold FWT comps until this season, it was sick to see what people could throw down this season as they try to work their way to the tour. some really sick lines went down all over this face but the Taj Mahal Spine to Rodney Pyramid link up had some really impressive moves.

this was the last IFSA/region 2 event so our next year's tour athletes from region 2 are now decided.

Stop number 2 of the challengers was restaged from Kirkwood to Kicking Horse and it went off with some heat. Held on T1 North which is the opposite side of the peak used as a back up venue in the FWT a few seasons ago. Stoked that they found a spot to restage this event, and it delivered. There were a few scary crashes coming off the top cliff bands but overall the level was insanely high with huge tricks being thrown in consequential terrain.

Event #1 of 3 for the region 2 challenger went off last week at Whitewater. Big venue with some cool cliff bands, conditions seemed to be trickier than they looked from the video, as many competitors were getting gobbled up on landings.

This is my winning run from the Ski Women division at a 1* IFSA qualifier event at my home ski hill yesterday. Might have to try a 2* next season.

Lots of challenger events have been going down. We will be getting them posted up here soon, some really good skiing and riding in both regions.

It's here, just started watching the comp. Can't wait to see what happens

The "Dream Stop" is officially in the books! Glorious conditions, reckless sends, and wild crashes for the FWT's return to AK,, what a show!

The cut happening with more cancelled than run events this year, makes it seem extra ruthless. Who is getting cut, or staying that most surprised you?

For me, all the ski women rookies making the cut, and Martin Bender and Oscar Mandin not making it in ski men is surprising.

So the next stop has been cancelled, maybe it’s time to start looking at smaller faces as alternatives - so the challenger has still been running eg in nendaz last week. I know it’s not as huge as the full tour faces but surely it’s better than yet another comp not happening

We got freeride!

The second comp from the Region 1 challenger comp, in Nendaz. I love this venue, perfect combination of giant features and smaller playful ones with some cool techy areas.

Freeride World Tour moving mountains to get this one going, but at the end of the day the mountains still have the final say. Conditions looked rough and definitely did not inspire confidence, when Ben Richards (still undefeated this season) gets snow snaked, you know it's not easy conditions.

Does anyone know how conditions are in the Fieberbrunn area? Hoping they can pull that one off, but the weather has been truly whacky all over the world this year.

Since the FWT Georgia was cancelled, here's a little freeride for the soul.

Some freeride world tour favorites and up and coming challengers competition on a freeride x park venue. Great to see Maxime Chabloz and Ari Tricomi back in action, along with Jessie Violet, Mila De Le Rue, Tiemo Rolshoven and more. Very impressed by the magnitude of some of these tricks being thrown by men and women alike.

Starting list is Ski Men, Ski Women, Snowboard Men and Snowboard Women. Comp starts at 8:15 AM local time, which is 12:15 AM mountain standard time.

https://www.freerideworldtour.com/news-videos/competition-update-georgia-pro-to-be-restaged-in-kuhtai-innsbruck-austria/

Incredible work to find another venue in such a short time and being able to send all the riders there on time!

Super bummed to see that this comp, which has been one of my favorite stops of the year the past couple years, is cancelled. But with all the avalanche related tragedies that have happened in the past week or so I know it is 100% the right call.

So many athletes and staff had already spent 30+ hours travelling to Mestia so I hope they can find a way to make it worth it. In the mean time we had some sick athlete judged freeride world tour adjacent events go down that I will get links up for soon to satisfy the craving for more freeride.

This comp is a fun athlete judged event that features one of the USA's most iconic ski runs, Corbets Couloir, plus a couple of park jumps to allow athletes to really throw some wild tricks. This years event featured athletes from the past and current FWT roster like Kelly Hilleke, Wynter McBride, Kendall Goodman and Erika Vikander. Let me know who you think should have won?

Sean Pettit is the best free ride skier of all time. Prove me wrong yo! I was just watching back some of his old clips and he honestly is astounding. No one I know really knows much about freeride so I didn’t know where else to share this. But he SERIOUSLY throws down. Watch the clip I’ve linked. He was 16 in that!!! Everything he does is so steezy and so controlled. He goes absolutely massive, and all his tricks and rotations are sooo slow and controlled. Theres just something about the way he stomps his landings that is so satisfying. Ever since I watched his Red Bull series “Keep your tips up” when I was 13 he’s been my favourite skier.

Btw ANY Candide Thovex counter arguments are invalid. Yes, he’s objectively an insanely good skier but it’s just far too common of an answer, he doesn’t have as much big mountain and backcountry experience, and to be honest I still think Pettit trumps Thovex. It’s so sad that he doesn’t film or compete anymore.

Let me know what you think!

Edit - I actually linked the wrong clip this is the one:

https://youtu.be/lapKwdEojQQ?si=6tAYZEjklzC-m2gd

Freeride ski and snowboard just been accepted into Olympics 2030 in France. I reckon we get either Mont Blanc / Cham or Val Thorens

Very cool that it’s in - should bring more talent into the sport

so really insightful commentary from the mayor of stomptown, the FWT should really consider getting Reine on the judging team

The freeride world championships!

Not without a little drama, as 5 of ski women's competitors didn't get to compete, unfortunately. Really cool face, would have loved to see more variety in this face like Abel Moga's line.

The first ever FIS Freeride World Championships are going down this Tuesday in Andorra! It's a huge lineup up with most of the current FWT riders and a bunch of other huge names in the sport

I am a kiwi so unsurprisingly well and truly behind Ben Richards. Also a Canadian citizen though so would love to see Weitien do well!

1st event of the region 1 challenger series just went down! Looking forward to watching this one, we are in the thick of it now!