Some of the best freeride athletes in the world will assemble in the Catalan Pyrenees in mid-January to kick off the 2026 edition of the Freeride World Tour. The world-renowned freeride competition will feature six different stops including a return to Haines, Alaska, after a nine-year hiatus.
Known as one of the best heliskiing destinations in the world, Haines features steep spines, deep powder, and faces that redefine the term big mountain. The Freeride World Tour has previously visited Haines in 2015, 2016, and 2017, but ran into unsuitable conditions, even with extended weather windows. Alaska is a freeride stage like no other, and the reintroduction of the venue this season will add an extra dose of the drama and mind-blowing skiing the Freeride World Tour is known for.
The return of a U.S. venue to the tour is accompanied by a strong showing of American athletes on the tour roster. Of the fifty athletes that will compete this year, twelve are from the U.S., with three female and four male skiers, and one female and four male snowboarders. Five of the athletes from the U.S. contingent are from the Lake Tahoe area, with Colorado, Montana, and Utah represented by the remaining seven.
Between the second and third stops on the tour, Ordino Arcalis, Andorra, will host the inaugural FIS Freeride World Championships in the days leading up to the opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics. Athletes primarily qualified based on their Freeride World Tour Ranking, with additional spots for wildcard athletes and continental quotas. Wildcard spots are typically reserved for athletes unable to qualify based on rankings because of injuries during the previous season. This was the case for 19-year-old big mountain phenom Kai Jones, who broke both of his legs in 2023. After an incredible trip to Alaska in March 2024, Jones is eager to compete on the world stage.
Though not yet an Olympic event, the Freeride World Tour has put together a fantastic series that will be sure to keep freeride skiing on our minds this Olympic year. Each event will broadcast live on the Freeride World Tour website, with replays available shortly after the conclusion of the competition.
Competition Schedule
- Baqueira Beret (January 16-21)
- Val Thorens (January 24-29)
- Inaugural FIS Freeride World Championships at Ordino Arcalis (February 1-6)
- Georgia (February 22-28)
- Fieberbrunn (March 5-10)
- Haines, Alaska (March 15-22)
- Verbier (March 28 – April 5)
