Industry News
The Freeride World Tour by Peak Performance got off to an excellent start over the weekend. The first stop was originally supposed to be in Spain at Baqueira Beret but unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans. The amazing FWT organizers were able to move the event at the last minute and Verbier, Switzerland, played host to the first stop of the tour.
The FWT kicked off on the Petit Bec face and the riders went bonkers! The face was covered in a stiff snowpack and got a nice dusting overnight to set up great conditions for stop one.
For the uninitiated, here is a quick overview of the FWT format. 53 riders, in four categories: men’s and women’s ski and men’s and women’s snowboard, compete over six events around the world at some of the best locations for big mountain skiing. The riders get the first four events to try to qualify for the FWT Finals. After the fourth event, the field is cut in half. The 27 remaining riders will compete in two more events where a champion in each category will be crowned at the Yeti Xtreme Verbier 2024 finale. The riders all start with a score of 50 points. The judges then increase or decrease that score based on, line difficulty, fluidity, control on their descent, air and style, and technique. Based on all the criteria they then get a score between 0-100.
Men’s Snowboard:
The Verbier Pro began with men’s snowboarding. The guys came out strong and the runs were filled with fast lines and big drops. Victor de le Rue (FRA) won the day with an aggressive run. He threw down a clean 360 followed by a fast fall-line triple. Holden Samuels (USA) grabbed second place and rookie Timm Schröder (GER) impressed with a solid third.
Women’s Snowboard:
The women snowboarders followed. Núria Castán Barón set the bar for the women. She had a couple of nice airs off of some bigger features and good speed through the run. She managed to hold the hot seat the whole time. Second place was snagged by rookie Anna Martinez (FRA) and Estelle Rizzolio (FRA) rounded the podium in third.
Women’s Ski:
The women led the skiers and this group is stacked and full of hard chargers. Zuzanna Witych (POL) threw down an absolute heater of a run from start to finish. She came out skiing aggressively and super clean. Witych made sure to ensure victory with three massive drops. Manon Loschi (FRA) took second at her very first FWT event. Third place was taken by Molly Armanino (USA).
Men’s Ski:
The ski men’s category was also super stacked. The bar was set where it was going to take more than just dropping exposure and skiing fast. To score well in the men’s division was going to take a trick or two as well. Max Hitzig (GER) claimed the win with a mega run. He skied fast and aired out right out of the gate. His run was capped off by two massive drops and ended with a huge 360. Finn Bilous (NZL) threw down a wicked run that included a giant 360 and a steezy flat spin. Kristofer Turdell (SWE) rounded out the men’s category in third.
The first stop was exhilarating. The bar was set and the stoke is high. Check out www.freerideworldtour.com to rewatch the full event and stay up to date with the latest tour news. Tune in January 31- February 6 for the Ordino ArcalÃs Pro.
