The Freeride World Tour, also referred to as the FWT Pro or simply the FWT, is an annual series of events in which freeride skiers and snowboarders compete for individual event wins, as well as the overall title of Freeride World Champion in their respective genders and disciplines. The events take place on off-piste terrain – ungroomed snow on steep slopes, often featuring areas of high exposure.

Freeride World Tour
GenreFreeride skiing and snowboarding
Location(s)Europe; occasionally in North America and Asia
Inaugurated1996 (snowboard only)
2004 (ski and snowboard)
FounderSwitzerland Nicolas Hale-Woods
Current championsGermany Max Hitzig (ski men)

France Victor de le Rue (snowboard men)

Norway Hedvig Wessel (ski women)

Canada Erin Sauve (snowboard women)
Organised byInternational Ski Federation (FIS)
SponsorsPeak Performance
Websitewww.freerideworldtour.com

The Freeride World Tour was founded in 1996 as the Verbier Extreme, and was a snowboard only contest until 2004. The first event series under the Freeride World Tour name took place in 2008. For the 2013 season, the Freeride World Tour merged with the Freeskiing World Tour and The North Face Masters of Snowboarding, combining all three tours under one global championship series.[1]

A separate class of FWT Qualifier competitions provides the Tour with new rookies each season, with a small number of athletes from each division and region being selected to compete in FWT Challenger events. The top finishers after each Challenger circuit are invited to join the following season's Freeride World Tour.[2] Limited wild card spots have historically been offered to established riders.[3]

The FWT Junior circuit has had many competitions all over the world, as well as an invite-only FWT Junior World Championships held annually since 2012.

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation bought the Freeride World Tour in 2022.[4]

Tour locations

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2024 Season

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Location Dates Event Winners
Ski Men Snowboard Men Ski Women Snowboard Women
  Baquiera Beret Cancelled due to insufficient snow[5]
  Verbier[6] Jan 27 - 28   Max Hitzig   Victor de le Rue   Zuzanna Witych   Núria Castan Baron
  Ordino Arcalís Cancelled due to insufficient snow[7]
  Kicking Horse[8] Feb 14 - 20   Max Hitzig   Victor de le Rue   Astrid Cheylus   Anna Martinez
  Georgia Mar 01 - 07   Marcus Goguen   Victor de le Rue   Sybille Blanjean   Núria Castan Baron
  Fieberbrunn[9] Mar 12 - 18   Ben Richards   Victor de le Rue   Astrid Cheylus   Erin Sauve
  Verbier[10] Mar 23 - 31   Marcus Goguen   Jonathan Penfield   Hedvig Wessel   Erin Sauve
Final Rankings[11]
Place Ski Men Snowboard Men Ski Women Snowboard Women
1st   Max Hitzig   Victor de le Rue   Hedvig Wessel   Erin Sauve
2nd   Marcus Goguen   Jonathan Penfield   Astrid Cheylus   Núria Castan Baron
3rd   Ben Richards   Liam Rivera   Zuzanna Witych   Anna Martinez

2023 Season

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Location Dates Event Winners
Ski Men Snowboard Men Ski Women Snowboard Women
  Baquiera Beret[12] Jan 27 - Feb 1   Max Palm   Michael Mawn   Addison Rafford   Katie Anderson
  Ordino Arcalís[13] Feb 1   Valentin Rainer   Ludovic Guillot-Diat   Justine Dufour-Lapointe   Katie Anderson
  Kicking Horse[14] Feb 16 - 21   Max Hitzig   Liam Rivera   Megane Betend   Michaela Davis-Meehan
  Fieberbrunn[15] Mar 10 - 16   Andrew Pollard   Jonathan Penfield   Justine Dufour-Lapointe   Katie Anderson
  Verbier Cancelled due to unsafe snow conditions[16]
Final Rankings[17]
Place Ski Men Snowboard Men Ski Women Snowboard Women
1st   Valentin Rainer   Ludovic Guillot-Diat   Justine Dufour-Lapointe   Katie Anderson
2nd   Maxime Chabloz   Jonathan Penfield   Molly Armanino   Anna Orlova
3rd   Andrew Pollard   Liam Rivera   Megane Betend   Estelle Rizzolio

2022 Season

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Location Dates Event Winners
Ski Men Snowboard Men Ski Women Snowboard Women
  Baqueira Beret[18] Jan 21 - 27   Max Palm   Michael Mawn   Olivia McNeill   Erika Vikander
  Ordino Arcalís[19] Jan 29 - Feb 4   Maxime Chabloz   Blake Moller   Jessica Hotter   Tiphanie Perrotin
  Kicking Horse[20] Feb 11 - 16   Maxime Chabloz   Camille Armand   Lily Bradley   Erika Vikander
  Fieberbrunn[21] Mar 13 - 19   Carl Regnér Eriksson   Blake Moller   Jessica Hotter   Tiphanie Perrotin
  Verbier[22] Mar 25 - Apr 2   Maxime Chabloz   Blake Moller   Sybille Blanjean   Manuela Mandl
Final Rankings[23]
Place Ski Men Snowboard Men Ski Women Snowboard Women
1st   Maxime Chabloz   Blake Moller   Jessica Hotter   Tiphanie Perrotin
2nd   Carl Regnér Eriksson   Camille Armand   Hedvig Wessel   Erika Vikander
3rd   Ross Tester   Cody Bramwell   Olivia McNeill   Manuela Mandl

2008-2021

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Location 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013[24] 2014[25] 2015[26] 2016[27] 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
  Chamonix X X X X X X X X
  Courmayeur X X X
  Crested Butte X
  Fieberbrunn X X X X X X X X X X X X
  Haines X X X
  Hakuba X X X X
  Kicking Horse X X X X
  Kirkwood X X X
  Mammoth Mountain X
  Revelstoke X X X
  Røldal X
  Snowbird X
  Sochi X X X X
  Palisades Tahoe X X
  St. Moritz X
  Tignes X X
  Ordino Arcalís X X X X X X X
  Verbier X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Tour champions

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By season

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Season Men Women
Ski Snowboard Ski Snowboard
2008[28]   Henrik Windstedt   Xavier de Le Rue   Elyse Saugstad   Ruth Leisibach
2009[29]   Aurélien Ducroz   Xavier de Le Rue   Ane Enderud   Susan Mol
2010[30]   Candide Thovex   Xavier de Le Rue   Ane Enderud   Aline Bock
2011[31]   Aurélien Ducroz   Mitch Tölderer   Janette Hargin   Anne-Flore Marxer
2012[32]   Reine Barkered   Jonathan Charlet   Christine Hargin   Maria DeBari
2013[33]   Drew Tabke   Ralph Backstrom   Nadine Wallner   Élodie Mouthon
2014[34]   Loïc Collomb-Patton   Émilien Badoux   Nadine Wallner   Shannan Yates
2015[35]   George Rodney   Jonathan Charlet   Eva Walkner   Estelle Balet
2016[36]   Loïc Collomb-Patton   Sammy Luebke   Eva Walkner   Estelle Balet
2017[37]   Léo Slemett   Sammy Luebke   Lorraine Huber   Marion Haerty
2018   Kristofer Turdell   Sammy Luebke   Arianna Tricomi   Manuela Mandl
2019   Markus Eder   Victor de Le Rue   Arianna Tricomi   Marion Haerty
2020   Isaac Freeland   Nils Mindnich   Arianna Tricomi   Marion Haerty
2021   Kristofer Turdell   Victor De Le Rue   Elisabeth Gerritzen   Marion Haerty
2022[38]   Maxime Chabloz   Blake Moller   Jess Hotter   Tiphanie Perrotin
2023[39]   Valentin Rainer   Ludovic Guillot-Diat   Justine Dufour-Lapointe   Katie Anderson

By nationality (2008-2023)

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Nation Champions
  France 21
  United States 12
  Austria 8
  Sweden 6
  Switzerland 5
  Italy 4
  Canada 2
  Norway 2
  Germany 1
  New Zealand 1

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Freeride History". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  2. ^ "About Us". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  3. ^ "FWT24 Season Wildcards". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  4. ^ Rory Jones (9 December 2022). "Freeride World Tour acquired by FIS as part of plan to align all snowsport disciplines". SportsPro.
  5. ^ "Baqueira Beret Pro Competition Canceled". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  6. ^ "2024 Verbier Pro". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  7. ^ "Ordino Arcalís Pro competition canceled". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  8. ^ "2024 Kicking Horse Golden BC Pro – Events". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  9. ^ "2024 Fieberbrunn Pro – Events". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  10. ^ "2024 YETI Xtreme Verbier". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  11. ^ "Rankings". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  12. ^ "2023 Baqueira Beret Pro". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  13. ^ "2023 Ordino Arcalís Pro". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  14. ^ "2023 Kicking Horse Golden BC Pro". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  15. ^ "2023 Fieberbrunn Pro". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  16. ^ "YETI Xtreme Verbier Canceled and New World Champions Crowned I FWT Riders' Vlog Episode 21". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Rankings". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  18. ^ "2022 Baqueira Beret Pro". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  19. ^ "2022 Ordino Arcalís Pro". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  20. ^ "2022 Kicking Horse Golden BC Pro". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  21. ^ "2022 Fieberbrunn Pro". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  22. ^ "2022 Xtreme Verbier". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  23. ^ "Rankings". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  24. ^ "The Tour Presentation – Freeride World Tour". Archived from the original on 21 November 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  25. ^ "FWT 2014 Competition Schedule Announced – Freeride World Tour". Archived from the original on 10 June 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  26. ^ "ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE FULL CALENDAR 2015 – Freeride World Tour". Archived from the original on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  27. ^ "FWT 2016 – Dates unveiling | Freeride World Tour". Archived from the original on 29 October 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  28. ^ "Rankings – Freeride World Tour 2008" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  29. ^ "Rankings – Freeride World Tour 2009". Archived from the original on 13 February 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  30. ^ "Rankings – Freeride World Tour 2010". Archived from the original on 8 February 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  31. ^ "Rankings – Freeride World Tour 2011". Archived from the original on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  32. ^ "Rankings – Freeride World Tour 2012". Archived from the original on 4 July 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  33. ^ Rankings – Freeride World Tour 2013 Archived 28 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  34. ^ "Rankings – Freeride World Tour 2014". Archived from the original on 24 August 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  35. ^ Rankings – Freeride World Tour 2015
  36. ^ Rankings – Freeride World Tour 2016
  37. ^ Rankings – Freeride World Tour 2017
  38. ^ World Champions Crowned at Xtreme Verbier 2022
  39. ^ "Rankings". Freeride World Tour. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
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