Pascal Schindler

The weather is going crazy and leeward cyclone Anett has caused chaos in many regions with large amounts of precipitation (a more detailed analysis in weather blog #1 2024/25). It brought an early onset of winter to the Alps at higher altitudes and even below 1500 metres. Even if the beloved snow is just melting again, the start of winter cannot be stopped. Here is an overview of the ski resorts that are the first to open.

At the first stop of the finals, I had the opportunity to accompany the Freeride World Tour in Fieberbrunn and not only see the surface of a contest, but also get to know the people behind it. The entire organisational team, all the riders and some of the support staff spend the week of the weather window together in the hotel. The team does a lot of work and discusses details of the competition late into the evening. The dinners with the riders and staff have shown me that there is a very friendly relationship between the participants and the organisers.

At the fourth stop of the Freeride World Tour, riders can expect the face of the Wildseeloder in difficult snow conditions. The expected 20 cm of fresh snow overnight turns into 1 cm and the slope is frozen, especially at lower altitudes, due to the previous period of warm weather. On the day of the competition, however, the sun shone brightly and spurred on all participants. Victor De Le Rue, once again in first place, secured the title in the men's snowboard category. Canadian Erin Sauve came out on top in the women's category. Frenchwoman Astrid Cheylus and New Zealander Ben Richards came first on skis.

The third stop of the FWT takes place in Georgia for the first time. The country is no longer a freeride insider tip and it's obvious why. It's the day of the cut, which will decide who gets to compete in the finals in Fieberbrunn and Verbier. The north-north-west facing face of Peak Kakhiani awaited the athletes with perfect visibility, bluebird day and powder snow. The spectacle begins with the snowboard category, where the leading Victor De Le Rue (FRA) and Spain's Núria Castán Barón take victory. On skis, Switzerland's Sybille Blanjean and Canada's Marcus Goguen win.