Tobias Huber

After we were able to try out the Hoji Pro for you last season, Dynafit provided us with the new Hoji Free for testing this year. The "Free" can also refer to the freedom in the choice of bindings, because unlike the "Pro" model, the boot fits into all standard touring and hybrid bindings thanks to its normal beak at the front.

This season's fifth ContestHappening is all about the 4* FWQ in Montafon, we also look back at the Youngstars Challenge in Oberstdorf and forward to the 1* FWQ on Hochfelln and the upcoming FWT stop in Andorra.

Good snow conditions and solid riding performances were on show at the replay of the FWT contest on Sunday evening. At the second tour stop of the FWT 2020 in Kicking Horse, Golden, BC, Jessica Hotter (NZL), Marion Haerty (FRA), Kristofer Turdell (SWE) and Jonathan Penfield (USA) were crowned winners.

The third ContestHappening of the season is about the Freeride Junior World Championships in Kappl, the FWQs in Engadin and Les Arcs, as well as a new season wildcard for the FWT and two more wildcards for the Kicking Horse stop.

There are a few new developments in the ski sector that should be of interest to PowderGuide readers. In addition to a few new touring models, most companies have tidied up their freeride portfolios. Roughly summarized, most of the new top models come in medium widths around 105mm, with Titanal for lift-assisted skiing, as well as without Titanal and in similar, lighter versions as touring models.

Hedvig Wessel (NOR), Marion Haerty (FRA), Drew Tabke (USA) and Victor De Le Rue (FRA) are the winners of the first tour stop of the Freeride World Tour 2020 in Hakuba, Japan. Elias Elhardt from Oberstaufen took third place in the snowboarder category, while Tao Kreibich (AUT) and Konstantin Ottner (GER) were unfortunately unable to score points on their debut.

Here we go again! The Freeride World Tour 2020 starts next weekend in Hakuba, Japan. The qualifier season has already started, after a few contests in France and French-speaking Switzerland, the German-speaking countries have now also kicked off the season with the 3*FWQ/2*FJT in Kappl.

In addition to the Candide Thovex Pro models, Faction also has a second backcountry/freeski line in its range - the Prodigy series. We extensively tested the widest model, the Prodigy 4.0, last winter. Find out what makes this ski so special and what you can use a freestyle-oriented twin tip with a 112 mm waist width for here in the test.

In the last ContestHappening for this season, we take a brief look at the last major 4* FWQ event in the Alps, which unfortunately had to be canceled after three starters. With the FWQ season coming to an end, almost all participants for next season's FWT have already been confirmed.

Freeride World Tour: Marion Haerty, Arianna Tricomi, Markus Eder and Victor De Le Rue crowned Tour winners! Elisabeth Gerritzen, Marion Haerty, Wadeck Gorak and Jonathan Penfield took the day's victory at the Xtreme Verbier.

Victories for Jaclyn Paaso (USA) and Léo Slemett (FRA) among the skiers and Marion Haerty (FRA) and Blake Hamm (USA) among the snowboarders. Marion Haerty (FRA) is already the world champion for sure, Markus Eder and Victor De Le Rue also have a comfortable lead, while the women's skiing remains exciting.

The FWT stop at the Wildseeloder in Fieberbrunn will take place this weekend and Andorra is just around the corner. After that, the FWT will soon be looking towards the final in Verbier! While we wait for the big contests, PG colleague Lukas Zögernitz spoke to FWT judge Dion Newport.