Tobias Huber

The countdown for the OPEN FACES 3* FWQ on the Stubai Glacier has begun. On February 23rd at the first 3-star qualifier on the Stubai Glacier, well-known names from the Austrian freeride scene have announced their participation: from Flo Orley and Max Zipser to Simon Wohlgenannt and Martin Rofner to Lorraine Huber and Angelika Kaufmann. After a break of several weeks, the Open Faces series is back and the higher-class 3* events are now all about overall victory.

Team Europe has done it: thanks to a masterful performance on the backcountry slopestyle course, the Europeans have reclaimed the SWATCH SKIERS CUP trophy from the defending champions Team Americas. They won with 10:6 points. Having already won the big mountain freeride contest, Team Europe was crowned the new champions of the event with a final score of 21:11!

At ISPO, all manufacturers let their innovation cats out of the bag. Read about the new products in the Splitboards & Miscellaneous section.

At ISPO, all manufacturers let their innovation cats out of the bag. Read about the new products in the ski sector.

The riders from Team Europe and Team America have already battled it out twice at the SWATCH SKIERS CUP in Valle Nevado, Chile. After losing at the premiere in 2011, Team Americas was able to equalize in September 2012: The duel between the continents is now tied 1:1. This starting position now heightens the tension ahead of the third edition of this event, as one of the teams is sure to take the lead when the SWATCH SKIERS CUP makes its first appearance in the northern hemisphere: From February 10 to 15, 2013, the freeskiers will meet again in Zermatt (CH)!

Due to fresh snow and expected poor visibility as well as high avalanche danger, the OPEN FACES 2* Freeride World Qualifier in Kappl has been postponed to March 15-17, 2013.

The Open Faces make a stop in Salzburger Land: While it was still overcast the day before, the Aberg in Maria Alm showed its best side on Saturday, 26 January, and gave the 74 starters at the OPEN FACES *FWQ Hochkönig a warm welcome. Hosting a Freeride World Qualifier for the first time, the Hochkönig ski region more than did justice to a 1-star event. Creative lines and clean jumps were required to win points from the judges. Ferdinand Winter (ski/AUT), Johanna Obermoser (ski/AUT), Niklas Hollsten (snowboard/FIN) and Jenny Farrah (snowboard/USA) knew how to get the best out of the face and won in their respective categories.

A successful start for the Open Faces series in the Axamer Lizum! On 12.01.2013 the time had come: the first stop of the Open Faces Tour took place in the Axamer Lizum, near the Alpine metropolis of Innsbruck. 77 riders in the men's and women's ski and snowboard categories were at the start and went on the hunt for points at this 2* Freeride World Qualifier event!

The FREERIDE WORLD TOUR kicked off with wins for the favorites in all four disciplines. In first-class conditions in Revelstoke (B.C.), Canada, Drew Tabke (USA) and Christine Hargin (SWE) won the skiers' event, while Ralph Backstrom (USA) and Shannan Yates (USA) won the snowboarders' event.

Hagrin, Yates, Tabke and Backstrom win the first tour stop of the 2013 Freeride World Tour in Revelstoke!

After the weather in Revelstoke made it impossible to hold the first Freeride World Tour stop in 2013 at the planned time, the "Radikal Mountain" Freeride World Tour Qualifier in the French ski resort of La Clusaz will possibly be the first event in 2013 to compete for FWT points at the highest level!

Premiere for the newly launched Open Faces Freeride Series! The first tour stop will take place next weekend in the Axamer Lizum.