Last weekend saw the third-to-last competition in the Open Faces Series: the Silvretta Montafon ski resort hosted the premiere of a 3* Freeride World Qualifier event. As the points at the end of the season are becoming increasingly coveted - after all, it's also about the overall victory of the Austrian Freeride Series - it was no wonder that many top riders had announced their attendance. In addition to the usual suspects, World Tour rider Neil Williman and local Fabio Studer, who returned from Canada just in time, were also at the start.
Starting position
On Friday, we set off in a westerly direction. We arrived at the Silvretta Bergbahnen around midday at a summery 16 degrees plus. There was hardly a trace of winter left in the valley, which made it all the less surprising when we heard that the originally planned contest face on the "Hochjoch" was too exposed to the sun and unfortunately could no longer be skied. With the eastern slope of the Zamangspitze, however, the organizers had a great plan B.
On arrival at the top, we still found sufficiently good snow conditions, which meant that the replacement face was also a worthy location for a 3* qualifier. The only thing we were a little worried about was the weather forecast: for Saturday, only a short window of sunshine was expected until early afternoon.
The same was confirmed at the riders' meeting in the evening, so we had to get up early to start the contest at 9:30 am as planned. After the usual information, the organization ensured a very good atmosphere thanks to a buffet and drinks and the riders enjoyed a nice evening.
It's on!
On Saturday morning, the weather was already slightly cloudy from the start, which led many to believe that the contest could be tight. However, the weather remained stable until the end. Fabi Lentsch had the honor of being the first to pull his line through the face with the 'golden bib' and starting number one. He managed this with his usual aplomb, a small mistake in the lower part of the face meant he only just missed out on the podium, too bad!
Swede Olle Regné Eriksson secured third place with a very fast run and a wide 360 in the lower section, showing a good mix of freestyle and technique. He was also rewarded with the 'Best Trick' as Style King.
Local Simon Wohlgenannt deservedly celebrated second place - with a clean, flowing run with several cliff drops and a small 360, he showed the judges what they wanted to see.
However, Westendorf's Stefan Jöchl was once again at the top. He knew how to handle the terrain best and was able to impress the most with his creative line. With his victory in the Silvretta Montafon, Stefan now also takes over the golden jersey of the Austrian Freeride Series.
The snowboard starting field was also very well filled and the numerous spectators were treated to a great show. However, the old hand Flo Orley quickly made it clear where the hammer was hanging and secured first place with a high-speed double-cliff at the start and two more good jumps. As a result, he was also able to clearly extend his lead in the Austrian Freeride Series.
Patrik Faistenauer came second and Matthias Zauner third, making it an all-Austrian podium.
The Austrian snowboarders were also very successful. Manuela Mandl impressed with a flowing run with fine cliffs and won ahead of Liz Kristoferitsch and Siobhan Challis.
In the women's ski category there was a more international podium. After a Swedish double victory by Caroline Strömberg ahead of Tove Kockum, the Italian Valeria Apostolo completed the podium.
Conclusion
Although luck was not on our side, it was a very good time for us in Montafon. Congratulations to the organization: the premiere of the event was a real success and we will definitely be back next year.
