ContestHappening 6 | Final part 1 FWT Yeti Alaska Haines Pro

It was early Thursday morning (12.03) when the announcement of the first Freeride World Tour event in Alaska for nine years fluttered into my PowderGuide email inbox. Initially unsure whether I could believe my tired eyes, I found out that the event was already scheduled for Friday evening Central European Time. Surprise and excitement immediately spread. On the one hand, this was a clearly premature schedule and on the other hand, the weather and snow conditions had already thwarted our plans several times this winter. I checked the weather on the PG weather map and discovered a window of 5-7 hours of sunshine with constant temperatures of around -20°C. I was really looking forward to it. Anticipation rose in me, so I decided without further ado to invite a handful of freeride enthusiasts to a pack watch with cold hop malt drinks and delicious pizza. I mean, what better way to start the weekend? We waited hoof to hoof for the first snowboarder to drop into the most massive FWT face I've ever seen as a reporter at the FWT.

As the saying goes: the last will be first. This clearly applied, in a slightly adapted interpretation, to the slope and its riders. A whole of 740 vertical meters, in a dimension and a wealth of facets that made it seem as if the last starter, Victor Hale-Woods, had been the first. Even as the last athlete, he found a completely untouched line and navigated safely through steep spines and technical sections. But let's start from the beginning and in chronological order.

Snowboard Women

The female snowboarders, who made up the smallest group with four riders, showed their respect for the Alaskan terrain in their runs. Three out of four athletes focused on safe and controlled runs with the aim of combining fun, enjoyment and safe freeriding. This was also reflected in the judges' scores, which ranged between 50 and 60 points.
Mia Jones, the star rookie from the USA and the current leader in the overall standings, had her very own ideas. She was the first to start down the slope, which was 50° steep in places, and triggered one of the larger loose snow avalanches, which slid down the entire slope next to her. Unimpressed by this, she changed her line choice and skied the first part parallel to it on a rise, which was commented on with: "steep, steep, steep, steep". A similar situation occurred in the second part of the venue, through which she navigated just as confidently.

To not only have these snowboarding skills at the age of 20, but also to keep calm, act perfectly tactically and change your line choice in such a way was described by the commentary duo as "impressive" and "like a veteran".

She made consistent use of the natural terrain, maintained an impressively high pace from top to bottom and showed slough management in a class of its own. She received 91.00 points for her courageous and confident ride, setting a strong record for the entire field of competitors.

France's Anna Martinez took second place with a controlled and deliberate descent. In the challenging Alaskan terrain, she chose a clever line and showed solid control. She skillfully used the snow conditions to her advantage, maintaining a good flow in the upper section and using the available features at a controlled pace and with confidence. Despite a small mistake in the lower part of the face, her calculated run was rewarded with 58.33 points.

Noémie Equy from France completed the podium in the women's snowboard competition in third place. She relied on a fast downhill run with a direct fall line strategy. With a lot of confidence and pressure on the board, she maintained a high speed in the upper section and kept control even in the firmer snow conditions. She received 53.33 points for her performance.

Ski Women

The women's skiers chose a significantly different tactic compared to their colleagues on one board. Most of the athletes wanted to take significantly more risks in the upper, exposed section, higher speeds and more freestyle elements. Unfortunately, this bold approach proved to be rather disastrous, at least in terms of the placings. Half of the six starters didn't get a score because the wild nature of Alaska pulled their skis out from under them.

Sybille Blanjean proved to have the best approach with her controlled tactics. The rider from Verbier showed that she clearly has the wild and steep slopes in her repertoire and put in a rock-solid run from the starting point to the finish on which she took few risks and focused on control. She was not only rewarded with a good 75.67 points and the winner of the women's skiing in Alaska, but also took the lead in the overall classification. In doing so, she displaced both Agostina Vietti from Argentina, who had been the starter of the year, and Justine Dufour-Lapointe, the dominator of recent years, who also took on the role of commentator after her run and fall.

French rookie rider Lou Barin reached the podium again and took second place. She opened her run with a strong air from Cornice and then attacked several features in the upper section of the terrain. Although a fall shortly before the end affected her score, her impressive run was rewarded with 72.67 points. Courage paid off here at least once.

Rookie Zoé Delzoppo (FRA) completed the podium in third place. She opted for a clever line choice, performed several impressive airs and carefully controlled her speed in the steep terrain. Despite a fall in the lower part of the face, she scored 58.67 points.

What happens now?

After the spectacular first part of the FWT Finals on the legendary Spines Alaska, the riders are now focusing on the big season finale: the YETI Xtreme Verbier. The last stage of the Freeride World Tour traditionally takes place on the Bec des Rosses. A face that is considered one of the most challenging slopes in all of freeride due to its extreme steepness, narrow couloirs and complex rock labyrinth. This is where the 2026 Freeride World Tour Champions will be crowned.

The starting position ahead of the final could hardly be more exciting. The battle for overall victory is still completely open in several categories. After his strong performance in Alaska, Frenchman Victor De Le Rue is currently leading the overall standings in the men's snowboard category and will travel to Verbier with the Golden Bib. Hot on his heels is Swiss rider Liam Rivera, who is 25,000 points behind Victor de le Rue.

The title fight also remains exciting in the women's snowboarding category: US-American Mia Jones has taken the lead with her victory in Alaska and goes into the final as the favorite. However, both Noémi Equy and Anna Martinez from France are still within reach and would like to intervene in the title fight in Valais.

Anything is still possible in the women's ski race too. Sybille has created a small cushion here and is naturally hoping for home advantage in Verbier. Nevertheless, the riders from second to fifth place are still within striking distance, so the decision will only be made at the Bec des Rosses.

In the men's ski category, New Zealander Benjamin James Richards hands over his lead for the first time this season to Toby Rafford, who is just ahead of Ben with 800 points. The question here is whether the two will fight it out for the title in a duel or whether there could still be surprises in Verbier.

With the title within reach and the iconic face of Verbier as a stage, the best freeriders in the world will be pushing their limits one last time this season. Ready to risk everything to secure the prestigious title of Freeride World Tour Champions 2026.