ContestHappening 5 2025/26 | Cut before Alaska and Verbier

Fieberbrunn Pro cancelled

Fieberbrunn, Austria - The planned stop of the Freeride World Tour on the legendary Wildseeloder in Fieberbrunn had to be cancelled. A combination of increased humidity and fresh new snow has changed the snowpack considerably over the past few days and ultimately triggered an avalanche that affected a large part of the slope.

Right up to the end, the organizers and safety officers hoped for stable, clear nights that would allow the snowpack to firm up again. However, this did not happen. In the past few days, the Wildseeloder and several alternative slopes in Fieberbrunn as well as other options in Tyrol have therefore been intensively examined.

Although the area around Fieberbrunn continued to offer the best conditions, none of the options examined met the requirements in terms of safety, snow quality and competition conditions that are necessary for a stop on the Freeride World Tour. As no significant improvement is expected in the coming days, the "Fieberbrunn Pro" was finally canceled.

Freeride is one of the few professional sports in which the competition does not take place on controlled facilities. It takes place on natural mountain slopes that are completely shaped by the weather and snow cover. If these conditions do not allow for a safe and fair competition, the organizers have no other choice.

With the cancellation, it is now clear that the current overall rankings will decide the cut and qualification for the Freeride World Tour final. This is extremely bitter for those riders who were unable to perform well at the two events in Spain and France in January. Such as Valentin Rainer or Lena Kohler, who had set one of her goals for the season as reaching the upcoming FWT Alaska trip.

However, the five days in Fieberbrunn were not without events. The Event Village at the valley station remained open, the Juniors competition was on the program on Saturday and there was a freeride session in the ski area together with Mammut and Nadine Wallner.

What's next?

The FIS Freeride World Tour is returning to North America: between March 15th and 22nd, 2026, the first of two finals of this year's FWT season will take place in Haines, Alaska. After a shortened season in which only two events have been held so far, the 29 qualified freeriders are particularly motivated to show off their skills at one of the most spectacular stops on the tour.

For the first time since 2017, the dramatic mountain landscape of Alaska will once again form the backdrop for a stop on the Freeride World Tour. Steep spines, wide slopes and legendary snow conditions make Haines one of the most iconic freeride locations in the world. This is the perfect stage for athletes to push themselves to the limit and collect important points in the battle for the title.

The weather window from the 15th to 22nd of March gives the organizers the necessary flexibility to determine the day of the competition depending on the snow and weather conditions and thus guarantee optimal freeride conditions for the first big final of the season. We are all very excited to see if the tour can make a stop this time, as the winter in Alaska in March is still often very stormy and rainy.

However, the shortened season has significantly changed the starting position for the finals. With only two rated stops, several established names missed the cut, while at the same time many newcomers made it to the final. A total of 15 rookies are in the finals - more than ever before - and make for an exciting duel between up-and-coming talents and seasoned tour veterans.

Ski Men

After two victories, Ben Richards travels to Alaska as the leader and is considered the man to beat. Ross Tester, Max Hitzig, Toby Rafford, Marcus Goguen and WeiTien Ho have also qualified. Surprisingly, however, some big names are not taking part: Switzerland's Martin Bender, last season's overall runner-up, missed out on the finals, as did the Austrian 2023 World Champion Valentin Rainer and Carl Regnér Eriksson from Sweden. The retirement of Kristofer Turdell (SWE) is particularly noteworthy: the two-time overall winner (2018, 2021) is missing the finals for the first time in eleven years.

Ski Women

An extremely strong field of participants is emerging here. Each of the qualified athletes has already finished on the podium this season. Defending champion Justine Dufour-Lapointe is once again in the final, but this time without the leader's jersey. The strong rookie generation is striking: four of the six finalists are contesting their first FWT Pro season: Agostina Vietti, Zoé Delzoppo, Wynter McBride and Lou Barin. At the same time, several favorites missed the cut, including the reigning FIS Freeride World Champion Zuzanna Witych, the 2025 Xtreme Verbier winner Jenna Keller, Astrid Cheylus and the young German rider Lena Kohler.

Snowboard Men

Experience and new names meet in the field. Victor de Le Rue and Liam Rivera lead the rankings after their wins this season, closely followed by Enzo Nilo. The final field is completed by rookies Sacha Balicco, Shayne Blue Sandblom and César Barin. Injuries have also left their mark on the category, with Cody Bramwell, winner of Xtreme Verbier 2025, and two-time Verbier champion Jonathan Penfield among those missing.

Snowboard Women

The title race remains completely open ahead of the finals. Mia Jones is currently leading the overall standings, closely followed by Anna Martinez, who has been particularly consistent with two second places. Defending champion Noémie Equy is in third place after her victory in Val Thorens. The final field is completed by Michaela Davis-Meehan. The elimination of Nuria Castán Barón from Spain, who is not in the final for the first time in six consecutive years, is a surprise. Rookies Natalie Allport and Sarah Bacher also failed to qualify.

The starting position ahead of the Alaska finals is therefore clear: it is an unusually open season with many new faces, and one of the most spectacular freeride stages in the world will serve as the setting for the decisive phase in the battle for the 2026 Freeride World Tour title.