The FWQ season is already in its hot final phase and the 6th edition of the Nendaz Freeride was another highlight of the season on the program. In the FWQ ranking, two handfuls of candidates for next year's FreerideWorldTour are already emerging ahead of the event, and the presence of some WorldTour riders adds the perfect spice to the already top-class field.
The qualification on Saturday already presents the 120 participants with two challenges. In order to reduce the starting field by half, both the north and north-east faces of the Dent de Nendaz must be conquered. So if you want to take part in the final, you have to impress the judges with two runs in changeable snow conditions. The reward is the opportunity to wow the more than 1000 spectators with a run down the infamous Mont Gond.
Swede Wille Lindberg was particularly successful in this regard, delivering a great show with the highest cliff drop and his usual clean landings. With his third place here in Nendaz, he can defend his top position in the FWQ ranking and has almost secured his place in the 2013 World Tour.
Another candidate for the FWT 2013 is Mathieu Bijasson, who shows with a clean run and an absolutely perfect backflip that his first place in the FWQ ranking doesn't come from anywhere. Normally, a run like this is easily enough to win a contest, unless the French super junior Leo Slemmet delivers two "perfect standing" backflips in his run and mixes them with fast turns and other solid drops. As a result, he too is currently on the verge of qualifying for next year's FWT, and the last two contests are sure to be very exciting.
In the women's ski category, Nadine Wallner from Austria manages the perfect run with a drop in the infamous "box". With her victory in Nendaz, she is now in third place in the FWQ ranking. In second place is Anne May Slinning from Norway, who has been skiing with a broken arm since the contest in Hochfügen and has now even managed to work her way up to first place in the FWQ ranking. Third place goes to Australia's Hanna Fisher.
The men's snowboard ranking is also full of suspense: Ludo Guillot-Diat, this year's rookie on the World Tour, was unable to qualify for the next season in the same event. With his victory here in Nendaz, he nevertheless has one foot in the door for the FWT 2013. Second place goes to the German Johannes Schnitzer, third place goes to France again with Nicolas Antony.
The level of the women's snowboarding is also impressive. Elodie Mouthon from France wins ahead of Ana Marea Zgraggen and Nathalie Zenklusen, both from Switzerland. Austria's Manuela Mandl is still leading the FWQ ranking, but after her qualifying victory on Saturday she is only in fifth place.
An exciting situation ahead of the last two contests. The final of the FWQ will then take place in Röldal, Norway, in April.