The Freeride World Tour Enters the Next Round

Wildcards

The FWT provides surprises every year, and wildcards play a key role in this. They allow up-and-coming talents, injured athletes or legends of the scene to take part in the competition without having to go through Qualifiers and the Challenger Series. The result? A constant breath of fresh air and an explosive mix of big mountain experts and freestyle pros who are constantly pushing the level of the tour. 

Snowboard Women:

Michaela Davis-Meehan (32, AUS), winner of the 2020 event in Ordino Arcalís and the first Australian to win an event on the tour, is returning with a wildcard. She will be joined by Canadian Katie Anderson (29), who is returning from injury. Different styles and plenty of potential are causing a stir here.

Ski Women:

We can look forward to four wildcards in the women's skiing category. Among them is the well-known, 3-time FWT winner Arianna Tricomi (32, IT). After concentrating more on film projects last year, she is making a comeback this year. She will be joined by Taylor Dobyns (26, USA), who was unable to continue after suffering an injury at the first World Tour stop last year. The 2023 World Champion and former double Moguls Olympic champion Justine Dufour-Lapointe (30, CAN) and American Molly Armanino (31), who made an impression after an impressive debut at the FWT23 with the title of Vice World Champion, are also on the starter list.

New stops, new rules

The Freeride World Tour 2025 not only has exciting new riders in store, but also a brand new tour stop! For the first time in eight years, the FWT is returning to France - more precisely to Val Thorens in the legendary Les Trois Vallées.

The competition takes place on the Cime de Caron (3195 metres). With an average gradient of 32 degrees and a difference in altitude of around 530 metres, this terrain offers the perfect conditions for creative lines and exciting runs.

Particularly exciting: the Cime de Caron is a blank slate for the tour. Never before has an FWT event been held here, giving riders the chance to leave their personal trademarks on this new canvas.

There are also new features in the competition format: The "The Cut" rule has been revised following feedback from last season. Previously, only the best three out of four event results were taken into account for the final stops in Fieberbrunn and Verbier. As a result, many promising riders were eliminated from the tour too early.

This year will be different! The cut will only take place after the event in Fieberbrunn, giving the riders an extra stop to show their best performances. In addition, around 60% of participants will now make it to the grand final in Verbier, compared to 50% last year. These changes should enable the athletes to plan more strategically and perform at the highest level without the fear of losing everything after an early slip-up.

Conclusion:

With a new, exciting venue, an optimised competition format and an extremely talented field of riders, we're in for a great freeride season. Whether sweet or savoury, stock up on snacks and get ready for some unforgettable moments.