Freeride World Tour

Freeride history was written in Ordino Arcalís on February 3rd, 2026. 65 riders from 17 nations met for the FIS Freeride World Championship for the first time. According to the locals, the region is currently experiencing its best winter in over ten years - it would be hard to imagine better timing. Although persistent fog initially caused delays, the patient wait was rewarded. As the sky cleared, the snow-covered, playful and rocky "Basser Negre" face opened up and was ready for great moments. The legendary face enjoys cult status in the FWT scene. Iconic runs have been carved into the snow here before and the first Freeride World Championships also added a few new chapters to the story.

This week will be full of adventure: a crossing of the Southern Alps in New Zealand by boat, ski and climbing. A female duo on a 10-day winter expedition with couloirs in Alaska. Alongside the adventure, there's park skiing at its finest - crème de la crème from the Depart crew and hotlaps. Plus snowboard clip after clip: A crew that left no pillow untouched. What a movie.

Val Thorens has once again delivered. We were supposed to go up the legendary Cime Caron, but Mother Nature had other plans. Too little snow, too much risk. So we moved to the Pointe de Thorens (3,266 m). Sounds like plan B, but it felt more like a jackpot: steep faces, technical sections, fresh powder and a French crowd that was so loud that you could hear some of the riders before the start. Between slope inspection in the fog and bright blue skies at the contest, there was that typical FWT magic: improvised, chaotic, but in the end legendary for exactly that reason. The second stop of the Freeride World Tour 2026 was not a fair weather event, but real freeriding with all its ups and downs.

Blue skies, fresh snow and 3,000 fans who turned the slope into a cauldron. The start of the Freeride World Tour by Peak Performance 2026 could hardly have gone better. At the Baqueira Beret Pro by Movistar, the legendary Tuc de Bacivèr celebrated its comeback as a venue for the first time since 2023. And the slope immediately showed why it enjoys cult status among freeriders. Despite the challenging snow cover after fresh snow and wind, everything came together on the day of the contest. The riders heard the noise of the crowd right at the start, let it push them - and delivered bold lines, big airs and genuine world-class freeriding.

This week has it all. The two Kiwi-Bens present a cinematic masterpiece that they shot in their home country. Sage Kotsenberg delivers one of the coolest intros ever, whose animated style evokes nostalgic memories of old games. There's also one of the best SLVSH games in a long time - this time as an all-mountain version instead of in the park. And finally, Bucket Clips enters its fourth round: Rosina's passion project, which brings together women and FLINTA people in the freeski scene.

The season is coming to an end. Go out again and put your head in the snow! I've put together a few moving images to get us in the mood and round off the season, first and foremost a film about a skier with Down's syndrome, but also with well-known heroes.

Amidst the haze of the Freeride World Tour stop in Georgia during the first weekend of March, PowderGuide had the opportunity to sit down with Valentin Rainer, the 2023 men’s tour champion and a competitor in this year’s season. The 26-year-old Austrian rider shares an inside look at his life, both before and during the season, and opens up about his plans for the future. It’s an exciting glimpse into the world of a professional freerider, someone who relentlessly chases goals driven by intrinsic motivation and the pure joy of the sport.

With breathtaking lines peppered with courageous tricks and unforgettable moments, the YETI Xtreme Verbier by Honda once again showed why it is considered the ultimate stop on the tour.

Between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea stretches the 1,100 km long Caucasus - a mountain range up to 5,000 m high that acts as a natural border between Russia and the Middle East. At the heart of this mountain range lies Georgia - a geopolitically fractured country with a fascinating culture and breathtaking mountain landscapes. The Caucasus has long been a legendary freeride and ski touring area, hosts the FWT and is once more receiving a good amount of fresh snowfall.

The Fieberbrunn Pro Event in Tyrol is an institution on the Freeride World Tour. The Wildseeloder is feared for its steep and narrow passages, but is also legendary for the Häusle Cliff and the parties afterwards. Unfortunately, not everyone had something to celebrate this time, as Fieberbrunn is always the last stop for some riders. While a few riders seized their last chance, others literally crashed or didn't even get the opportunity to compete, as their event was canceled. Although—or perhaps because—the male skiers were unable to race, there were still some exciting stories worth telling.

Level Up is a freeride event for women, created by Marion Hearty, four-time winner of the Freeride World Tour and winner of Natural Selection 2024. At the end of January, I had the honor of taking part in the Freeride Girls event. This is my report on the first edition of Level Up.

Yesterday, Saturday, the world's best freeriders came together again to determine the winners for the fourth time in the 2025 season. This time, the elites battled it out on one and two boards in the wild Caucasus, in the shadow of the 4858 m high Tetnuldis, and threw themselves down the Kakhiani.