Freeride

The winter of 2025/26 challenged us with difficult snow conditions, but at PowderGuide, things were moving full speed ahead. With the new PG Map, more editorial content and an increasingly international focus, the platform took some big steps forward. At the same time, our community continued to grow, with ConditionsReports, feedback and plenty of interaction once again showing what PowderGuide is all about. Our Season Report looks back at the key developments, highlights and numbers from the past winter.

With the Ravine Plus 3L jacket and the matching Ravine Plus 3L trousers, Ortovox is launching a freeride hardshell combination on the market that combines robust weather protection with a high level of comfort. What makes this product so special is the material mix. It is a 3-layer hardshell construction with merino inserts in certain body zones. These are intended to ensure greater comfort and a pleasant body climate. The idea is clear: a ski outfit for cold days outdoors that is also good in the ski resort or on tours. The test shows how the jacket and trousers perform in practice.

Tiemo Rolshoven is 21 years old and has been competing for Germany on the Freeride World Tour since last season. He is known for big tricks, but also shows consistently good skiing in extremely technical terrain. In a brief interview at the first FIS Freeride World Championships in Ordino-Arcalis, he told us how he got into freeriding and how he would characterize himself as a skier.

A cult brand always attracts attention with eccentric appearances or market entries. Most recently, the original freeski brand Armada ventured into the snowboard business, which is definitely cool. Also new last season was the mid-season release of its own ski boot line. PowderGuide took a close look at the current top model in this line.

After a fantastic anniversary year in 2025, the legendary "Back on Track - Feel Free Ride Contest" is entering the next round. From 27th to 29th of March 2026, the Silvretta will once again be transformed into the epicentre for freeride enthusiasts from home and abroad. Powder, passion and team spirit come together for three days - far away from everyday life, right in the heart of the Alps.

The Head Crux 93 is a versatile, medium-width and medium-light ski from the freeride touring segment. In the test, the Crux 93 performs well in powder and offers a solid skiing experience even in tougher conditions.

A comparison between a freeride ski and a Black Forest gateau may seem unusual at first glance, as they are two fundamentally different things: a piece of sports equipment and a culinary product. Nevertheless, some metaphorical parallels can be drawn here: Both skis and cakes are made by industrious craftsmen with expertise and attention to detail - craftsmanship and tradition. They represent a combination of traditional materials and modern production techniques. - Enjoyment and experience: skiing in open terrain offers an intense and eventful skiing experience. Enjoying a Black Forest gateau is at least as sensual an experience, where flavors and textures merge.

March ushers in spring - and to match, here's my favorite short film by Finn Bilous, which has just been released. We also go snow camping in the Swiss Alps and Manu Bernard presents his unique style of season recap in pure, simple art. The full review of the Nines is online with breathtaking footage and we get exciting insights into the development of a new Armada snowboard.

Precise power transmission, solid release values and flexible use - the Attack Hybrid from Tyrolia enables adventures away from the ski lifts and transforms every freeride ski into a set-up that can also be used for touring.

About one of the longest descents in the Alps, the dangers of "getting stuck" in La Grave and how long ten minutes can be.

The first generation of the Shift revolutionized touring. With the Shift² 16 MN, Atomic now promises the ultimate upgrade: revised weak points, more metal and a completely new heel construction should make the binding stronger and enable a Z-value of up to 16. Is it really the perfect solution for freeriders? I chased it through Japow and boarded it over hard slopes to answer this question.

The Maverick Cti 96 is a classic all-mountain model, i.e. a ski for as many conditions as possible. With a center width of 96 mm, it is one of the narrower models in the Maverick series and is therefore more suitable for variable conditions than for the deepest powder snow. We tested how it performs in practice for you this season.