Hakuba

We start with a funny short film project about the lunch break, then visit Patagonia and crazy French people, watch splitboarders ride across the meadow and take a look at the freeski scene in Japan, which is a little disconnected from the rest of the world. This week's contest is the SLVSH Cup, and the History Lesson is all about Parker White.

We had the opportunity to get an exclusive interview with Maude Besse, a former FWT competitor, based in Verbier. She was also part of the Arc'teryx Winter Film Tour in Munich on the 6th of December.

The VdW are trying to win your favor today with the finest exoticism: an FWT-4**** event is taking place in Japan and Europe's highest volcano, Mount Etna, is located in Sicily. If there's no snow in the Italian Alps, you can fly south and take advantage of the current excellent snow conditions. Una figata!

No video can replace practical, real-life courses. But Xavier and all sorts of other institutions invite us to expand and refresh our knowledge. There's a bit of contest content to go with it!

Please note: your esteemed editor was suffering from severe flu, only had enough strength to watch the pseudo-live broadcast of the Freeride World Tour in Hakuba, and then stayed alive after all. He then became aware of Elias Elhardt's film and connections began to emerge everywhere, between mountains and across valleys. A few flics from young and old for fun, and if that's not enough entertainment for you, why not watch Greta vs. Trump in Davos 2020...

Hedvig Wessel (NOR), Marion Haerty (FRA), Drew Tabke (USA) and Victor De Le Rue (FRA) are the winners of the first tour stop of the Freeride World Tour 2020 in Hakuba, Japan. Elias Elhardt from Oberstaufen took third place in the snowboarder category, while Tao Kreibich (AUT) and Konstantin Ottner (GER) were unfortunately unable to score points on their debut.

Here we go again! The Freeride World Tour 2020 starts next weekend in Hakuba, Japan. The qualifier season has already started, after a few contests in France and French-speaking Switzerland, the German-speaking countries have now also kicked off the season with the 3*FWQ/2*FJT in Kappl.

All good things come in threes? I've come across at least three films here that make for a very happy edition of VdW in their own right, and I won't add anything to them, just a few words.

A somewhat decimated field of riders enjoys the first FWT tour stop in Japan in excellent snow and weather conditions. Wildcard holder Travis Rice not only outdoes his snowboard colleagues on this face, Markus Eder wins the skiers' race ahead of Tanner Hall. Ari Tricomi picks up where she left off last season and Anna Orlova comes out on top in the snowboarding category.

Only three days to go until the start of the FWT in Hakuba, Japan. The organizers hope to hold the contest on Friday, 18.01.2019. Injuries and wildcards are causing further changes to the rider field, which is gradually arriving in the Hakuba Valley on the Japanese main island. Everything you need to know before the first tour stop of the 2019 season can be found here:

The FWT hopes to be able to hold the first tour stop in Japan as early as tomorrow or tonight! The 2* FWQ in Kappl, AT, was canceled last weekend due to the heavy snowfall.

Want to go to Japan? Hakuba is the closest valley of ski resorts to Tokyo, and boasts the best terrain to be found in the country that spends the most per person on snow removal every year. Here's a few tips to make sure the froth factor is fufilled: