Kanada

You spend the whole day looking forward to the live stream of the Freeride World Tour, perfectly timed for the working and skiing population of Central Europe, and then - not for the first time - the broadcast has to contend with severe problems.

Combating climate change and stopping the melting of glaciers: These are the ambitious goals of Whistler Blackcomb. But can one of the largest ski resorts in the world reduce its impact on climate change without sacrificing its economic interests?

Alaska and British Columbia are known to be powder paradises - as long as you can rent a helicopter and a huge lodge on the edge of the mountains. My companion and I, on the other hand, camped in our converted van in May 2016 with little money in our pockets. In Canada, we were mostly only able to climb, due to the low snowfall, in winter. In Alaska, however, the trip took us to some breathtaking ski touring spots.

As the freeride bible says: "If Ullr doesn't come to the Oracle with powder, the Oracle has to go to British Columbia". Or something like that. Because in contrast to a normal El Niño winter (where it would be dry and warm here), it snows non-stop in BC and the northwest of the USA.

After Arcteryx and Black Diamond, Dynafit is now also launching an online video series. The four-part Connections series is about the connection between the past and the future. In the case of Dynafit, Fritz Barthel, the legendary inventor of the first low-tech binding, stands for the past while working in his basement workshop, while North American Dynafit athletes represent the future with their "hard-charging" riding style.

"If ya got twennythousand bucks, ya can fucking slam that fucking door!" Jean-Marc is beside himself with rage and we look pretty embarrassed. Jean-Marc is the helicopter pilot. Small and stocky, dressed in an oil-smeared red polyester flying jacket with the words "Klondike Heliskiing" printed on it, he looks at us angrily through his mirrored pilot's goggles.

She has been skiing for as long as she can remember. She skied her first races at the age of six. She later turned her back on alpine ski racing. But she remained true to her passion for skiing. As one of the best freeriders in the world, Sonja Lercher competes in the Freeride World Tour (FWT). The 33-year-old appears for an interview at the International Sports Fair in Munich on crutches after a fall. At the tour stop in Chamonix, the Munich native broke her tibia during a competition. A conversation about forced breaks, backflips, avalanches, tattoos and why trees bring independence into her life.

The FREERIDE WORLD TOUR kicked off with wins for the favorites in all four disciplines. In first-class conditions in Revelstoke (B.C.), Canada, Drew Tabke (USA) and Christine Hargin (SWE) won the skiers' event, while Ralph Backstrom (USA) and Shannan Yates (USA) won the snowboarders' event.

After two weather-related waiting days, the skiers' final was finally held in Revelstoke, Canada on Wednesday, January 11, 2012. The North Americans showed clear dominance on the "Mac Daddy"face and displayed breathtaking freeriding, just as you would expect from the best freeriders in the world.

The next morning it was the same picture. Again it had snowed 30 cm of the finest Champaign powder overnight and we didn't know whether we were in a freerider's dream world. For us, this meant pure anticipation of another 12 to 14 runs through untracked terrain. For Karl and his guides, however, this meant getting up two hours earlier, digging snow profiles, checking weather data, assessing the avalanche situation and deciding which runs were justifiable for the least risky freeriding possible. A responsible and tough job, but one that is rewarded on the first descent when the lead guide MUST be the first to ski down an untracked slope.

The second day of the contest in Revelstoke, Canada, belonged entirely to the world's elite freeride snowboarders. 17 men and 6 women put their skills to the test on the "Mackenzie Face? on Saturday, January 7, 2012. However, the skiers' final scheduled for Sunday, 8.1.2012, had to be postponed due to the weather.

The 2012 Freeride World Tour season starts on January 6 in Revelstoke, Canada. The elite of the freeride world are getting ready to make their first turns in the fresh powder of British Columbia and begin the race for the crown of world champion. The reigning champions Aurélien Ducroz, Mitch Tölderer, Janette Hargin and Anne-Flore Marxer will certainly not have an easy time defending their titles.