Stefan Häusl

Anyone living the dream of freeriding in Austria can learn from the best. Snowboard vice world champion Flo Orley and FWT winner Stefan Häusl have left their active careers behind them - and are now passing on their knowledge to the next generation. Orley as co-founder of the Freeride Academy Innsbruck, Häusl as a coach for young freeride pros on the Arlberg. The impressive offspring from their own ranks proves that both are doing it right: Stefan's daughter Jana is the current FIS Freeride Junior World Champion and Flo's daughter Momo is already a two-time European Champion U14. Freeride DNA literally runs in the family in Austria.

The Snow&Safety Conference on the Arlberg is entering its 8th season this year and is a good opportunity to practice with the avalanche transceiver, exchange ideas with like-minded people or simply listen to an instructive lecture. It will take place next weekend, 13.12.2019 - 14.12.2019 (Friday and Saturday) in Lech am Arlberg.

PowderGuide was there for the second time to give us and you an impression of the conference. The purpose of the two-day event is to update your knowledge of winter terrain just in time for the start of the season.

After two World Tour stops in Andorra, the FWT riders are gradually arriving in the Eastern Alps and are taking part in the 3* FWQ in Montafon, for example, or are watching or familiarizing themselves with the local snow conditions in Fieberbrunn. We are all hoping for snow and that a safe contest can be held in Fieberbrunn or perhaps somewhere else.

For the fifth time, the "Snow and Safety Conference" took place in Zürs am Arlberg right at the start of the Ski Arlberg season. The generally difficult conditions in the northern Alps were known in advance, but this did not discourage the organizers from successfully carrying out their supporting program.

For a long time it looked as if the organizers would have to look for a replacement face. But the snowfall of the last few days made the 2nd stop of the FWT in Fieberbrunn possible. After the first points of the 2015 season were awarded in Chamonix, the search for the perfect run continues in the Kitzbühel Alps.

Against the breathtaking backdrop of the Mont Blanc massif, the best freeriders on skis and boards battled it out for the first points of the 2015 FWT season on January 24, 2015. After an exciting competition in challenging snow conditions, a striking number of former overall FWT winners were to be found on the podium at the end.

62 athletes from four continents, including all four reigning freeride champions in skiing and snowboarding, are taking part in the Freeride World Tour 2015. The interesting field of participants includes not only the qualifiers from the last FWT and the promoted athletes from the FWQ, but also some participants with wildcards. These were awarded, among others, to those top riders who were injured last season and are now making their comeback. Other wildcards go to the Olympic participants.

Loïc Collomb-Patton (FRA) for the skiers and Sammy Luebke for the snowboarders (USA) are the winners of the first stop of the Freeride World Tour in Courmayeur Mont Blanc (ITA). Creative line choice impresses the skiers, control and style the snowboarders. At Cresta Youla, skiers Josh Daiek (USA) and Jérémie Heitz (SUI) and snowboarders Sascha Hamm (GBR) and Ludovic Guillot-Diat (FRA) took second and third place.

As in all other sports, athletes in winter sports prepare specifically for the upcoming strain long before the actual start of the season. Phil Anker has developed a freeride-specific training program from his many years of coaching professional freeriders such as Matthias Haunholder, Stefan Häusl and Huber Lorraine.

After the 5th stop of the Freeride World Tour in Fieberbrunn on March 9th was postponed by a week due to poor snow and weather conditions, all riders were condemned to hold out. The best freeriders in the world were forced to bridge a few days. German World Tour rider and Fieberbrunn "local" Tom Leitner shortened the waiting time for his fellow riders from the States by organizing a short trip to his home in Berchtesgarden. The freeride spots in the area, such as Obertauern, were also checked out with local Ferdl Winter.

At the moment, the Freeride World Tour is going full steam ahead: the third tour stop in Chamonix is expected to take place on Saturday (26.1.2013). The second stop of the Freeride World Tour 2013 in Courmayeur on the Italian side of Mont Blanc was also a complete success. Now it's off to the shady side of the highest mountain in the Alps - to Chamonix. However, the competition will most likely be held again in the Brevent/Flegere ski resort at the Pentes de l'Hotel.