Verbier

Liam Rivera shows mental strength, but is not fully rewarded for it. Victor de Le Rue crashes, but still takes home the victory. The men's skiers show an incredible level with five riders above the 90-point mark. Mia Jones dominates the field of female snowboarders and takes a start-to-finish victory as a rookie. In the women's skiing, on the other hand, everything is shaken up once again.

Broken zipper, tear in your favorite shell or lost button? The Patagonia Worn Wear Repair Tour is making another stop in the Alps this winter and giving outdoor clothing a second life. Free of charge, uncomplicated and with a clear message: repairing instead of throwing away.

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.

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.

Winter is just around the corner - and with it the biggest freeride event of the year. In less than 20 days, this year's Freeride World Tour (FWT) kicks off in Baqueira Beret, Spain, probably on 19th of January 2025. New riders and venues, legendary comebacks and changes to the contest format promise pure excitement. So buckle up, because the freeride elite is waiting in the wings, ready to thrill us with epic lines and wild moments.

In keeping with the winter comeback, there's also a VdW comeback. We present Moonlines!, yesterday's snow with Guido Perrini, a climate debate, the FWT revue in Kicking Horse and finally Sam Anthamatten's backpack. We wish you good entertainment - winter is back!

Incredible conditions in Verbier right at the start of the season, especially on the extremely steep and exposed slope of the Petit Bec. An incredible start for two German riders: Max Hitzig, FWT Rider of the Year 2023, wins his third stage and for the first time in Verbier. Timmy Schröder puts down an incredibly creative line in the high mountains of Valais and makes his first exclamation mark on his Freeride World Tour debut. Among others, he had to admit defeat to one of the grand masters of snowboarding; Victor de le Rue shook up the fabric of last year's tour with his comeback, as did Kristofer Turdell. Zuzanna Witych won the women's contest.

The competitive freeriding season is finally starting again. The best freeriders on one and two boards will once again plunge down slopes in the Alps, Pyrenees and Canadian Rockies and try to convince the judges of their skills with their line and freestyle elements. This year is also a very special one, as another event stop will be added to the Freeride World Tour - Georgia, which is increasingly becoming the focus of the freeride community, will become the "Home of Freeride" for the first time.

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 dream comes true: Valentin Rainer wins the Freeride World Tour, together with Justine Dufour-Lapointe, Ludovic Guillot-Diat and Katie Anderson! After the crazy March weather had already caused a stir at the first part of the finals in Fieberbrunn, the Verbier Xtreme had to be canceled due to safety concerns. This is a bitter-sweet end to the FWT23. We sorely miss the showdown on the Bec des Rosses, and yet this is a strong sign: safety has top priority.

In any case, the high pressure is over for now and we're in for a cold snap in the next few days, hopefully with more than just cosmetic snowfall. And yes, the Alps urgently need snow! The upcoming FWT finals in Fieberbrunn and Verbier could use it, as could all of us, and finally northern Italy, which is already fearing the next summer drought. We can find reason for hope further above us, in the stratosphere.

At a press conference via Zoom yesterday, the planned path of the FWT 2021 for the challenging Covid19 season was presented. There are hopes of being able to hold at least three events - five in the best-case scenario. The countries of Andorra, Switzerland and Austria have agreed to regard the FWT as a professional/elite sport and thus enable it to be held even during a potentially extended lockdown.