Only the start and finish are set. Riders themselves decide their lines based on the terrain and snow quality. Katsuno Tenran has decided to compete in the Freeride World Tour (FWT), the pinnacle of freeride competition. While there have been Japanese competitors who have competed in the FWT as invited athletes in the past, Katsuno will be the first to have started from a lower category and reached the top through his own ability
He has competed in FWT Junior since his junior days, pursuing "his own style of skating" with the aim of succeeding on the world stage. He honed his skating skills while traveling overseas, and then began competing in FWT Qualifier. In his first year, he was promoted to the higher category of FWT Challenger, but missed out on competing in the FWT. He then placed 10th in the 2023 FWT Qualifier and was promoted back to Challenger. After missing out on the previous FWT, he realized that "you can't win by just focusing on your own style," so he skated with a "go for the win" mentality, earning him second place in the rankings. He has now officially earned his ticket to compete in the FWT
Katsuno, who said he is "really looking forward to" competing in the FWT, will compete in his first tournament, the 2024 BAQUEIRA BERET PRO (Spain), the first FWT event to be held from January 27, 2024. It's a tough world, with points earned up to the fourth round out of six rounds determining whether or not you can compete in tournaments from the fifth round onwards. There are high hopes that Katsuno will make it to the finals of this tournament, which brings together the world's top riders
FWT Tournament Schedule
| Tournament name | host country | Event Schedule | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | 2024 BAQUEIRA BERET PRO | Spain | January 27th - February 1st, 2024 |
| Round 2 | 2024 ORDINO ARCALÍS PRO | Andrea | February 1st to February 7th, 2024 |
| Round 3 | 2024 KICKING HORSE GOLDEN BC PRO | Canada | February 14th to February 20th, 2024 |
| Round 4 | 2024 GEORHIA PRO | Georgia | March 1st to March 7th, 2024 |
| Round 5 | 2024 FIEBERBRUNN PRO | Austria | March 12th to March 18th, 2024 |
| Round 6 | 2024 YETI XTREME VERBIER | Switzerland | March 23rd to March 31st, 2024 |
Domestic Tournament Schedule
In Japan, in addition to the three venues of HAKUBA VALLEY (Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture), LOTTE ARAI RESORT (Myoko City, Niigata Prefecture), and Maiko Snow Resort (Minamiuonuma City, Niigata Prefecture), Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort (Minamiuonuma District, Niigata Prefecture) will be newly added this year, making it decided that FWT QUALIFIER will be held at four venues, and FWT JUNIOR will be held at two of those venues. Keep an eye on the performances of the many Japanese riders aiming to participate in the CALLENGER
| Tournament name | venue | Event Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 TOYO TIRES FWT MAIKO QUALIFIER 1* / JUNIOR 1* | Maiko Snow Resort (Minamikanuma City, Niigata Prefecture) | January 20th (Sat) – 21st (Sun), 2024 |
| 2024 TOYO TIRES FWT HAKUBA QUALIFIER 4* | HAKUBA VALLEY (Shirama Village, Nagano Prefecture) | January 29, 2024 (Monday) – February 1, 2024 (Thursday) |
| 2024 TOYO TIRES FWT YUZAWA NAKAZATO QUALIFIER 2* | Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort (Minamikanuma District, Niigata Prefecture) | February 3, 2024 (Sat) - February 4, 2024 (Sun) |
| 2024 TOYO TIRES FWT ARAI QUALIFIER 3* / JUNIOR 3* | LOTTE ARAI RESORT (Myoko City, Niigata Prefecture) | February 24th (Sat) – February 26th (Monday), 2024 |
Information
Freeride World Tour
Official website:https://freerideworldtour.jp/
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