Chisato Sasada, a competitor in the FWT Qualifier, conveys the allure of freeride through photos and writing.
This winter, she is based in Austria and competing in the "FWT Challenger," a stage for a spot in the Freeride World Tour (FWT).
From the perspective of an active athlete, she shares her insights on the highlights and ways to enjoy the ongoing "Freeride World Tour 2025."
Checking this out will make following the FWT live even more exciting!
First, let's review the schedule and venue
There are a total of six races this season, making it the season with the most competitions in the past few years
STOP #1: Baqueira Beret, Spain(held on January 17th) (January 18-23)
STOP #2: Val Thorens, France (
January 27-February 1) STOP #3: Kicking Horse, Golden BC, Canada (
February 7-13) STOP #4: Georgia
(February 23-March 1) STOP #5: Fieberbrunn, Austria
(March 8-13)
STOP #6 FINAL: Verbier, Switzerland
All athletes compete in the first five races, and their overall results up to that point determine whether they can advance to the sixth race in the final. The three best results out of the five races are used to determine the results up to the final. This is called the final cut
Only the wrestlers who make it to the finals will be eligible to compete in the FWT the following season. Wrestlers who do not make it are demoted to the Challenger Series in their respective regions and compete again in the Challenger Series for a chance to return to the FWT.
Of course, many wrestlers end up retiring from the FWT scene altogether.
The final season results will be determined by the top four results, including the final, and the points ranking will be decided
What do you find most interesting about freeride?
Which mountain or slope do you like best at each venue? What line thrilled you the most? What trick excited you the most? What style of riding do you like?
There's the fun of following the results and scores of who won and lost, but there are so many other interesting and captivating moments.
That's what freeride competitions are all about and their true appeal. I sincerely hope that everyone enjoys the FWT in their own way, "My Own Freeride Mind."
Highlight 1 | Notable places
New venue! Val Thorens,
This season, Val Threns in France has been added as a new venue.
It has been quite some time since France hosted a FWT event. Val Threns is one of the ski resorts located in the three valleys known as the Trois Vallées (Les 3 vallees). With a total course length of 600km, it is one of the world's largest ski resorts.
The FWT has hosted events at the same venues and on the same slopes for many years.
In such locations, the variety of lines becomes limited, and fans gradually become accustomed to the mountains. Frankly, long-time fans might start to feel a little bored. For such fans, a competition at a new venue is a must-see.
What kind of slope will it be? What kind of terrain will it be? What lines will the athletes take and how will they tackle the course? This is a venue that will be attracting a lot of attention
High scores galore! The match against Georgia with plenty of terrain
The Georgia event is said to be popular among FWT riders. It is a new venue added last season, and with the amount of snow and the rich terrain, it is a venue where we can see a wide variety of line variations and aggressive riding
Will we see a new and different style this season, the second year of the competition? Will the difficulty of the tricks increase? Last season, seven male skiers scored in the 90s, and Marcus Goguen won with an overwhelming score of 98 points, making it an incredible competition. There
are high expectations for this season's Georgia competition.
Verbier, Switzerland, celebrates its 30th anniversary
The Verbier Extreme freeride contest started in this location in 1996 and is celebrating its 30th anniversary this season.
Did you know that Verbier Extreme was actually a snowboard-only competition until 2004 (I only found this out myself after doing some research)?
The ski category was added in 2004, and it became known as the Freeride World Tour in 2008.
Since then, it has become a mecca for European freeride, giving rise to countless dramatic moments as the venue for the FWT Finals.
Last season, I experienced the FWT Finals there for the first time, and I was amazed and moved by the sight of not only the entire resort but all the locals suddenly becoming completely immersed in the world of FWT. I
can't help but wonder what it will be like when it celebrates its 30th anniversary.
Freeride World Tour/JBERNARD
Last season, the competition was memorable for the battle for the overall title between Max Hitzig and Marcus in men's skiing, and for Hedvig's long-awaited final victory and overall title in women's skiing.
What kind of drama will unfold this season? Pay attention to the excitement and enthusiasm at the venue.
Highlight 2 | New record at the famous cliff
Venues that have hosted FWT for many years have famous cliffs. In freeride, the difficulty of the same trick changes depending on the terrain from which it is taken off. Tricks on these famous cliffs are a sight to behold. Last season in particular, new records were set on these famous cliffs, so I would like to introduce them to you
Fieberbrunn, Austria: Häusl cliff
Speaking of Fieberbrunn, this cliff is the place to be. In fact, it was here last season that our men's skier, Tenran Katsuno, landed the first backflip in history. Furthermore, last year's overall winner, Erin Sauve, also landed the first cliff jump in women's snowboarding history. It was a moment that saw the level of women's snowboarding rise dramatically
Fieberbrunn, Austria: Eagle Cliff
Also in Fieberbrunn is another gigantic cliff band. Its size changes depending on the amount of snow, so it's a cliff that only a select few can attempt. Last season, veteran skier Kristofer Turdell made a double takeoff jump off this cliff
･Verbier, Switzerland: Hollywood Cliff
Finn Bilous, a skier, landed the first ever 360 here. However, since there were several other skiers who landed 360s after him, Finn's record was also a coincidence due to the starting order. Perhaps Katsuno Tenran will land another first backflip here this year?
Highlight 3 | Snowboarding focuses on the terrain, line-taking, and sense that are different from skiing
At FWT, attention is inevitably focused on the power of the skiing, but when you consider the characteristics of snowboarding, it is clear that the skiers are also skiing at an incredibly high level
As a skier, I often find myself wondering how someone can fly off such a huge cliff on a snowboard and endure such a rough landing, or how someone can perform tricks from such a takeoff position
And above all, I am repeatedly amazed by the number of airs and tricks that make effective use of the terrain, which is far more detailed than that of skiing
Therefore, sometimes there are more airs in a single run in snowboarding than in skiing. Enjoying these differences is how I enjoy the snowboarding category
■FREERIDE WORLD TOUR https://www.freerideworldtour.com/
Part 2 is here
