Freeride World Tour/DDaher
Chisato Sasada, a rider competing in the Freeride World Tour (FWQ), conveys the allure of freeride through photos and writing.
This winter, she's based in Austria and competing in the "FWTQ Challenger," a stage for qualifying for the Freeride World Tour (FWT).
From her perspective as 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 Freeride World Tour live even more exciting!
Part 1 ishere.
[Tournament Schedule]
STOP #1: Baqueira Beret, Spain, January 18-23 (Held on January 17, results here ) STOP #2: Val Thorens, France , January 27-February 1 (Held on January 29, results here ) 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 , March 22-30
Highlight 4 | Riding highlights
The FWT (Floating World Tour) is becoming more competitive year after year. Not only are the tricks themselves more difficult, but tricks are also being performed on large cliffs, and the difficulty of lines and tricks in the women's category is also increasing.
While attention tends to focus on the aerial maneuvers, the combination of tricks and other judging criteria is key to high scores and is definitely something to watch out for.
Due to my own preferences, this information is biased towards skiing, but after looking back at recent races and the two races this season, I would like to share some tips for enjoying the remaining four races
・It's not just trick variations: Men's skiing's overall riding ability
In 2022, Max Palm landed the first-ever double backflip. Last season, Maxime Chabloz landed both a double backflip and a cork 720 in the same run. This season, the first competition was a trick fest, with 720s, double flats, front flips, and more
While the variety and level of tricks performed by men's skiers has increased and attracted attention, looking at the actual results, it seems that the key is riding between airs
Ben Richard is a prime example. His style is characterized by overwhelming speed and stability, and the combination of his speed and huge airs has earned him high praise, even though his tricks are simple. He placed third overall last season. In particular, his Fieberburun run, where he landed two 360-cliff drops (continuous airs with almost no check) was the fastest dynamic run, earning him first place with a score of 97 points
On the other hand, the reason Maxime's score was disappointing despite landing a double back and a cork 720 at the same competition is likely due not only to the size of the air itself, but also to a lack of speed and smoothness in his riding between the airs.
Similarly, in last season's winning runs at Kicking Horse by Max Hitzig and Georgia by Marcus Goguen, not only were the airs themselves impressive, but their outstanding control skills in between them were also remarkable. The same can be said for the three riders who stood on the podium in this season's first competition.
However, rather than comparing these subtle differences, the overwhelming differences in lines are generally easier to understand and more interesting.
What was particularly impressive was the massive double cliff jump with an entirely new line drawn by Marcus, who won last season's Verbier Final. It was breathtaking.
Going back a bit, I still vividly remember how eye-opening Kristofer Turdell's line selection and the cliff he chose when he won the Verbier Final in 2021 were.
This explanation has become quite technical, but I feel that men's skiing these days is at a level where overall skiing ability is more important than ever. Judging the scores must be quite difficult. Will they win with riding skill? Or will they win with line selection and the difference in aerials?
Which do you prefer? I hope you'll watch from that perspective as well.
・Tricks are becoming commonplace for female skiers
One of the women's ski tricks that I still vividly remember is Hedvig Wessel's huge backflip at the Hakuba tournament in 2020. Women's ski tricks have become increasingly popular, and last season was a particularly impressive one
Of particular note was Manon Loschi's two new records: first, she became the first woman in history to land both a backflip and a 360 in the same competition, and second, she became the first woman in history to attempt a double backflip
This season got off to an even more surprising start. First, at the Nendaz Backcountry Invitational, an invitation-only air competition in the Backcountry area held in Switzerland just before the first FWT competition, Astrid Cheyles, who placed second overall as an FWT rookie last season, successfully landed the first-ever double backflip
In the first and second rounds of the season, the aforementioned Astrid and 2023 champion Justine Dufour-Lapointe both landed backflips, placing second and first respectively. Furthermore, Arianna Tricomi, who has an unparalleled air sense and was the three-time consecutive champion from 2018 to 2020, is also returning to the FWT stage. With tricks becoming commonplace in women's skiing, it will be interesting to see what level she reaches this season
Highlight 5 | Players to watch
In recent years, the FWT has seen remarkable performances from rookies, with many making it to the podium in their first year.
Meanwhile, legends continue to dominate with their consistent performances.
Which athlete will emerge victorious this season? Which athlete will win the 'Rookie of the Year' award?
Let's enjoy the season until the very end while paying attention to each rider's riding style
Men's skiing
・Will Katsuno Tenran make it to the podium in his second season?
This season, Katsuno Tenran will be competing in his second season of the FWT. He canceled his annual summer trip to New Zealand to focus on getting in shape, so we wonder what kind of skating he will show us this season
I'm looking forward to seeing not only his results, but also glimpses of his character. Do you remember how he caused a stir in the FWT last season?
His helmet came off during a backflip right after the start, and he finished the race without one.
, "I lost my helmet!"
became such a hot topic that FWT fans around me kept imitating it. Of course, we want to avoid any dangerous incidents, but don't miss seeing him being loved by FWT riders and fans alike for his unique character!
・The promising rookie is in good form from the first game!
Toby Rafford (USA), the younger brother of Addison Rafford, who competed in the women's skiing event until last season, is making his debut this season.
In his first race, he showed overwhelming style and consistency, landing a double flat to take a respectable second place.
Tiemo Rolshoven (Germany), one of the competitors who advanced from Region 1 Europe, won the aforementioned Nendaz Backcountry Invitational. He has achieved excellent results, placing 5th in his first race and 6th in his second.
・The long-awaited coming back!!
What excited me most about this season's rider announcement was the return of Ross Tester (USA).
He made his FWT debut in the 2021 season, finishing second overall in his first year and winning the 'Rookie of the Year' award. He finished third overall in the following 2022 season. Although he took a break from the scene last season, he made a spectacular comeback this season, taking first place in his first race back! His riding is fast, aggressive, yet stable, and he pulls off big airs. In his first 360, he landed a deep mute (weddle) grab, showing his dedication to his style, not just winning or losing. He is definitely one to watch.
・Who will be in the race for the championship?
The biggest news in this season's rider lineup is the injury-related departure of last season's champion, Max Hitzig (Germany).
This leaves Marcus Goguen (Canada), a rising star since his debut and a close second last season, as the likely winner.
Or will Ben Richard (NZ), who finished third overall with his overwhelming speed and aerial dynamism, rise to the top? Will
Ross Tester, who has had a strong start, make a comeback victory? Will a rookie seize the top spot? Or will Maxime Chabloz (Switzerland), who won the world championship in the freestyle kiteboarding category this summer, maintain his momentum and claim his second overall title?!
Women's Skiing
・The favorite to win is!
As mentioned earlier, Astrid Cheyles (France), one of the female skiers who routinely performs tricks and who finished second overall last season, is poised to become champion in her second year. She has had an extremely smooth start, finishing second in the first race and winning the second.
In particular, her backflip in the second race clearly surpassed the level of previous female skiers, both in terms of the terrain at takeoff and the landing. We encourage you to watch her riding throughout the season as she leads the next generation of female skiers.
・Pay attention to the following rookie players!
- Jenna Keller (Switzerland) Head team rider who was nominated for BREAKOUT SKIER OF THE YEAR at the iF3 Film Festival 2024
Lena Kohler (Germany) She first encountered freeride in Hakuba, Japan, before COVID-19. She competed in her first freeride competition three years ago and quickly earned her ticket to the FWT. She's already achieved results, coming in third in her second competition
・I'm personally happy about the coming back riders
・2023 Champion Justine Dufour-Lapointe (Canada) Like Hedvig, she has roots in moguls and is a skilled skier, having won a gold medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and a silver medal at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. She got off to a good start, taking first place in the first race and second place in the second. Expectations are high for her second overall victory
2021 Champion Elisabeth Gerritzen (Switzerland) Verbier local. She's a big fan of mine, as she can take on challenging big lines that you wouldn't expect from a woman, and she also has her own unique, cool riding style
・2018-2020 Champion Arianna Tricomi (Italy) As mentioned above, this queen with outstanding air sense and effortless skating style will be competing again
Men's Snowboarding
・Will this be the first time in history that they will win the overall championship for the fourth time?
Victor De Le Rue, who dominated last season to become the champion for the third time, will be competing again this season. He showed off his amazing riding in the film "Circle of Madness" with FWT legend skier Markus Eder, which was released this fall, and he has already taken first place in the first competition this season. He rides at speeds that are hard to believe are on a snowboard, so we're all looking forward to seeing how he does this season
Women's Snowboarding
・Rookie on the podium in the first race!
Noémie Equy (France), who advanced from the Region 1 Challenger category last season, took first place in the first round of the season. Second place followed, and third place was also taken by a rookie who made their FWT debut this year
Part 1 is here
