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Kirkwood Hosts Stop No. 4 Of F Kirkwood Hosts Stop No. 4 Of Freeride World Tour

From: gregfitzsimmons
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CLICK HERE to watch today’s event live. The action gets underway at 9 a.m. PST as the ski women drop in.

The FWT comes stateside to kickoff the second half of the season

By Greg Fitzsimmons

The fourth stop of the newly unified Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face goes down stateside today at Kirkwood Mountain Resort. We’re halfway through the FWT, with stops in Revelstoke, Courmayeur, and Chamonix in the rearview mirror, and Fieberbrunn and Verbier coming up after the sole comp of the season in the United States.

Today’s action will take place on Kirkwood’s famed Cirque, a permanently closed rock-littered zone that introduces a new type of terrain into the FWT mix this season. The Cirque is almost 1,500 vertical feet of exposed terrain, with tight chutes, big cliffs, scattered trees, and open bowls for arching turns. Unlike Mac Face in Revy and the venues on the Italian and French sides of the Mont Blanc, Kirkwood’s Cirque is a wide, venue with a mix of steep aspects and bench-like sections that will require some navigation from the competitors if they’re going to ski the Cirque fluidly from top to bottom.

Per usual, the athletes are working off of a visual inspection only, and the consensus is divided amongst athletes. Fall-line chargers will be tasked with finding terrain that suits their style, while freestyle jibbers might have an advantage with the abundance of natural features that are primed for a playful approach.

“The Cirque at Kirkwood is a powerful place in the history of freeride, and I take riding it very seriously. It’s a pretty big face, so solid runs definitely have to be high speed and powerful so you don't spend multiple minutes up there,” said current tour leader Drew Tabke. “But there are lots of airs with good takeoffs and steep landings, so there is definitely a place for freestyle as well.”

Tabke’s blend of full-tilt and playful charging has earned him the overall tear leader spot going into the fourth stop of the FWT. With wins in Revelstoke and Chamonix, Tabke’s approach has been rewarded so far on the tour, and rightly so.

Other athletes, like last year’s overall FWT Champion Reine Barkered, aren’t super psyched on the Cirque’s prospects. “I don’t believe [the venue] suits me that well,” said Sweden’s Barkered. “On the top part you can go pretty fast, but in the middle and bottom sections you will have to slow down since there are a lot of airs to flat landings. I like to send my cliffs with speed so it might be better for the more freestyle influenced riding as there are a few transfers and kickers.”

It’s ladies first on the venue today, with the ski women kicking things off. There was a storm last week that dropped a few inches of fresh snow on the venue, but temps have gotten warm the last few days and there’s a spring break vibe in the Sierra Nevadas.

“The venue is in rough shape, but still has a ton of fun potential,” said Jackson Hole’s Crystal Wright, who has had solid showings in Kirkwood in the past. “I am looking at the same line as last year but hoping to ski it better if I can. It is fast and fluid and it makes me happy! [That line] is the only thing that is jumping out at me when I look at the venue.”

With Kirkwood’s Cirque possibly favoring a more playful approach to skiing and riding, there are a few names in the start list to take note of. Last year’s North American-based Freeskiing World Tour Champion Josh Diaek is a longtime Kirkwood local, and Diaek has won the last two comps on his home turf. Look for Diaek to blast a fast, creative line through the Cirque that mixes trickery with fall-line skiing. If big-mountain jibbing is the predicted approach for Kirkwood, Euros Fabio Studer and Markus Eder and Americans Johnny Collinson and Colter Hinchliffe are names to watch, too. But, don’t sleep on Tabke, Barkered, Oakley White-Allen, and Jérémie Heitz—who is sitting in second place overall behind Tabke—to put on full-throttle show.

On the women’s ski side, Sweden’s Christine Hargin is riding a lot of momentum into today’s comp after sweeping the first two stops of the FWT in Revy and Cham. Jess McMillan and Crystal Wright, both from Jackson Hole, have a lot of experience on the Cirque and are due for strong showings.

Save Big on Kirkwood Mountain Resort discount lift tickets through Liftopia.com

The men’s snowboard field should be interesting to watch as Squaw Valley’s Ralph Backstrom will don the yellow bib, which denotes the overall tour leader. Another Squaw rider, Ryland Bell, who has been sending it on Jeremy Jones’s Further project, will slide into the FWT start gate for the first time this season. Frenchmen Jonathan Charlet got his 2013 season going in the right direction with a win in Chamonix, and Sammy Luebke always brings a fresh approach to riding; both will be throwing down in Kirkwood.

Tahoe locals Casey Lucas (from Kirkwood) and Iris Lazzareschi (from Squaw) will be looking to represent in front of their hometown fans as they take on overall tour leader Margot Rozies, Snowbird’s Laura Dewey, and the rest of the snowboard women field.

Some competitors are in good shape going into the Kirkwood stop of the Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face. Tabke and Hargin sit atop the men’s and women’s ski fields thanks to two wins by each athlete so far this year. Ralph Backstrom has ridden consistently en route to being the tour leader of the snowboard men at the halfway point of the FTW, and French rider Margot Rozies is on top of snowboard women after her win in front of her home crowd in Chamonix.

Other competitors are feeling the pressure, however. There are no guaranteed spots for the final in Verbier, and everyone is vying for a bib to compete on the renowned Bec de Roses venue in Switzerland. So, look for a high level of skiing and riding today in Kirkwood, and at the subsequent stop in Fieberbrunn, Austria in early March, as competitors are working to solidify invites to Verbier.

CLICK HERE to watch today’s event live. The action gets underway at 9 a.m. PST as the ski women drop in.
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Revelstoke Inversion Revelstoke Inversion

From: twintiptele
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3 months ago
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Dylan Siggers - Pillow Smash - Dylan Siggers - Pillow Smash - CMH Gothics

From: line_skis
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This January Dylan Siggers was lucky enough to have Matador Network (dot com) to invite him up to Revelstoke and fly around smashing pillows for 3 and a half days. All the while staying in the luxurious Gothics lodge, a chapter of the Canadian Mountain Holidays heli skiing operation. Definitely some of the most incredible terrain and snow he has gotten to slide down, ever.

Shot on a GoPro1 and a bit of a Gopro2 and a T2i.

Song By Justice — “Civilization” [lazrtag bootleg mix], mixed by dacops

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3 months ago
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Mid Season Highlights - Freeri Mid Season Highlights - Freeride World Tour 2013

From: freerideworldtour
Description:

After 3 great events in Revelstoke (CAN), Courmayeur Mont-Blanc (ITA) and Chamonix Mont-Blanc, here is a short and punchy edit which recaps the best of action.

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3 months ago
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Revelstuck - Episode 2 - Bomb Revelstuck - Episode 2 - Bomb Snow TV

From: bombsnow116362
Description:

The Bomb Snow brigade sent it up North to Revelstoke, British Columbia for the month of January to chase deep pow and explore new zones. Upon arrival, 40-60 + cm of fresh made for unbelievable shredding. Stop number one of the Freeride World Tour was set to take place early the first week, but was delayed due to consistent snow. After a week of freeskiing the resort, the comp went down and did not disappoint. Huge airs and burly lines were thrown down on 'Mac Daddy' face, and it was the smooth, fluid lines that came out on top.

After the competition, the Bomb Snow brigade fueled the sleds and explored the endless terrain surrounding Revy. They met up with a few locals and friends, and got after it while the conditions were prime. A huge wind event took place upon the skies breaking blue, leaving the alpine scoured or loaded. However, the tree/pillow skiing remained all time.

The wind spell did not last long, and soon enough the skies were puking powder once again. Rogers Pass was our calling for a solid week of touring. Rogers is a unique area, sketchy and rewarding. Around every corner is another corner, and another, full of chutes, faces, pillows, and glaciers. It was mind-blowing to become more familiar with the terrain and see the potential the Pass holds.

MUSIC:

Band: Ghoul
“Into the Catacombs”
tankcrimes.com

Band: Holograms
“ABC City”

Band: Hells Fire Sinners
“Hangin”

Band: Kitchen Dwellers
“EchoNiner”

Band: Scotch Greens
“GR”

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3 months ago
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Pillow Talk With Coltson VB Pillow Talk With Coltson VB

From: gregfitzsimmons
Description:

Colston VB on his way up in Revelstoke to film "Pillow Talk."

This January in Revelstoke, while 60-plus competitors on the newly-formed Freeride World Tour were waiting for a weather window to compete in the season’s first comp, a couple of buddies from Rossaland, British Columbia, set out on a three-day mission on Roger’s Pass. The goal: find a few pillow zones that BC is known for, detonate said pillow zones, and capture the riding on film.

The two-man team consisted of 21-year-old Revy-based skier Colston VB, who we highlighted last spring as one of the 10 Skiers On the Rise, and cinematographer David Peacock, who is a partner in the up-and-coming BC-based production outfit named Absolute Zero. Together, the duo created one of the sickest mini-edits to drop in awhile. Colston’s smeary style and Peacock’s fresh approach to filming combined in the making of “Pillow Talk.”

“We went to three different zones on three different days,” says Colston VB. “I’ve been out here in Revy for almost a month and I haven’t gone to the same spot more than a few times. There’s just so much to explore. One of the main zones that we filmed in is actually really easy to get to. It’s only a short skin off the highway on Roger’s Pass.”

The pillows that Colston’s boosting has skiers and riders frothing, and the visually compelling backdrops has filmmakers and photogs flipping out. That crazy looking, vertically striated peak in the background is Mount Ross, and it’s pillow heaven. “It’s such a cool mountain,” says Colston, “But honestly, there are so many like it around Revelstoke. That’s how it is out here — a lot of these mountains mimic what you’ll see in the Swiss Alps.”

From a filmmaker’s perspective, the terrain around Roger’s Pass was the perfect canvas to create on. “Each of the three zones we visited provided amazing potential for shooting,” says David Peacock. “Being able to get into the Ross Peak zone was a pretty awesome time. Having the sun pop as we were making our way up the steep skin track made us a little giddy, and when we emerged into the zone we couldn't wait to pull the trigger. Backlit spines and twinkling snow is what we dream about!”

Colston VB dreaming in a bed of pillows.
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Colston in the pillows Colston in the pillows

From: gregfitzsimmons
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Colston in the pillows
4 months ago
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Colston VB in Revy Colston VB in Revy

From: gregfitzsimmons
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Colston VB in Revy
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Tabke, Charlet, Hargin, Dewey Tabke, Charlet, Hargin, Dewey Win FWT Stop No. 3 In Chamonix

From: gregfitzsimmons
Description:

The venue for the Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face in Chamonix, France.

The third stop of the Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face took place in Chamonix, France last weekend. The field of men made the short trip to the French side of the Mont Blanc after the second stop in Courmayeur, Italy, and the female competitors met for the second time this season after competing on “Mac Daddy” in Revelstoke, Canada.

Drew Tabke airs into his line. Photo by D. Daher.

The North Face of the Aiguille Pourrie served as the venue for the comp. From the start gate at 2,400-meters, athletes had a handful of options to lace together a line that fit their style of skiing. A lot of the ski men opted for the ridge run skier’s right out of the start gate. With a big natural air on the ridge and playful hips or techy chutes lower down, the skier’s right side of the venue saw a lot of traffic. Directly falline of the start gate was an exposed and high-consequence zone of pepper, tight skiing, and the biggest air on the venue—that Canadian Laurent Gauthier dropped, found a perfect tranny, put the 50-plus footer to the bolts, and earned a top-ten spot for his efforts. And, if competitor’s ventured a little skier’s left and then fallline from the start gate they got to boost a large entry-air cornice and then have their choice of hips, chutes, and side-airs to play with.

Men's ski podium: 1. Drew Tabke (USA) 91.67 2. Fabio Studer (AUT) 87.00 3. Willie Lindberg (SWE) 84.33. Photo by Jeremy Bernard.

In the end, the winning line was hidden in left side over the venue, and it took Drew Tabke to find it and stomp it. Tabke, now the overall tour leader halfway through the season, linked a creative line from the top entry air via the cornice, finding a lofty natural hip that sent him about 60 feet into a chute, and then capping the run off with a sleepy three on the bottom portion of the venue. Tabke’s creativity and blend of big-mountain charging and trickery was rewarded by the judges with a score of 91.67, the highest score dolled out to any competitor on the day.

In second place, Austrian Fabio Studer opted for the ridge on the skier’s right ridge. Studer put on a clinic stomping a hand-drag 360 off of the large natural air on the ridge then unleashing a cork 720 into an exposed section, and drawing aggressive fallline turns through the gnar. And, in third place, Sweden’s Willie Lindberg took the right-hand approach. Lindberg’s high-speed, full-throttle line included a large air into the lower chute, and then finding a keyhole exit into the Cham chunder fields.

Men’s Snowboard podium: (Top 10) 1. Jonathan Charlet (FRA) 90.33 2. Ralph Backstrom (USA) 88.00 3. Sammy Luebke (USA) 76.33. Photo by Jeremy Bernard.

Jonathan Charlet. Photo by Phillip Field.

Ralph Backstrom in Chamonix. Photo by D. Daher.

On the men’s snowboard side, French rider and 2012 FWT Overall Snowboard Champ Jonathan Charlet took the win in front of his home country’s fans. Charlet blasted two features up top, found pow on a ramp rider’s right, and exited off the ramp with a big air on the bottom. TGR’s own Ralph Backstrom came in second place, landing on the podium again after winning the Revy comp, and earning the overall leader position going into the fourth stop of the season. And, Sammy Luebke snagged the third spot on the podium for men’s snowboard.

Women’s Ski podium: 1. Christine Hargin (SWE) 80.00 2. Nadine Wallner (AUT) 72.33 3. Pia Nic Gunderson (NOR) 70.67. Photo by Jeremy Bernard.

Overall 2012 Champion Christine Hargin, of Ramundberget, Sweden, is putting together a serious bid for a repeat as World Champ after winning in the ski women’s comp in Cham. Hargin’s score of an even 80 was almost eight points higher than runner-up Nadine Wallner, of Austria, who scored a 72.33 to take second. Hargin’s back-to-back wins in Revy and Chamonix were done in similar fashion: strong, fast, athletic, and aggressive. Norway’s Pia Nic Gunderson came in third.

Women’s Snowboard podium: 1. Laura Dewey (USA) 70.00 2. Margot Rozies (FRA) 69.00 3. Aline Bock (GER) 57.33. Photo by Jeremy Bernard.

And, Snowbird’s Laura Dewey battled through a string of bad luck traveling—Dewey arrived in Chamonix less than 24 hours before dropping in to compete on borrowed gear because of lost luggage—to earn the victory in women’s snowboard. French rider Margot Rozies took second, the same result she had in Revy. Rozies’s consistent presence on the podium so far means she’s the current tour leader after two stops. And, in third place was German rider Aline Bock.

After two big-mountain comps on the Italian and French sides of the Month Blanc that were as good as it gets, the FWT says “au revoir” to the Alps. The next stop will be stateside at Kirkwood Mountain Resort and is scheduled to go down February 27 in Kirkwood’s famed Cirque. Drew Tabke and Christine Hargin, Ralph Backstrom and Margot Rozies will be bedecked in the yellow bibs that denote the current overall tour leaders when the action gets going again in Kirkwood.

Stay tuned for more FWT coverage.

Men’s Ski Results (Top 10)
1. Drew Tabke (USA) 91.67
2. Fabio Studer (AUT) 87.00
3. Willie Lindberg (SWE) 84.33
4. Reine Barkered (SWE) 83.33
5. Julien Lopez (FRA) 82.67
6. Oakley White-Allen (USA) 81.00
7. Jérémie Heitz (SUI) 73.00
8. Charlie Lyons (NZL) 72.67
9. Laurent Gauthier (CAN) 71.33
10. Samuel Anthamatten (SUI) 69.67

Men’s Snowboard Results (Top 10)
1. Jonathan Charlet (FRA) 90.33
2. Ralph Backstrom (USA) 88.00
3. Sammy Luebke (USA) 76.33
4. Irian Van Helfteren (NED) 71.67
5. Flo Orley (AUT) 69.67
6. Emilien Badoux (SUI) 67.33
7. Ludovic Guillot-Diat (FRA) 66.33)
8. Tim Carlson (USA) 61.33
9. Jamie Rizzuto (CAN) 60.33
10. Xavier de Le Rue (FRA) 42.67

Women’s Ski Results (Top 10)
1. Christine Hargin (SWE) 80.00
2. Nadine Wallner (AUT) 72.33
3. Pia Nic Gunderson (NOR) 70.67
4. Lorraine Huber (AUT) 69.33
5. Crystal Wright (USA) 64.00
6. Anne May Slinning (NOR) 61.33
7. Ashley Maxfield (USA) 55.00
8. Jess McMillan (USA) 40.00
9. Natalie Segal (AUS) 23.67
10. Jacklyn Paason (USA) 16.67

Women’s Snowboard Results (Top 7)
1. Laura Dewey (USA) 70.00
2. Margot Rozies (FRA) 69.00
3. Aline Bock (GER) 57.33
4. Casey Lucas (USA) 55.67
5. Elodie Mouthon (FRA) 53.67
6. Anouck Mouthon (FRA) 52.00
7. Iris Lazzareschi (SAU) 38.00
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Leah Evans Keeps The Spirit Al Leah Evans Keeps The Spirit Alive

From: mollybaker
Description:

Leah Evans. Photo by Zoya Lynch.

“You’re Leah, right? I am signed up for your camp this weekend,” says the store clerk. “A friend of mine and I have been wanting to do it for years.”

I am in Revelstoke buying groceries with Leah Evans, founder of Girls Do Ski, a creative and supportive platform for building a more confident presence of women in skiing—and the world. After a day of touring up logging roads and finding a few laps of pillow mashing and steep trees, I’ve gotten a glimpse into Leah’s Revelstoke reality—a recipe of incredible skiing and an even more incredible impact on the women who ski. Walking around town, many women, from the ladies at the ski hill, to the town’s acupuncturist, to the woman bagging your groceries, know Leah. And they’ve either attended a Girls Day Out Camp or they want to.

On January 19-20, some of these women, hailing from Calgary, Edmonton, Ontario, and Revelstoke joined Leah and her coaches for a weekend of skiing, inspiration, and cliff sending. For some of them, it would be the first and only cliff they would ever jump, but lifelong shredder skills aren’t the only purpose of the camp. Girls Do Ski is more about joy.

“I want these women to have this weekend as a point of reference for happiness,” says Leah from her home in Revelstoke just before she runs out the door to ski a few days before the next camp on January 26-27 at Kicking Horse. “I want these women to think ‘I was out there this weekend doing things that I didn’t think I could do.’ I hope they can come away from the weekend knowing this place and time where they didn’t watch their lives go by from a desk, but where they allowed themselves to experience something and hopefully they can go back to that no matter where they are or what they’re doing.”

Leah Evans skiing in Revelstoke. Photo by Grant Gunderson.

Evans, who is consistently the most cerebral woman I know in skiing, doesn’t stop at women’s specific ski equipment or floral, pink graphics because her purpose isn’t really to just include more women in skiing. Instead, Leah, who grew up shredding the winter wonderland of Red Mountain every day all winter, is using skiing as a catalyst for growth and change. It doesn’t matter if her campers start sending back flips or never ski again. The lessons they take away from her two-day camps are meant to be symbolic for other experiences in life.

“In these camps you see women dealing with all of their fears, standing on top of drops, using all their strength and power to do it,” says Leah. “By the end of it, every roller and bump is being hit, the girls are out just sending and they are elevated to a level to ski hard.”

Fear is a tricky emotion, but if you’ve felt what happens when you’re afraid, but you decide to jump that cliff anyway, maybe you can simulate that feeling in other areas of your life. Any woman can utilize this skill, from the young, aspiring pro skier to an engineer who plays outside on the weekends. Leah and her coaches have made this connection and they’ve decided to share it with others.

“Share the spirit,” says Leah as our conversation ends. “We are all doing something out there that we love. I just want to share it.”

Get informed at girlsdoski.com and make sure to peek the Sarah Burke “Inspire” project.
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Leah Evans Skiing In Revelstok Leah Evans Skiing In Revelstoke Photo by Grant Gunderson

From: mollybaker
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Leah Evans Skiing In Revelstoke Photo by Grant Gunderson
4 months ago
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News: Markus Eder And Aurélien News: Markus Eder And Aurélien Routens Win At Freeride World Tour Courmayeur Mont Blanc

From: TetonGravityResearch
Description:

At the second stop of the SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR 2013 BY THE NORTH FACE® (FWT), the international field of elite athletes threw down a spectacular show combining big mountain charging with impressive tricks on the “Tête d’Arp”, never ridden in competition before.

With the south side of Mont Blanc as the perfect backdrop, a bluebird day with fresh powder greeted the strong line up of 33 skiers and 15 snowboarders at the men’s only competition. The athletes enjoyed the great conditions and showed their top skills on the north face of Tête d’Arp. Excitement filled the air as no one had ridden the face in competition before. Riders described the top section as steep, 45 degrees big mountain style, and the lower part giving various options for more playful riding and multiple airs. Any style of riding could take victory at this interesting venue.

Italy’s Markus Eder clinched the skiers’ win with a score of 89.67 points, executing the most playful run of the day. As a late start number Eder chose a unique line entry, skiing down the ridge before hitting the steep face in controlled high-speed big mountain style. He then impressed the judges with an arsenal of tricks on the second half of the venue, pulling off a backflip, a huge left side 360 and even riding switch. On his first year on the tour, young Eder was definitely the biggest crowd pleaser of the day on home turf. “I’m stoked with my line,” said Markus Eder. “I didn’t expect to win as I did a little mistake on my backflip. I hoped to be on the podium but to win is really fantastic.”

Swiss Jérémie Heitz managed to repeat his performance in Revelstoke, Canada and claim the second podium spot with a hard charging big mountain line, giving him the score of 86.0 points. Heitz probably had the fastest run of the day. Third place finisher and reigning world champion Reine Barkered of Sweden, also skied full throttle, typical Reine style, mixing big air and fast riding, scoring 81.0 points.

Aurélien Routens of France was rewarded his first ever FWT win in the snowboard competition. Routens scored 83.67 points on a high speed run, with clean riding and solid airs at the exposed top steep section and finishing off with an impressive straight line.
John Rodosky, USA, took a well deserved second, scoring 78.67 points, riding creatively and bringing numerous solid freestyle tricks into the backcountry. Swiss Emilien Badoux chose a good line all the way through and hitting a nice backside 360 in the midsection, earning the third podium spot with a score of 76.0 points.

“For a third consecutive year we have had perfect conditions and an amazing playground here in Courmayeur on the south side of Mont Blanc,” said Nicolas Hale-Woods, FWT General Manager Europe. “The upcoming weekend the athletes will cross the tunnel and take on the north side of Mont Blanc in Chamonix.”

After two out of six events, Jérémie Heitz is leading Men’s Ski overall with two second podium spots. Today’s winner Aurélien Routens is leading Men’s Snowboard with the win and a third place in Revelstoke, Canada.

The women will join the men for the third event in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc on January 26th.

Click Here For Men's Ski And Snowboard Official Results

Xavier De Le Rue scoping out a line at Courmayeur Mont Blanc. Photo by J Bernard.
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Mac Daddy - The Venue Mac Daddy - The Venue

From: freerideworldtour
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After four days of constant snow, Revelstoke's Mac Daddy is finally ready for the 2013 Freeride World Tour. The magnitude, technicality and steepness of this legendary venue demands the best freeriding athletes can deliver.

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4 months ago
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Revelstoke Highlights - Freeri Revelstoke Highlights - Freeride World Tour 2013

From: freerideworldtour
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Watch the full recap of stop #1 of the 2013 Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face at Revelstoke Mountain Resort in British Columbia, Canada.

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Freeride World Tour Goes Off I Freeride World Tour Goes Off In Revelstoke

From: gregfitzsimmons
Description:

Ski and snowboard athletes put on a show on Mackenzine Face at Revelstoke Mountain Resort during stop No. 1 of the Freeride World Tour. Photo by B. Long.

Words by Greg Fitzsimmons

The first stop of the newly structured Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face went down last Friday in a serious way. After waiting four days on a weather hold because of slow-moving storm that dropped 3 feet of snow on Revelstoke Mountain Resort’s 1,600-foot “Mac Daddy” face, 60-plus athletes from all over the world competed in men’s and women’s skiing and snowboarding.

With it all said and done, TGR’s Ralph Backstrom made a statement in men’s snowboarding, perennial podium-finisher Drew Tabke posted the day’s highest score en route to winning the men’s skiing title, Sweden’s Christine Hargin built on the momentum from last year’s overall FWT title with a win in women’s skiing, and Snowbird-based ripper Shannon Yates took home the hardware in women’s snowboarding.

It was clear from the first few men’s snowboarders to drop in on “Mac Daddy” that the conditions were no joke. Rider-triggered sluff exposed pepper on the skier’s right and skier’s left sides of the venue. But, creative competitors were able to find blower snow in zones unaffected by the slide activity.

Ralph Backstrom rages down "Mac Daddy" face on his way to win the first stop of the Freeride World Tour. Photo by B. Long.

Backstrom’s line perfectly exemplifies the creative approach to riding that had fans of “The Dream Factory” lauding his TGR segment and talking about his aggressive, full-on style. Being the penultimate snowboarder to drop in, Backstrom was able to observe a bit of the action before sliding into the start gate. Backstrom opted for a line on the skier’s left portion of the venue, and laced a high-speed triple drop before arching fast pow-turns through the trees on the bottom half of “Mac Daddy.” From the airs to the carefully dissected tree-line, Backstrom’s line was fluid, fast, and looked fun.

“I was a little nervous we wouldn’t have good light conditions after the past few days but was so excited to have bluebird skies,” explained Ralph Backstrom. “The super steep pitch of ‘Mac Daddy’ makes it difficult not to go over the handle bars when landing jumps. I really like the big features that exist on this terrain.”

Backstrom’s line earned him a score of 89.33, 10 points higher than runner-up Ludovic Guillot-Diat. La Grave’s Aurelien Routens rounded out the podium.

The field of men’s skiers dropped in next and the level of skiing on display in British Columbia was full-on. A lot of the chatter leading up to the comp centered around the “two dramatically different options” for line choices with the skier’s left lines described as “playful and flowy” and the skier’s right being “more gnarly and exposed, it’s traditional big-mountain skiing,” said longtime competitor Griffin Post prior to the event. No one took into account the direct fall-line approach that eventually earned Drew Tabke a mind-blowing score of 91 and a spot atop the podium.

The entire field of men’s skiers headed either right—runner-up Jeremie Heitz blasted through huge double at mock-speed in the exposed skier’s right zone—or left—third place finisher Julien Lopez skied a clean and controlled version of the triple that Backstrom rode on the skier’s left side of “Mac Daddy.” However, Tabke prospected an untouched line close to the gut of the venue, en route to posting the day’s highest score.

“When you look at the full image of ‘Mac Daddy’ face you see that if you go left your options for features ends pretty early and if you go right you have to traverse out,” says Tabke. “So, skiing the middle caught my eye. The line where I went was the most pure fall-line approach to the venue that still holds pow [and doesn’t slide].”

Along with the pow that Tabke was able to track up, his winning line included four distinct airs. “That exit air was the missing piece to my line,” says Tabke. “Once I found that air I moved uphill to connect the rest of the line. You can’t hit the first feature I hit and still get far left or far right. I think that top air is the best feature on the venue, but no one can hit it if you’re heading to the left or right. So, by choosing to do the last section I was able to get the top feature, too.”

Johnny Collinson spins a 360 at Revelstoke. Photo by J.ANTONIUK.

Aside from the top three men (Tabke, Heitz, and Lopex, respectively), Johnny Collinson’s line had everyone buzzing—in Revy and online. Collinson found a massive air on the skier’s right side of “Mac Daddy” and spun a sleepy three off of the downward takeoff. Despite augering in the landing, Collinson’s blend of big-mountain and freestyle skiing warrants mention.

On the women’s side, the female skiers and riders inherited a beat-up, sluffed-out, and debris-riddled venue after the men hammered “Mac Daddy.” The scores on the women’s side reflected the difficult conditions, with four of the 10 female skiers earning 40+ points. Defending FWT Champion, Christine Hargin, of Sweden, earned the win with a 65, followed by Norwegian Nadine Wallner and Aussie Nat Segal, respectively.

Shannon Yates stomped two airs and stayed on her feet to win the women’s snowboarding title, with French riders Margot Rozies in second and Elodie Mouthon in third.

Now, athletes are headed to the Alps for the second and third stops of the Freeride World Tour, with stops on the Italian and French sides of the Mont Blanc in Courmayeur and Chamonix. Italy’s Courmayeur hosts the second comp of the year on January 19th. CLICK HERE for the complete FWT schedule, and check back with TGR throughout the season for full coverage of the Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face.

Men's ski podium. Photo by R. SIHLIS.

Men's Ski Results 

1. Drew Tabke, 91.00 
2. Jeremie Heitz, 79.67 
3. Julien Lopez, 73.00
4. Laurent Gauthier, 72.00 
5. Charlie Lyons, 70.33 
6. Griffin Post, 68.33 
7. Sam Smoothy, 66.33 
8. Nicolas Salencon, 62.33 
9. Markus Eder, 59.00 
10. Wille Lindberg, 56.33

Men's snowboard podium. Photo by R. SIHLIS.

Men's Snowboard Results 

1. Ralph Backstrom, 89.33 
2. Ludovic Guillot-Diat, 79.33 
3. Aurelien Routens, 74.33 
4. Tim Carlson, 70.33 
5. Emilien Badoux, 63.67 
6. Matt Annetts, 59.00 
7. Joel Rouge, 54.67 
8. John Rodosky, 53.67 
9. Irian Van Helfteren, 44.67 
10. Sammy Luebke, 41.67

Women's ski podium. Photo by B. Long.

Women's Ski Results 

1. Christine Hargin, 65.00 
2. Nadine Wallner, 58.00 
3. Natalie Segal, 53.33
4. Pia Nic Gundersen, 40.33 
5. Ashley Maxfield, 12.00

Women's snowboard podium. Photo by R. SIHLIS.

Women's Snowboard Results 

1. Shannan Yates, 63.33 
2. Margot Rozies, 58.00 
3. Elodie Mouthon, 54.67 
4. Casey Lucas, 50.33 
5. Iris Lazzereschi, 43.00 
6. Aline Bock, 40.67 
7. Laura Dewey, 35.67 
8. Anouck Mouthon, 33.33
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