It’s official: Mia Jones is on a certified heater in 2026. The 20-year-old is a rookie on the Freeride World Tour, but she’s more than made her presence felt. A Truckee, California native and daughter of legend Jeremy Jones, Mia won her first event last month in Baqueira Beret, Spain, riding so solid in what officials called firm conditions.
Yesterday, in much better snow, Jones showed off her snowboarding acumen, riding a pair of tight couloirs to perfection and stomping a sizable air to take out the first Freeride World Championships sanctioned by FIS (the International Ski and Snowboard Federation) in Andorra. The regular-footer made the event course look fantastic, with stylish riding at high speeds – always a winner in the freeride judging booth.
Mia is in the ratings lead on the tour after her win in Spain and a third in France. There are four events remaining, including Georgia (the country), Austria, Alaska, and then Verbier, Switzerland, the birthplace of the Freeride World Tour. She is the only American with a ratings lead on either the snowboard or ski side.
The FIS Freeride World Champs is a one-off event that many say could be a precursor to Olympic inclusion. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to go towards the athletes’ overall points total, so while it was considered a world championships in title, Jones is still vying to win the overall title of the Freeride World Tour.
The day wasn’t without controversy, though. The ski women went last in Andorra, and at that point, the face was fairly bombed out from all the other athletes making their runs. The weather came in and ultimately, the competition was validated even though five women on the ski side couldn’t make their descents.
Still, a great effort from Jones as she continues a dream run this season.
