Like every sporting league in the world, the Freeride World Tour has had to fight the good fight to get its events off the ground in 2021. Which is to say, it’s been a monumental feat to get through this season, and for that alone the FWT should be celebrated. The Tour released a wicked little highlight reel from its first two events this week (above), both held at Ordino Arcalís Resort in Andorra due to COVID restrictions that cancelled Canada’s Kicking Horse event. This just ahead of the Tour’s signature contest, the Xtreme Verbier in Switzerland scheduled for “the end of this week or early next,” according to tour officials. (With new snow, conditions are said to be looking prime.)
Despite the trials and tribulations, the Tour seems to be thriving. Mostly because it features some absolutely insane athletes that continue to push it in the big mountain theater. The highlights have been many. Snowboarder Marion Haerty, at this point in her career one of the greatest freeride athletes ever, sealed up her fourth world championship with two consecutive event wins. Alta, Utah local Andrew Pollard won the opening event and currently sits fifth in the title hunt ahead of Verbier. And 20-year-old Colorado-native Blake Moller has taken the tour by storm, winning the first Andorra event, following that up with a runner-up finish in the second, which landed him atop the leaderboard in men’s snowboarding. The kid could win a world title if he finishes well in Verbier.
In anticipation for the season finale, the FWT released this highlight reel and there’s more than enough send to go around. Hedvig Wessel’s backflip stands out, as does Victor de Le Rue‘s massive gap. Enjoy.
Find out more at FreerideWorldTour.com
