Cowl Picture – Jeremy Bernard

After a 48 hour climate delay, the Austrian skies went blue and the fourth cease of the 2023 Freeride World Tour was a go on Thursday, March sixteenth! With a stupendous coat of contemporary snow, the long-lasting Wildseeloder mountain couldn’t have been extra picturesque. With snow circumstances various across the face and each snowboarding teams having already dropped, there have been difficult facets to the day for our skiers. The remaining riders who made the minimize following the earlier FWT cease in Kicking Horse, BC have been able to rumble, and we have been handled to the most effective performances of the season. The six ladies and eleven males who dropped in painted their approach with a mixture of large mountain charging and freestyle creativity; an ideal mixture for all who tuned in. Beneath you’ll discover outcomes, highlights, images and extra from Fieberbrunn, Austria.

Within the Ski Girls’s subject three of the six riders struggled to put down their chosen line. Elisabeth Gerritzen (NS), Addison Rafford and Molly Armanino all encountered difficult circumstances on their traces that occurred to get the very best of them. Molly had an unimaginable promising run as she charged her approach throughout the whole course, however fell quick simply close to the tip as she couldn’t maintain on to a big air within the last stretch. These three will undoubtably be hungry for extra come time for the Xtreme Verbier. In third place was Megane Betend. The French phenom had an unbelievable restoration a 3rd of the best way by her line, as she rode out of what seemed to be an unintentional 360 after getting hung up in an extremely steep and rocky part of the course. Whereas it was a maneuver that left everybody cheering for extra, and the remainder of her run was executed with model and energy, she was docked factors within the Management class. Justine Dufour-Lapointe took residence second place, making her the present chief within the Ski Girls’s subject heading into the fifth and last cease. Whereas Justine’s run was unimaginable, full with a number of airs, shifty, and highly effective turns, the day belonged to Arianna Tricomi. With six years on the tour and half as many FWT titles, Arianna isn’t any stranger to performing beneath strain. She wanted to carry out nice to spice up her odds going into the finale, and carry out she did. The Italian Stallion took a inventive line on the lookers left aspect of the course, as she hit a number of airs, dialed in a 360, and held pristine management by blazing speeds.

“I had a number of enjoyable with my run. In some components, the snow was a bit crusty, and different sections have been good, so I got here out with a number of pace at instances. My purpose was to do a 360, which I did, so I actually loved it. Being again on tour is magical for certain!” – Arianna Tricomi

Within the Ski Males’s subject, we noticed three riders, (Marcus Goguen, Max Palm, Finn Bilous) all obtain NS on account of robust crashes throughout their runs. The remaining eight riders struggled to clear over 80 factors, with solely the highest 4 finishers doing so. Granted, the scoring is difficult in these last two stops, however these scores additionally level to difficult circumstances all through. When contemplating this, the highest scorers performances are fairly admirable. It was the French rookie Oscar Mandin who took third place, including to his earlier second place end throughout this years first cease at Baquiera-Beret. Oscar’s line took him to the lookers proper of the course, with a number of massive airs and delightful flat 3. Second place belonged to the reigning FWT Ski Males’s champion Maxime Chabloz. Maxime has been comparatively quiet on the tour when in comparison with his unbelievable efficiency final 12 months, however the Swiss ripper has nonetheless had a number of podiums and is snowboarding lights out heading into the ultimate cease, as he’s solely 1500 behind the primary place Valentin Rainer. He stomped one of many bigger backflips we noticed on the market, and whereas he was almost caught up on a touchdown and some turns, his staple cork 7 and durable turns in the direction of the tip introduced him the rostrum. The primary place finisher was none aside from Andrew Pollard. Alta’s prodigal son placed on arguably his greatest efficiency of the 12 months, as he demonstrated technical large mountain talents with a mixture of freeride prowess, (together with a tasteful daffy). With two lofty 360s and several other switch airs, Andrew painted his was down the Wildseeloder in mesmerizing model.

“It was a protracted week ready for the circumstances to be proper, however we proved that the climate window works and that generally delaying the beginning is the very best factor to do. I used to be glad to place down my run, which is all the time more durable on a protracted venue like this. I didn’t assume I may win anymore with all of the younger youngsters on tour, so I’m simply grateful to be right here in Austria and stoked to win.” – Andrew Pollard

Ski Girls’s Podium

1. Arianna Tricomi (ITA)
2. Justine Dufour-Lapointe (CAN)
3. Megane Betend (FRA)

Ski Males’s Podium

1. Andrew Pollard (USA)
2. Maxime Chabloz (SUI)
3. Oscar Mandin (FRA)

Click on right here for the official FWT replay from cease 4. With the Yeti Xtreme Verbier finale just some days away, keep tuned for motion forward. Wax your twigs and get fired up! It’s March Insanity on skis, child.

Picture Gallery

Images courtesy of the Freeride World Tour

Images by Jeremy Bernard

Shouldn’t the Freeride World Tour promote riders jerseys? That will be candy. Xtreme Verbier right here we come!