FIS's Inspection Commission Sochi Freestyle and Snowboard Venues

Following the Olympic Results Information Service (ORIS) homologation testing of the systems in Sochi (RUS) in early July 2013, the FIS Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard staff met with experts of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee for another site inspection.The Extreme Park in Kasnaya Polyana/Rosa Khutor, the site of the Olympic Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard competitions is now in its final preparation phaseof the six courses, with only a few fine-tuning adjustments remaining.

While the previous inspection in May 2013 focused on an extensive review of the test competitions, this time the first off-snow inspection of the finish area design took place in order to ensure all logistical expectations, between the sport, media and teams can be met during Games’ time.
"As we are running five back-to-back Snowboard events for ladies and men, another use of every meter of space is predetermined", highlighted FIS Snowboard Race Director Uwe Beier.
On the Freestyle Skiing side, which also features five events and 10 competitions, things are looking positive as well: "Our focus was clearly on the set-up of the finish area with the rights holders, mixed zones and coaches’ zones getting defined. After five years of planning and work, it is good to see the end in sight, but the last ten percent of work usually takes the most effort. We can now imagine that the setting is going to be very special for all of our competitions", underlined FIS Freestyle Skiing Coordinator Joseph Fitzgerald.
Aside from the finish area, comments and remarks from the test competitions, schedules, as well as roles and duties of National Technical Officials were reviewed in detail.
Additionally, the first traces of the Olympic spirit have been seen by the FIS representatives: "Besides the sport-related issues, it is good to see the construction dust slowly disappearing and the resort coming alive. We already saw many tourists who came up from the city enjoying their time in the mountains and in Rosa Khutor", concluded Uwe Beier.

Sochi was elected as the host city for the XXII Olympic Winter Games at the 119th IOC Session in Guatemala City on 4 July 2007. The Sochi 2014 Games will play host to the seven Olympic Winter sports (Skiing, Skating, Luge, Biathlon, Ice Hockey, Curling, and Bobsleigh) currently on the Olympic programme and will run from 7 to 23 February 2014.

Best of the Alps continues World Snow Day partnership

For the first two editions of World Snow Day, Best of the Alps has created a series of meaningful and exciting events for some very special children and hasagreed to extend its participation for the 3rd edition in 2014.
Many of the Best of the Alps member resorts are famous locations for FIS World Cup events. Popular for their well-established infrastructure, their close links to the region in which they are located and their blend of tradition and progress, they are some of the best known winter ski destinations in Europe’s Alpine countries.

For the second edition of World Snow Day on 19th January 2013, a selected group of Best of the Alps Resorts have worked closely with the SOS Children’s Villages, BMW and ADAC (the German Automobile Association). Children from SOS Children’s villages in France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Austria have been transported to the nearest Best of the Alps resort to enjoy a day on the snow. To ensure the children have the best time, a series of great activities were provided to help them explore, enjoy and experience the snow.
World Snow Day is the second phase of the 'Bring Children to the Snow' campaign. The first phase of the campaign, called SnowKidz, was launched in 2009. The SnowKidz project aims to encourage FIS Member National Ski Associations to promote snow sports within their country.
The concept for World Snow Day was developed by FIS in consultation with other organizations involved in snow sports, such as the National Ski Associations, their ski clubs and event organizers, ski schools, ski industry, tourism organizations, mountain lift associations and many more, in order to tackle the general decline in youth participation in snow sports. The World Snow Day aims to support and encourage involvement from children and families alike with the goal of creating a new channel to reach the younger target groups and to bring newcomers to snow whilst offering something special to those who already participate.

Best of the Alps is the European collaboration of the twelve world famous tourist destinations of the Alps - Chamonix Mont-Blanc, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Davos, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Grindelwald, Kitzbühel, Lech/Zürs am Arlberg, Megève, Seefeld, St. Anton am Arlberg, St. Moritz and Zermatt. Best of the Alps is the only organisation of this size at this level and has existed for more than 20 years. In 2011, FIS President Gian Franco Kasper was honoured with the Best of the Alps Award. It is an honour bestowed every year by the twelve members of Best of the Alps Classic Mountain Resorts presented to persons in recognition of their outstanding services and achievements in the spheres of sport and tourism that serve to promote and enhance the cultural, social and political life of the European Alpine region.

Engadin St. Moritz Selects Inntopia to power its reservation center

Inntopia is pleased to announce the premier Swiss resort of Engadin St. Moritz as its first European destination.
Booking a ski vacation at St. Moritz, Switzerland just became easier, as Engadin St. Moritz has selected Inntopia to power its reservation center. Inntopia offers a flexible system that enables reservations for everything that St. Moritz has to offer. For guests, this means that all services -from hotel and lifts to ski schools and ski rental - can be booked simply and conveniently online through the central tourism website, www.engadin.stmoritz.ch for the coming winter season.

For Engadin St. Moritz, this partnership with Inntopia is an important milestone in their efforts to offer their guests an attractive holiday booking experience from a single source. "The ability to easily and dynamically combine different services with each other was the key reason we selected the Inntopia platform", says Ariane Ehrat, CEO of Engadin St. Moritz. "Besides making the booking process easy for guests, the new technology will also simplify the internal workings of our tourism organization".
Inntopia is already widely used by top vacation destinations in the United States, Canada, and Australia. The new partnership with St. Moritz represents Inntopia's first destination in the European market. "We are thrilled to add St. Moritz to the list of premier vacation destinations using Inntopia to power their reservations", says Trevor Crist, CEO of Inntopia. "Their decision validates that Inntopia's innovative reservation platform is as applicable to the European market as it is to the US, Canadian, and Australian markets".
Inntopia is the leading advanced reservation platform for the destination travel industry, powering destination resorts, ski resorts, tour operators, and travel suppliers. The Inntopia platform also gives agents access to popular activities and attractions in these same destinations. Skiing, heli-skiing, whitewater rafting, zip line treks, golf, fishing guides, and mountain biking are just some of the options available.
Travel providers manage their rates and availability directly in the Inntopia system, or connect through one of the many interfaces available. Agent commissions are processed by Inntopia as well, through their own commission clearing house.

Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee Presents Competition Schedule

The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee has presented the Competition Schedule for the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. The Sochi 2014 Games will be held from 7 – 23 February 2013.
The Competition Schedule includes information about all the competitions taking place during the Games and also the Olympic Ice Hockey tournament table, approved by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
The Sochi 2014 Games will take place over 17 days and feature 7 Olympic sports. In total, 98 medals will be awarded. During the Games in Sochi 6,000 Olympic athletes and team members from around 85 countries will come to the Games.
The Sochi 2014 Sports Program has set an Olympic record, both for the overall number of competitions taking place as well the number of new events included in the program.
In total, 12 events have been added to the Sochi Olympic Games Sports Program. As a result, the total number of events and medals in the program is 98, of which 29 will be held in the Coastal Cluster and 69 in Mountain cluster. That is 12 more than at the Vancouver 2010 Games and 14 times more than at the Turin 2006 Games.

The Games in Sochi has a record number of events added to the program, far more than Albertville (11 new events), Salt Lake City (10 new events), Turin (6 new events) and Vancouver (2 new events).
9 of the 12 new events in the Sochi 2014 Olympic Program will feature one of the most progressive sports - skiing.
In addition women will compete in ski jumping for the first time in Olympic history.
The number of competitions taking place at the Games popular among young people has significantly increased as 8 events in freestyle skiing and snowboard (4 in each discipline) have been added to the Olympic program including ski halfpipe, ski slopestyle, snowboard slopestyle and snowboard parallel slalom.
Team events have also been added to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Program in 3 disciplines: figure skating, bobsleigh (relay) and biathlon (mixed relay).
The Olympic Competition Schedule has been approved by International Sports Federations, the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Broadcasting Service (OBS), but may still undergo minor alterations. These can be followed on the official website of the Winter Games.

There are seven sports in the Olympic program. These are biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, skating, skiing, luge and ice hockey. Each of the sports is supervised by a separate international sports federation.
The next step of the program is the Olympic sports disciplines. There are 15 Olympic disciplines. There are disciplines where the name is that of the sport. These are biathlon, curling, luge and ice hockey. The remaining sports are split into the relevant disciplines. Thus, the skiing consists of six disciplines - Alpine skiing, Nordic combined, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, snowboard and freestyle skiing. Skating has three disciplines - speed skating, figure skating and short track. Finally, the bobsleigh includes two disciplines - skeleton and bobsleigh itself.
The number of sports and disciplines for inclusion in the Olympic program is determined 7 years before the Games (Olympic Charter). Thus, the sports and disciplines of the 2014 Games were determined by the IOC in 2007 at the IOC Executive Committee in Guatemala.
More recent changes concern the events. The number of events is fully consistent with the number of sets of medals, which will be contested at the Olympics - in Sochi there will be 98.
The Sochi 2014 Sports Program included 6 new events in April and the same amount in July 2011. The total amount of new added events in the Olympic program is 12. It is a record program increase in Olympic Winter Games history.

The Ski Week. The Alpine Tour

The Ski Week brand and concept is owned by European Travel Ventures - a private limited company registered in Stockholm, Sweden and the head office is in London, UK.
Following the steps of the Yacht Week, the company will launch in March 2014 the Ski Week. European Travel Ventures want to create the ultimate winter event. It will be a week filled with skiing, music, parties and guests from all over the world. Every day will be exceptional, every night something magical.
The Alpine Tour will survey the best resorts so that The Ski Week is the best it possibly can be when it is launched in 2014. A team of The Yacht Week veterans has been travelling across the Alps for 26 days searching for the deepest snow, intensest parties and the most unique resorts. The search started in Austria on 7th March, 2013, continuing through Switzerland, France and Italy. The goal is to offer you the best week of skiing you've ever had.

 

FIS SnowKidz Award 2014

In September 2013, the FIS member National Ski Associations will be invited to apply with their projects for the 3rd ‘FIS SnowKidz Award', presented as part of the ‘Bring Children to the Snow' campaign. This award aims to recognise and promote the best examples of bringing children to the snow in varying national circumstances.

The FIS SnowKidz Award 2012 was presented at the 48th International Ski Congress in Kangwonland (KOR). The judging panel had a difficult time deciding the final eight projects from 21 nominations. In the end, the judges could not separate Germany’s School Sport Concept and the Czech Republic’s SnowKidz events and the two countries tied for 1st position.
The FIS SnowKidz Award 2014 will be presented at the 49th International Ski Congress in Barcelona (ESP). Event Organisers wishing to apply must contact their National Ski Association who is the responsible organisation for submitting applications to FIS. Projects must be on-going or no older than two years. Each National Ski Association may submit a maximum of two projects. All eight projects selected for the final round and presented at the FIS Congress 2014 will receive a certificate and CHF 5’000. The winning projects will receive additional CHF 10’000 (1st prize), CHF 8’000 (2nd prize) and CHF 5’000 (3rd prize).

In November 2008, the FIS Council decided to initiate a campaign to 'Bring Children to the Snow'. The campaign has been divided into two dimensions: an International Communication Campaign and a National Activity Campaign with different projects and programs depending on the country.
The main aim of the FIS campaign is creating a pool of lifetime skiers and snow lovers among small children. The campaign is about bringing newcomers to snow and keeping those with initial experience there. At the same time, it is not focused on generating competitors for any particular FIS discipline in the first instance

FIS Awards Marketing and Commercial Rights to the 2019 and 2021 Alpine and Nordic World Ski Championships

FIS awarded the marketing of all commercial rights to the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships and the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships taking place in 2019 and 2021 to Infront Sports & Media. This was announced after the spring meeting of the FIS Council in Cavtat-Dubrovnik.
The agreement between the federation and the international sports marketing company includes the distribution of worldwide media rights across all platforms and territories. It also covers the complete spectrum of marketing rights, including title sponsorship, presenting sponsorship and hospitality packages.

Furthermore, Infront will handle media production of the four events, transmitting an HD signal to broadcasters around the world.
Gian Franco Kasper, FIS President stated: "The FIS World Championships in the Alpine and Nordic Events have demonstrated their status amongst the most important winter sports events. We are confident that the new partnership between FIS and Infront to market and broadcast the Championships in 2019 and 2021 can develop them even further and especially on a global basis".
Bruno Marty, Executive Director Winter Sports at Infront, commented: "Covering two global event highlights, the agreement marks a milestone in the continuous enhancement of Infront’s top-level winter sports portfolio. We thank the FIS for its trust in our expertise and are proud to provide it with the full spectrum of commercial support out of one hand. We will greatly contribute our experience from marketing a majority of FIS World Cup events and further boost the commercial strength of the FIS Alpine and Nordic World Championships. The experience we have gained from jointly developing the media production standards for FIS World Cup events, will further contribute to an increased appeal".

The hosts for the 2019 and 2021 FIS Alpine and Nordic World Ski Championships are not yet determined. Bids for the 2019 Alpine event have been submitted by Are (Sweden) and Cortina d’Ampezzo (ITA). Candidates for the 2019 Nordic event include Almaty (Kazakhstan), Oberstdorf (Germany), Planica (Slovenia) and Seefeld (Austria). A proven track record in the marketing of FIS events as media and/or marketing partner to the majority of national associations hosting FIS World Cup events across various disciplines, Infront is already profoundly involved in the sport on a global level. In this role, it has facilitated global media rights distribution through a collective approach, developed and produced attractive programming formats and increased worldwide visibility for the series. On the sponsorship side, Infront has successfully implemented a streamlined sponsorship approach across more than 50 races in Alpine skiing – guaranteeing high exclusivity and an impactful positioning to sponsors.

Together with the FIS, Infront has also established guidelines to ensure a consistent quality in media production across the entire season. Thanks to its know-how and capabilities in the field, the group has also produced selected events with its own team. In the past, Infront has already collaborated with FIS for the media rights distribution of the FIS Alpine and Nordic World Ski Championships outside of Europe. As a shareholder of FIS Marketing AG, it is involved in the marketing of FIS controlled rights to the FIS World Cup.

Infront Sports & Media, based in Zug, Switzerland, is one of the leading international sports marketing companies in the world. Infront has around 500 employees in 20 offices across 10 countries, including Austria, China, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland as well as countries hosting a major sports event. The company enjoys successful partnerships with 120 rights-holders and hundreds of sponsors and media companies.
In 2012, Infront successfully delivered over 3,300 event-days including 18 World Championships. 

Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face 2014 Competition Schedule Announced

Event organizers of the Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face have announced the details of the 2013-14 season schedule. Following the tremendous success of the inaugural globally unified Freeride World Tour (FWT), athletes and fans alike are eagerly awaiting next season’s competition to unfold live via webcast of all six stops on freerideworldtour.com. Over 637,000 viewers tuned in during the 2013 season to watch the world’s top freeride skiers and snowboarders compete on the most impressive terrain on the planet.

"To me, the 2013 season has marked a turning point for the FWT and for our sport. Freeride has achieved a certain maturity after existing for 20 years through competitions, and its legitimacy has been proven" said FWT Europe Region General Manager Nicolas Hale-Woods. "Its future is promising and we can even tell you now that the 2014 season is going to be awesome with 6 stops in the world’s most famous mountain resorts. The always growing list of FWT qualification events proves that young people’s interest for freeride is increasing".

"This past season was an incredible achievement for everyone involved on the Freeride World Tour", said FWT Americas Region General Manager Adam Comey. "Finally, we have crowned four true world champions in both men’s and women’s freeride skiing and snowboarding. This achievement represents the necessary progression of the sport and foreshadows even greater visibility for the sport to come".

The 2013-14 FWT will take place at the same six stops as the previous season. Each stop has a five to eight day weather window designed to provide optimal competition conditions. The tour will start at Revelstoke Mountain Resort, CAN (Dec. 18, 2013) and then cross the Atlantic to Courmayeur, ITA (Jan. 18, 2014) and Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, FRA (Jan. 25, 2014). From there, the tour will continue in Europe at Fieberbrunn PillerseeTal, AUT (Feb. 1, 2014) before returning to North America at Kirkwood Mountain Resort (March 1, 2014). After the Kirkwood stop an athlete cut will be made determining which riders will advance to the Swatch Xtreme Verbier by The North Face (March 22, 2014) and compete to be the new Freeride world champions. Additionally, the tour is thrilled to have the continued support of its title sponsor, Swatch, and presenting partner, The North Face.

Carlo Giordanetti, Creative Director at Swatch, said, "Nothing compares with the thrills and excitement of freeride skiing and snowboarding. We’re delighted to be the title sponsor, for the third year running, of this most spectacular freeride event. As a global brand, we help promote worldwide visibility for the sport as the Freeride World Tour jumps from one spectacular venue to the next. We are proud to support these amazing athletes, as they represent Swatch values at their best: dynamism, youth, provocation and the wish to go beyond the limits! They are a real expression of freedom and beauty".

In addition to top tier Freeride World Tour competitions, nearly 50 Freeride World Qualifier (FWQ) events ranging from one to five stars will take place around the world providing opportunities for talent to develop and emerge. The first FWQs will take place in the Southern Hemisphere in New Zealand and Chile. Riders participating in FWQ events throughout the season will earn points, which could potentially advance them to the 2015 FWT.

"After the very successful 2013 edition of the newly unified Tour, both in terms of the level of the competition itself and the communication with an everyday growing audience for the sport, we are very excited to confirm our support to big mountain freeriding and the entire The North Face team is very much looking forward to a second edition that will surely bring us again amazing riding and new heights in engagement with the fans", said Eric Pansier, VP Marketing EMEA The North Face. 

A new funicular for Zermatt

After 32 years the Sunnegga funicular in Zermatt is to undergo a complete refit. By early summer 2013, you will be able to glide up to Sunnegga on new tracks aboard an ultramodern railway. Carrying capacity is to be increased, but there is also a focus on greater comfort for passengers. Entirely new equipment will be installed in the existing tunnel. The necessary structural modifications will be made this summer as well as during the regular autumn break in operations. During an eight-week period in spring 2013, the electromechanical equipment, tracks and rolling stock will be completely replaced. A total investment of about 12 million Swiss francs is planned.

The refurbishment promises a tangible improvement in passenger comfort: the sprung undercarriage and sound-proofed interior will make for a quiet journey. LED lighting will create a pleasant ambience. Passengers will have more room, with the space available for each seat increasing from 0.17 to 0.21m2. The seating capacity of the trains will rise from 170 to 200, which equates to 2570 passengers an hour. To make this possible, the trains will be longer: 30 metres, with three coaches, each of four compartments. The greater length means the floor of the upper compartment will come to a stop level with the station exit. The speed of travel will increase from the present 10m/sec (36km/h) to 12m/sec (43.2km/h). The folding front door will give easier access for goods transport.
The end of the winter season on 22 April 2013 sees the start of eight weeks of intensive work (using a multiple shift system) on all fronts. The aim is to ensure the new funicular is ready for handover and can start operations when the summer season opens on 15 June 2013. Generally speaking, the work will be spread over three seasons, occupying the normal inspection and maintenance periods, in order not to interrupt operations on Sunnegga. Only the spring maintenance period will be extended, by two weeks.

If everything goes according to plan, the opening of the new funicular will take place on Saturday, 15 June 2013! Zermatt Bergbahnen AG is looking forward to the next 30 years and to carrying another 30 million or more passengers on a state-of-the-art funicular.
The Sunnegga area was opened up in 1942 with the installation of a ski and walking lift, which was replaced in 1946 by a chair lift. In the 1970s, with capacity bottlenecks an increasingly frequent problem, it was decided to build a funicular railway. After four years’ construction and a total investment of CHF 26.93 million, it was opened on 28 November 1980. The funicular was recognized far beyond the borders of Switzerland as a genuine innovation in tourist transport systems and soon became a popular attraction. On 3 March 1982, after only 15 months’ operation, the railway was able to celebrate carrying its millionth passenger. By the time of the merger in 2002, the number of passengers had surpassed 17 million. Since then, Zermatt Bergbahnen AG has carried a further 14,129,218 passengers on the Sunnegga funicular, so there is no doubt that it has earned an overhaul! Starting in the winter of 1985/86, the Swiss Federal Office of Transport allowed driverless operation at a reduced speed (5m/sec) and from May 1996 onwards, at the full speed of 10m/sec.

Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face 2014 Calendar

The 2013-14 Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face will take place at the same six stops as the previous season. Each stop has a five to eight day weather window designed to provide optimal competition conditions.

Competition Calendar:

1. Swatch Freeride World Tour Revelstoke by The North Face®
Location: Revelstoke, CAN
Dates: Dec. 18, 2013
Disciplines: Men's and Women's Ski and Snowboard

2. Swatch Freeride World Tour Courmayeur by The North Face®
Location: Courmayeur, ITA
Dates: Jan. 18, 2014
Disciplines: Men's Ski and Snowboard

3. Swatch Freeride World Tour Chamonix-Mont-Blanc by The North Face®
Location: Chamonix-Mount-Blanc, FRA
Dates: Jan. 25, 2014
Disciplines: Men's and Women's Ski and Snowboard

4. Swatch Freeride World Tour Fieberbrunn PillerseeTal by The North Face®
Location: Fieberbrunn PillerseeTal, AUT
Dates: Feb. 1, 2014
Disciplines: Men's and Women's Ski and Snowboard

5. Swatch Freeride World Tour Kirkwood by The North Face®
Location: Kirkwood, USA
Dates: March 1, 2014
Disciplines: Men's and Women's Ski and Snowboard

6. Swatch Xtreme Verbier by The North Face®
Location: Verbier, SUI
Dates: March 22, 2014
Disciplines: Men's and Women's Ski and Snowboard

Allalin Saas-Fee. The race that burns your thighs

From April 12th to 13th the legendary Allalin Races take place in Saas-Fee, Switzerland. Around 1000 participants are expected at the amateur downhill race. The track descends over a length of 9 kilometers and overcomes an altitude difference of 1800 meters – no wonder your legs start burning!
This year the worldcup skistars from Valais Fränzi Aufdenblatten and Silvan Zurbriggen will open the His&Hers Race on Friday. The other participants of the race can challenge themselves by trying to be better than them. Afterwards Fränzi and Silvan will give their autographs at the VIP-tent.
The Allalin Races in Saas-Fee belong to the four most popular amateur downhill races in Switzerland. The “Super Vier” amateur downhill series consists of the four races Belalp-Hexe, the Inferno Mürren, the Parsenn Derby Davos and the Allalin Races Saas-Fee. Every year the overall masters of the whole series will be announced. The award ceremony and the presentation of the much-coveted cup always take place at the Allalin Races in Saas-Fee as it is the last one of the series.

For over 30 years the Allalin Races and the famous afterparties attract ambitious amateur racers as well as wintersports fans who join the competition just for fun. Surrounded by the highest mountains in Switzerland the race starts on an altitude of 3600 meters above sea level and aims the village on only 1800 meters.

The challenging downhill race was mastered for the first time in 1946. Back than the participants had to hike up to the mountain hut on Längfluh, only to get up the next morning and hike further to the top of the Allalinhorn on 4027 meters. The following race down didn’t happen on perfectly prepared slopes like nowadays. No, they had to pass the dangerous crevasses while getting through powder snow.

Participants can enter four different categories: the Team Race, the Fun Team Race, the His&Hers Race, and the individual men’s or women’s races. Men and women in the individual races usually intent to aim the best time. The participants in the Fun Team Race descend just for fun at a leisurely pace. A pit-stop at a mountain restaurant along the way is almost mandatory and dressing up is actively encouraged. Apparently, in the past a team has even plonked themselves down in the snow for a quick cheese fondue. It’s no wonder, then, that teams in this category have been known to take over five hours to “race” down to the finish line. By contrast, an ambitious, highly trained athlete can complete the course in less than five minutes!

The catering in the finish-area of the race will reward the racers with food and drinks. The atmosphere already heats up around lunch time, when the duo “Alpenflieger” starts playing their partysongs. In the evening the rockband “Wildbach” all the way from Austria will get everybody to dance.

Best of of the Swatch Xtreme Verbier 2013 by The North Face

The Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face 2013 (FWT) came to an end on the mythical Bec des Rosses face in Verbier, Switzerland.

The 18th edition of the legendary "Verbier Xtreme" proved once again that the 2013 season of the Freeride World Tour has taken the sport to even higher levels of progression. The most notable evolution is the spectacular mix of freestyle trickery with fast riding testing faces without holding back fluidity and control. More "traditional" big mountain chargers are still rewarded when they approach the competitions full throttle without hesitation.

Thousands of thrilled spectators onsite and more than 180'000 viewers on the live webcast watched the spectacular show go down in real time.

Freeride World Tour Champions Crowned

A historic season of the Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face 2013 (FWT)  came to an end with jaw dropping action on the mythical Bec des Rosses face in Verbier, Switzerland. The four Freeride World Tour Champions were crowned at the end of a six-event global series. For the 18th edition of the legendary "Verbier Xtreme" the athletes took on the challenging face with great skill. Thousands of thrilled spectators onsite and more than 180'000 viewers on the live webcast watched the spectacular show go down in real time.

Only the highest ranked 2013 FWT athletes and a few exclusive wild cards qualified for the steeps of the infamous Bec des Rosses. With a solid base, thanks to great snow conditions all season and the additional fresh snow earlier in the week, the intimidating face was in great condition to provide a world-class venue for the riders.

The final event proved once again that the 2013 season of the Freeride World Tour has taken the sport to even higher levels of progression. The most notable evolution is the spectacular mix of freestyle trickery with fast riding testing faces without holding back fluidity and control. More "traditional" big mountain chargers are still rewarded when they approach the competitions full throttle without hesitation.

Men's Ski
Victory on the Bec des Rosses and the race for the Freeride World Champion title was a true nail biter, playing out with the five last riders of the day. Kevin Guri of France skied a spectacular high speed run landing a big air, which put the Frenchman on the top spot of the day, with a score of 86.33 points. Guri, age 23, was elated taking both his first victory and podium of the year at the prestigious
The battle for the overall title kept the fans in suspense till the very last rider out of the gate, Reine Barkered (SWE). The solid Swede and 2012 Champion took second with an outstanding run on the "Bec" but it was not enough to hold on to the title. Drew Tabke (USA), finishing an exceptional season with a sixth place at Verbier, was crowned the new Freeride World Tour Champion.

Tabke, a veteran of freeride competitions, won the season's first competition in Revelstoke (CAN) and never let go of the top spot on the overall standings. Tabke's style of riding could be described as a benchmark for the 2013 season; a very talented skier, capable of mixing freestyle tricks and big mountain skills on the same run with solid hard charging but still very fluid skiing.

"This is what I've worked for throughout almost 10 years of competition. Verbier couldn't be a better place to do it. It's a lot of time we put in. We all dedicate a lot of our lives to this so to have it come around is a big payoff for sure. There is a lot of amazing history in freeriding that has pushed us to this moment and I'm really excited to see what will happen the next few years too".

Men's Snowboard

Ralph Backstrom (USA) doubled it down by taking victory and winning the World Champion title with a close to flawless run on the Bec des Rosses. Scoring the high points of 93.67. Backstrom charged down the face right out of the start gate, taking several impressive airs. The battle for first was severe, as several potential champions were putting it all on the line to earn the top spot. Big mountain rider Aurélien Routens' (FRA) confidence almost paid off, but he still managed to take second in front of his countryman and defending World Champion Jonathan Charlet in third.

Ralph Backstrom, probably the most consistent rider of the field, has been close to the Freeride World Tour title for several years. The talented American was very moved to finally have reached the top spot: "I've got no words. I'm pretty emotional. I've had a lot of years trying to get this. I've been second a few times and really happy to finally take down the whole tour! There have been a few ups and downs this year, first winning in Revelstoke and then quite a variable season, so I'm really stoked to end on a high note here in Verbier".

Women's Ski

 After her rookie success, taking second at Fieberbrunn-PillerseeTal (AUT), Matilda Rapaport of Sweden received a wildcard to Verbier only two days ago. She continued her streak by dominating the women's field on the intimidating face, starting the run with an impressive cliff drop, charging down with very solid riding and several big jumps. She took the prestigious victory by scoring 84.67 points. The second wild card of the day, Austrian Lorraine Huber, skied a similar line and scored second place with 81.0 points.

Austrian Nadine Wallner (AUT) could have played it safe in Verbier as she already had secured the World Champion title after her victory at Fieberbrunn-PillerseeTal. But once again she demonstrated consistent, strong skiing, finishing third. Wallner, who qualified for the tour through the Freeride World Qualifier system, was still overwhelmed by her performance: "It's hard to believe it. It's my first year on the tour and I did not expect to win the overall title! I was focusing on each contest. Every competition is special and I was really stoked to ski the Bec des Rosses for the first time in such great conditions!".

Women's Snowboard

In a tight and very competent field of women snowboarders, Elodie Mouthon (FRA) came out on top on the Bec des Rosses with the high score of 86.33 points. Her fast, aggressive riding paid off, linking several great airs in a fluid line. The local rookie Estelle Ballet (SUI) earned respect by taking second in front of season favorite Margot Rozies (FRA) even though both riders had similar impressive runs down the powder covered face.

With the win in Verbier and a total of four podium finishes, Elodie Mouthon, managed to grab the Freeride World Champion title on her first year on the tour. "I am really thrilled to both win here today and win the world champion title. It's my first season on the tour and I am happy with my overall results at each event. It helped me build confidence coming in to the finals today. I felt good on the face and my goal was to do a fluid but challenging run".

Nicolas Hale-Woods, FWT General Manager Europe wraps it up: “Year after year the athletes keep on enthralling us at the Verbier Xtreme. The Bec des Rosses is unique and we’re very proud to be on our 18th edition of the event! The level of riding has been amazing all season. The sport is progressing every year. With hundred thousands of people now following the tour, either live on the Internet, onsite at events or in the media, the sport has grown to a higher level of international recognition. The spectacular riding, the international representation of athletes, the high quality imagery we produce and the wish to step it up at each event has allowed us to reach an all time high regarding spectator figures and media coverage. Now, with solid partners and resorts, we can already confirm that we will announce the 2014 in weeks to come",

Freeride World Champions to be crowned in Verbier, Switzerland

By Raúl Revuelta

All the excitement comes to a head at the sixth and final stage, the Swatch Xtreme Verbier 2013 by The North Face. The four Freeride World Tour Champions will be crowned at the 18th edition of the “Xtreme” when the athletes take on the legendary and notorious Bec des Rosses, considered the pinnacle of freeride competitions.

Due to a storm predicted to hit the Verbier St Bernard region on Saturday, the Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face 2013(FWT) was re-scheduled to take place one day earlier than announced, on Friday March 22. Competition will start at 9 am CET (1 am PST) and live will start from 8:45 am.

With its extreme nature, only the best 12 male skiers, 6 male snowboarders, 5 female skiers and 4 female snowboarders of the 2013 FWT are qualified for the finals on the steeps of Bec des Rosses. In addition, there will also a few exciting exclusive wild cards, including three-time world snowboard champion Xavier de Le Rue(FRA) and five-time Xtreme winner Steve Klassen (USA) in the male snowboard division, as well as Stefan Haeusl(AUT), Aurélien Ducroz (FRA), Samuel Anthamatten (SUI) and Seb Michaud (FRA) in the male skiers. In the snowboard category, upcoming talent and local rider Estelle Ballet (SUI) will also take part in the competition on her home mountain. Crystal Wright (USA) and Lorraine Huber (AUT), actual leader of the FWQ ranking also got the chance to ski the « Bec » in the female ski category.

The venue: Bec des Rosses.

This is the intimidatingly steep, massive pyramid of snow and rock where the final competition, the Xtreme Verbier is held each year. Its name alone is enough to strike fear into the hearts of those who have ridden it, as well as those who will confront it for the first time.
Few benchmarks in sports stand the test of time quite like the Xtreme Verbier. Surfing has Jaws. Formula One has the Monaco Grand Prix. Freeride has the Bec des Rosses. 2013 will be the 18th year in a row that a freeride competition has been held on this face, and new lines continue to be uncovered and new styles put to the test.

9th Glacier Bike Downhill Race in Saas-Fee

On March 24th, 2012 the 9th annual Glacier Downhill Bike Race will be held in Saas-Fee. This is no usual ride over hill and dale. Rather this race goes over ice and snow down to the glacier village. The riders will start en mass at 3’500m. During the first half of the race, enthralling fights are guaranteed to ensue for the lead position. It’s a race without spikes and of high velocity, with riders reaching speeds of 144 km/h. This year, the prize pool has a total value of 5‘000 Swiss Francs.

The mass start is on the Mittelallalin station at an altitude of 3’500m and goes down over the snowy and icy slopes to the glacier village at 1’800m. The riders have to manage 1’700 metres of altitude difference and 7 km of distance. First they ride on a narrow trail along the Fee glacier, which leads them to the panorama hill. For less experienced racers this is a real challenge. The hill is steep and has to be crossed at high speed. On this part of the trail, riders have been measured, per GPS, travelling at speeds of about 144 km/h.

Further down, the ride leads past the restaurant Morenia before entering the Valley run. This is going to be a very exciting part of the race with extremely steep passages, flat transits and narrow curves, and it is a real assessment of the rider and his material. The last part of the ride, a very flat passage, needs strength to be managed. The outcome of the race is often decided during this section of the course.

Shortly before the finish, the route becomes a little steeper. After reaching the desired end of the race, the award ceremony will take place and in the evening the riders party will be held at the Metropol Nightlife.