2015 freeride world tour

[sqikunst]

People should go go watch the gopro footage before judging imo. Venue was tame sort of but its sharky as hell atm. I was more disappointed tht the streif was shortened. Hamms run was a winner for me!

[dvlr]

your point about unification is really important and speaks to what I'm saying about a broad, representative pool of skiers to chose from. I think there is still a need for a North American-only tour, so skiers don't have to travel the world. AND the beauty of anonymity here is that I feel no pressure to defend myself, but you are way wrong. why would you make assumptions based on no information about someone? that's kinda' weird.

I take it you have never skied with anyone who has been in these comps?
I wish they hadn't done the unification, but maybe it's just economics. Having the junior tour is just not as fun to watch. But many of them still ski better than I do and have that comp skier mentality.

[klar]

First of all. Most of the top competitors on the FWQ (at least in Europe) are sponsored and does nothing else then skiing. They are pro-skiers. Not rich, but they are paid to ski.

Pretty sure "most" of the regulars get some gear and maybe what it costs to sign up for the events (about 100 - 150€ for 3 and 4 * comps), not a monthly salary.

as for how easy or not easy it is to get on through the qualifiers, if you want to get through the FWQ to the FWT in one season you pretty much need a few wildcards for high level FWQs, besides consistently good placements. With no previous points it's hard to get into anything better than a 2 star. Placing 8th in a 3 star was the same as winning a 2star last year in terms of points, the shift gets bigger with the 4* events. With one mediocre 3 or 4 star placement you can easily get more points than with a handful of podiums on 1 and 2 star events. The best (placement, not points) three results of one season make up your final point score of the season. You need the 3 and 4* events to move up and you can't get into those without winning a handful of smaller events, which you need to pay for and travel to. Most people who move up through the qualifiers need a lot longer than 1 year and quite some dedication in terms of time and money.

IMO in the qualifiers you see a lot of people (at least in the ski men category) skiing to either win or blow up. You take a big risk, it works out, you win and move up. It doesn't work out, you try again next time. There is too much competition to ski "safe" lines. On the FWT on the other hand there are a few people who consistently place just well enough to stay on (eg Stefan Häusl) by seemingly taking a well calculated, just right amount of risk without any flippy spinny experiments or mega hucks. Quite a few of the people who moved up from the FWQ with the all or nothing approach for last years FWT are now back in the FWQ.

Obviously there are some competitors on the FWT who are extremely well rounded skiers with perfect technique. There are also some with less than perfect technique who make up for it with the ability to stick a backflip off anything (e.g. Felix Wiemers with his debatable wildcard to please the German market, who by the way is a professional gymnast).

The people who win the FWT are the best freeride comp skiers around. They may or may not be the overall best skiers around, that depends entirely on your definition of good skiing.

[LiveLarger]

Pretty sure "most" of the regulars get some gear and maybe what it costs to sign up for the events (about 100 - 150€ for 3 and 4 * comps), not a monthly salary.

as for how easy or not easy it is to get on through the qualifiers, if you want to get through the FWQ to the FWT in one season you pretty much need a few wildcards for high level FWQs, besides consistently good placements. With no previous points it's hard to get into anything better than a 2 star. Placing 8th in a 3 star was the same as winning a 2star last year in terms of points, the shift gets bigger with the 4* events. With one mediocre 3 or 4 star placement you can easily get more points than with a handful of podiums on 1 and 2 star events. The best (placement, not points) three results of one season make up your final point score of the season. You need the 3 and 4* events to move up and you can't get into those without winning a handful of smaller events, which you need to pay for and travel to. Most people who move up through the qualifiers need a lot longer than 1 year and quite some dedication in terms of time and money.

IMO in the qualifiers you see a lot of people (at least in the ski men category) skiing to either win or blow up. You take a big risk, it works out, you win and move up. It doesn't work out, you try again next time. There is too much competition to ski "safe" lines. On the FWT on the other hand there are a few people who consistently place just well enough to stay on (eg Stefan Häusl) by seemingly taking a well calculated, just right amount of risk without any flippy spinny experiments or mega hucks. Quite a few of the people who moved up from the FWQ with the all or nothing approach for last years FWT are now back in the FWQ.

Obviously there are some competitors on the FWT who are extremely well rounded skiers with perfect technique. There are also some with less than perfect technique who make up for it with the ability to stick a backflip off anything (e.g. Felix Wiemers with his debatable wildcard to please the German market, who by the way is a professional gymnast).

The people who win the FWT are the best freeride comp skiers around. They may or may not be the overall best skiers around, that depends entirely on your definition of good skiing.

I agree with most of this, apart from knowing that at least some of the guys do get paid. To move up to FWT, you need to kill it in FWQ and it's not easy at all.

[glademaster]

They might get paid, but there are about a dozen freeskiers in the world who make enough money to live solely from sponsorship dollars.

[klar]

I agree with most of this, apart from knowing that at least some of the guys do get paid. To move up to FWT, you need to kill it in FWQ and it's not easy at all.

yeah, I know that also. Do you really think it's most though? The handful I'm thinking of haven't necessarily been the ones closest to the top but the ones most present in small movies & magazines.

[nickwm21]

So why doesn't the FWT attract the household names of big mountain riding?

ASP has Kelly Slater...
FMB has Brandon Semenuk...

Why doesn't the FWT have Travis Rice?


In other news, they improved the sound and video quality so it is actually watchable now....

[LiveLarger]

yeah, I know that also. Do you really think it's most though? The handful I'm thinking of haven't necessarily been the ones closest to the top but the ones most present in small movies & magazines.

No, I'm pretty sure most of the riders in FWQ aren't paid. But like you say, the ones with most media exposure, are.

[glademaster]

So why doesn't the FWT attract the household names of big mountain riding?

ASP has Kelly Slater...
FMB has Brandon Semenuk...

Why doesn't the FWT have Travis Rice?


In other news, they improved the sound and video quality so it is actually watchable now....

If you were aware of the severity and regularity with which freeskiing competitors are injured, you would understand why the big names have moved on from competitive freesking. It's a blood sport, and something many athletes tolerate for long enough to get noticed by film companies or to develop more lucrative sponsorships. Then they GTFO before they end up crippled or killed. The ones that stick around have already sustained so many TBI's that they don't remember the fact that they get their shit wrecked, a lot.

[fortort]

Link to dailymotion video of event is dead. Anyone have another one?

[dvlr]

in an interview I think it was Kent Kreitler who said that Big Mountain skiing was " a contact sport" that you can't do for very long because of the big hits you take.

If you were aware of the severity and regularity with which freeskiing competitors are injured, you would understand why the big names have moved on from competitive freesking. It's a blood sport, and something many athletes tolerate for long enough to get noticed by film companies or to develop more lucrative sponsorships. Then they GTFO before they end up crippled or killed. The ones that stick around have already sustained so many TBI's that they don't remember the fact that they get their shit wrecked, a lot.

[LiveLarger]

Link to dailymotion video of event is dead. Anyone have another one?

Top Three Men:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2f...lanc-fra_sport
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2f...lanc-fra_sport
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2f...lanc-fra_sport

Second place women (didn't find first and third)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2f...t-replay_sport

Also a bunch of stuff here:
http://www.dailymotion.com/FreerideWorldTourTV

[klar]

If you were aware of the severity and regularity with which freeskiing competitors are injured, you would understand why the big names have moved on from competitive freesking. It's a blood sport, and something many athletes tolerate for long enough to get noticed by film companies or to develop more lucrative sponsorships. Then they GTFO before they end up crippled or killed. The ones that stick around have already sustained so many TBI's that they don't remember the fact that they get their shit wrecked, a lot.

that is rather overly dramatic imo. I figure alpine racing has a way higher quota of mangling people, especially at the lower levels/ kid leagues, before they ever become well known. I have met so many "used to be really promising" racers who blew an acl 5 times before they turned 20 and joke about wanting a new knee for their 35th birthday. I suggest skicross if you want a blood/show sport.

compared to the surf tour, the unified fwt is very young. it will be interesting to see if people who are already high profile start entering in the coming years (don't think so), or if there will be a shift in where the high profile people come from (who knows).

[Gone Skiing]

From what I've seen, the 2* events are nothing to scoff at. Last year we did have a 2* the day before that gained you access to day 1 of the 4*. The level of skiing was incredible. Among the guys doing the 2* were the winners of last year's junior tour, people who have had prequal's multiple times before on the freeskiing world tour, and any number of other people who would have had as good a shot as anyone in the 4* event. If I hadn't been pre-qual'd for the 4*, I have very little confidence I would have been able to place top 3 in the 2* and make it in.

That being said, I believe the combined 2*/4* events we have in the US are the easiest way to make it to the FWT. For example, local kid Matt Evans got 2nd in the 2* here, placed 10th or so in the 4*, and had a 3rd or 4th in the 4* at Big Sky, and ended up missing the FWT by one spot. No easy feat, but as Klar pointed out its not something you can really even do in Europe short of having wild card entries to 4* events your first year.

The end result is that the FWT is stacked with talent. I would say most of the guys (Reine, Drew, KT, Guri, Anthamatten, George Rodney, Heitz, Slemett to name a few) are powerful skiers who drive their tips through turns and are generally pretty skiers to watch. Others like Studer, Baskins, and Loic don't have that traditional technique, but are pretty amazing anyway. I've heard a lot of complaining about how Loic looked like he was about to lose it the whole time. Sure, but he also skis a million mph, hits huge cliffs, stomps massive tricks mid run, and is extremely exciting to watch. And, though it may look close, he doesn't fall.

Personally , I like watching steeper, exposed venues that are scary to stand on let alone ski down. Probably because thats the kind of comp skiing I like doing. Hopefully we'll get that in AK this year. Gotta love being able to live stream the events in 720 HD!

[nickwm21]

If you were aware of the severity and regularity with which freeskiing competitors are injured, you would understand why the big names have moved on from competitive freesking.

Huh.... Did I say that I was un-aware of the dangers these guys face?

Do you think going down at Pipe or Teahupo is significantly less dangerous than going down on the Bec? What about Rampage?

[adrenalated]

the unified fwt is very young.

The "unified" FWT really is gone already. MSI (promoters of the old Freeskiing World Tour that merged with FWT) and FWT broke up, and now MSI is promoting a separate tour in North America called the Subaru Freeride Series. The North Face Masters that was also part of the "unified FWT" has aligned themselves with MSI's new tour. I don't know, and don't care to know, the politics and power struggle that went on, but the end result is that there are still competing tours in the US and there's no guarantee that the best comp skiers on this side of the pond will be the ones moving into the FWT.

[klar]

The "unified" FWT really is gone already. MSI (promoters of the old Freeskiing World Tour that merged with FWT) and FWT broke up, and now MSI is promoting a separate tour in North America called the Subaru Freeride Series. The North Face Masters that was also part of the "unified FWT" has aligned themselves with MSI's new tour. I don't know, and don't care to know, the politics and power struggle that went on, but the end result is that there are still competing tours in the US and there's no guarantee that the best comp skiers on this side of the pond will be the ones moving into the FWT.

ah, well then that is another good answer to why Travis Rice isn't interested. In Europe everything (except for a couple of alternative-indie-organic-skin-to-your-line comps) is part of the FWQ system by now, there is even a pure speed event (pitztal wildface) that is a 1* for reasons I can't fathom.

[glademaster]

that is rather overly dramatic imo. I figure alpine racing has a way higher quota of mangling people, especially at the lower levels/ kid leagues, before they ever become well known. I have met so many "used to be really promising" racers who blew an acl 5 times before they turned 20 and joke about wanting a new knee for their 35th birthday. I suggest skicross if you want a blood/show sport.

I disagree after my firsthand experiences talking to your competitive freeriders who have all turned their backs on the sport because the risks are wildly out of proportion with the rewards.

I feel the same way about the Rampage and refuse to watch it. I have no interest in supporting niches within larger sports that encourage people to take obscene risks in suboptimal conditions for money that won't even cover the ride to the hospital, and I believe the sport would be healthier if they did not exist at all.

[Gone Skiing]

Risk/reward has changed a bunch recently too, in 2012 mens podium payouts were $5k, $3k, $2k, last year they were $1,500, $1000, $750. Meanwhile the level of skiing has improved. Its much harder to justify the shit you have to do to win a comp now for $1500 than it was 3 years ago to justify the shit you have to do to get 3rd for slightly more money. Not sure where Euro 2* 3* 4* events compare in terms of payouts.

[powdork]

Personally , I like watching steeper, exposed venues that are scary to stand on let alone ski down. Probably because thats the kind of comp skiing I like doing. Hopefully we'll get that in AK this year. Gotta love being able to live stream the events in 720 HD!

woah, I could only get 480. But I was watching the replay.

[klar]

I feel the same way about the Rampage and refuse to watch it. I have no interest in supporting niches within larger sports that encourage people to take obscene risks in suboptimal conditions for money that won't even cover the ride to the hospital, and I believe the sport would be healthier if they did not exist at all.

Fair enough. The nastiest crashes I've witnessed were at lower level qualifier events. Less experienced people taking bigger risks/not knowing how to judge risks as well as on the FWT where you very rarely see those really ridiculous moves. Up to last year the women's ski category in the qualifiers was pretty relaxed and good fun, now they've also gotten to the point where it's no big deal if you knock yourself unconscious. Not fun anymore, not doing it this year.

Risk/reward has changed a bunch recently too, in 2012 mens podium payouts were $5k, $3k, $2k, last year they were $1,500, $1000, $750. Meanwhile the level of skiing has improved. Its much harder to justify the shit you have to do to win a comp now for $1500 than it was 3 years ago to justify the shit you have to do to get 3rd for slightly more money. Not sure where Euro 2* 3* 4* events compare in terms of payouts.

men's winner at hochfügen 4* got 1200€ this year. 3* 750€. 2* used to depend on the event the last years, I got 50€ for winning one 2 years ago, I think the guy got the same. Usually it was nothing for the 2*s. I don't think most people consider the prize money the reward, it's all about the glory.


edit: for me personally, having all the comps in the fwq system hasn't improved the experience. a unified tour may be "good for the sport" or whatever, but people take it much more seriously and everybody wants to get to the fwt. very few are left who just do it for fun because the points system is absolutely not geared to people just dabbling a bit.

[oftpiste]

The days of dabbling in it are pretty much gone, for better or worse although some hills will keep their own comps that aren't sanctioned which will be great for dabblers. This hasn't been driven by the unification, but by the fact that demand for slots in comps has increased exponentially over the last couple of years in both juniors and adults. The unification was partially in response to the increased demand, as well as providing a path for juniors to the FWQ and FWT, but that too was driven by demand, and there was no path until unification for people like Rodney and Borgeson who were highly successful juniors.

I also think as more juniors move into the adult part of the system the level and intensity of the riding may change as most if not all of the youngsters have had tons of training by good coaches in how to be a successful comp skier (i.e. good decision-making and strategic line choices, better risk/reward calculations) as opposed to some who have gotten there by great seat-of-the-pants skiing and going huge.

I've been a part of the junior scene with my kids for 7 years or so through various iterations and combinations of JFT, MSI, IFSA and now unification and it will change the sport, but the hope is that it makes it a little less dangerous and a little more sustainable and visible. If big-mountain competitive skiing is more visible as a sport there will be sponsorship dollars for events and prizes, it will be legitimized as a sport (for better or worse!), perhaps the best athletes can actually make a living at it, and everyone benefits. Of course there will always be great skiers that have no interest, and great skiers who choose a different arena in the effort to become a pro skier.

I have teenage boys who are interested in and might have the potential to get to the higher level of the system and/or go 'pro' and I often wonder what things will look like in a few years when they're old enough to consider their paths to greatness. Obviously the organizations want to make money and are looking at a longer-term scenario to do so with free skiing, but I don't think anyone is really interested in doing so at the expense of the athletes or their well-being. I continue to feel that generally speaking the powers that be have their hearts in mostly the right places.

[Shredhead]

I'm quite relieved that my kids don't do Freeride comps.

[kathleenturneroverdrive]

If big-mountain competitive skiing is more visible as a sport there will be sponsorship dollars for events and prizes, it will be legitimized as a sport (for better or worse!), perhaps the best athletes can actually make a living at it, and everyone benefits.

Said at some point by pretty much everyone involved in the sport for the last couple decades.

[kathleenturneroverdrive]

When the care flight had to go on a mission here at the wood they didn't stop the event.

You know that's not exactly something to be proud of, right?