FWT 17 Freeride World Tour spoilers within

[toast2266]

That said, IMO the organizer also has a responsibility to set the competitors up for success. If conditions are heinous, don't put them on a venue where there are limited options and the only lines likely to score well are big airs to shitty landings. Give them a venue with some options for technical, difficult, high-scoring lines without the huge hucks.

I don't disagree, but I think there were a fair number of options at that venue that weren't being used. Look at Risvoll's line, for example. It ended terribly due to his mis-alignment of the last drop, but if he'd gotten that air right, it was actually a great run. And he did a decent job of staying in better snow and avoiding huge, sketchy airs.

The top 3 scores were all on the lookers left side of the venue that seemed to have better conditions. Yet a bunch of the competitors still chose lines on the looker's right side and hit the same bombed out cliff with rocks in the landing. There's no question that the conditions weren't great and there's less snow on the venue than there has been in years past, but it seems like some of the competitors could have put together better, safer lines that worked within the conditions that were present.

[adrenalated]

I don't disagree, but I think there were a fair number of options at that venue that weren't being used. Look at Risvoll's line, for example. It ended terribly due to his mis-alignment of the last drop, but if he'd gotten that air right, it was actually a great run. And he did a decent job of staying in better snow and avoiding huge, sketchy airs.

The top 3 scores were all on the lookers left side of the venue that seemed to have better conditions. Yet a bunch of the competitors still chose lines on the looker's right side and hit the same bombed out cliff with rocks in the landing. There's no question that the conditions weren't great and there's less snow on the venue than there has been in years past, but it seems like some of the competitors could have put together better, safer lines that worked within the conditions that were present.

I went back and watched all of the top 10 again and actually mostly agree with you. Pehota's line was great and stayed in better snow, so did Rausis. Risvoll's line also was great, excepting that horrifying last air.

I thought that Taisuke Kusunoki should have scored better, he skied a creative and technical line up top that was far less sketchy than many of the other lines, and had only a very small bobble. Collomb-Patton scored better by hitting that one big sketchy air then flailing around in the backseat and narrowly sticking the most awkward 3 I've seen since I tried one. They also rewarded Turdell and Barkered with podium spots for sticking the one big air to avy bed surface that wrecked both Mikos and Malakhov. So I don't disagree that there were other options that were underutilized, but the judges were certainly rewarding the big sketchy airs...

[meter-man]

Man, I thought Risvoll was going to win - so smooth, unique line, perfectly stomped backflip - before his run ended so horribly. That guy is amazingly talented. Hope he - and the other fallen athletes - have a speedy recovery.

Updated skier ranking:

[klauss]

I thought the most challenging part of the conditions were the wind scoured / rocky take offs on lines that the riders have seen run successfully multiple times in the past. unfortunate there was so much carnage.

[toast2266]

I thought that Taisuke Kusunoki should have scored better, he skied a creative and technical line up top that was far less sketchy than many of the other lines, and had only a very small bobble. Collomb-Patton scored better by hitting that one big sketchy air then flailing around in the backseat and narrowly sticking the most awkward 3 I've seen since I tried one. They also rewarded Turdell and Barkered with podium spots for sticking the one big air to avy bed surface that wrecked both Mikos and Malakhov. So I don't disagree that there were other options that were underutilized, but the judges were certainly rewarding the big sketchy airs...

Yeah, the top of Kusunoki's line was great - one of the more interesting lines of the comp. Seemed like he needed to do a bit more with the bottom half to really score well though. Totally agree that he should have come out ahead of Collomb-Patton's sketchy run.

The judges were definitely throwing points at Turdell and Barkered's big airs, but it's hard to hold back from rewarding those lines - they were big, fast, and both of those guys stomped cleanly.

[Lindahl]

Malakov came into it not in control at all and trying to shut it down and got high sided - he charged way too hard off that top bit and tried to force a turn. He needs to be more focused and calculated before just charging into things. No surprise though I guess.

Mikos looks like he got a bum wrap. He was a little back seat and not in proper position, but it looks like he would have pulled it off were it not for the bombhole right in front of his landing (sending it deeper would have helped here). Looks like he got bucked a little bit by it just as he was standing back up again.

Dennis - bummer - he probably thought he was elsewhere on the venue, obviously read his markers wrong.

Those lookers left cliffs at the bottom looked money, and Pehota probably could have won if he traversed a bit more over to where Dennis went and threw a big 3 in there. Smart line for a good score. Could have gotten the win though I bet.

As for the skiers going to the right cliffs... wtf? The conditions looked terrible. You couldn't hit it big because of the large avy debris at the bottom (not enough time to shut it down), and coming up short puts you in the rocks. There were way better lines on the mountain to take. I guess it's probably tough to not go for a line that has won in the past - that's a pretty big magnet, but after the first crash and seeing how only a foot or two of snow covered the rocks in the landing, they should have picked another line.

Not saying that any of this looked easy, and I'm armchairing it hard here. Props to the guys that knew the conditions and knew their abilities and dialed it back appropriately. I think the pressure really got to them this time around, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see people take it a bit easier next time around. This event appears to be a learning experience for all of the competitors for a while.

And Turdell? Holy shit that dude is a monstrously strong. To watch him rally those turns through the rocky rime and crust after his big stomp was super impressive - more impressive than the cliff, imo.

[californiagrown]

Malakov came into it not in control at all and trying to shut it down and got high sided - he charged way too hard off that top bit and tried to force a turn. He needs to be more focused and calculated before just charging into things. No surprise though I guess.

Mikos looks like he got a bum wrap. He was a little back seat and not in proper position, but it looks like he would have pulled it off were it not for the bombhole right in front of his landing (sending it deeper would have helped here). Looks like he got bucked a little bit by it just as he was standing back up again.

Dennis - bummer - he probably thought he was elsewhere on the venue, obviously read his markers wrong.

Those lookers left cliffs at the bottom looked money, and Pehota probably could have won if he traversed a bit more over to where Dennis went and threw a big 3 in there. Smart line for a good score. Could have gotten the win though I bet.

As for the skiers going to the right cliffs... wtf? The conditions looked terrible. You couldn't hit it big because of the large avy debris at the bottom (not enough time to shut it down), and coming up short puts you in the rocks. There were way better lines on the mountain to take. I guess it's probably tough to not go for a line that has won in the past - that's a pretty big magnet, but after the first crash and seeing how only a foot or two of snow covered the rocks in the landing, they should have picked another line.

Not saying that any of this looked easy, and I'm armchairing it hard here. Props to the guys that knew the conditions and knew their abilities and dialed it back appropriately. I think the pressure really got to them this time around, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see people take it a bit easier next time around. This event appears to be a learning experience for all of the competitors for a while.

And Turdell? Holy shit that dude is a monstrously strong. To watch him rally those turns through the rocky rime and crust after his big stomp was super impressive - more impressive than the cliff, imo.

Can the skiers at the top actually see a live broadcast? Because if not, how are they supposed to know how bad a landing is bombed out to rocks? Sure, they can get a radio message saying the last guys bombhole exposed some rocks, but seeing it, and where that bombhole is would be more helpful I would think.

[straightlineorbust]

I'm not certain whether this latest venue should be dissuading me from wanting to get in to competing or getting me more pumped on the idea.

But damn, I really want to try and hit a FWQ event sometime.

[gaijin]

I was pretty bummed at this event to see so many athletes not knowing their limits.

Dennis? That was not his first reckless run. Just the first one with major consequences. I see his line, the landing he was going for was perfect, but come on... all of his lines have had blind take offs that have made my eyes roll over the last few years. All riders have those, but Dennis has always made me nervous.

Heitz-- I'm super bummed at his season. Wreck after wreck. Like, dude, you can't go straight all the time. Always ends up out of control. Then the announcer-- "He'll probably get a wild card next year if he wants it." Give me a break. He was my favorite coming into this season but bums me out he just isn't willing to slarve a turn for his life. Reminds me of me and that's why I'm so frustrated. IMO, he put too much pressure on himself by claiming he was out to win the tour this year. Can we all admit that winning the tour also requires a bit of humility and luck?

This year's wild card going to Taisuke was perfect the way he handled that-- from Hakuba to the Tour without a wreck all season. Underscored? Who knows? I'll bet he's super amped and satisfied with his attempt, though. That longevity will pay off for him if he keeps playing the long-game.

[TahoeJ]

Maybe there should be bonus points if you participate in every event without a single crash. Might add an interesting wrinkle to things.

[Laurent]

Just remember to hit the biggest cliff to win.

Malakov came into it not in control at all and trying to shut it down and got high sided - he charged way too hard off that top bit and tried to force a turn. He needs to be more focused and calculated before just charging into things. No surprise though I guess.

I can't even fathom why he took the risk and didn't just go for a smooth simple run with say a few tricks for the fans, he already was comfortably qualified with two fifth places. They really don't call him 'Mad' for nothing.
As said before he only seems to know one speed and that really bit him here.

[Lindahl]

I dunno. Blind take offs are fine as long as you read your markers right.

[beaterdit]

Is it me or did they take the replay down from the FWT site? Can't find it. Man, carnage abounds. Terrible conditions with ALL the snow slid off the most committing parts of the venue. Bad decision to go forward with the comp IMO. Given the conditions, the results really aren't surprising. Happy helaing to all the fallen.

[m-ruta]

What a bloodbath. As much as the athletes are responsible for themselves out there I put the blame for the number and severity of the crashes squarely on the organizers. This is exactly what happens when you create a format that gives athletes, including rookies only three comps to secure a spot on next year's tour and then force them to fight for their careers on a venue that's hardly skiable.

Anyway, rant aside Turdell's strength through the chunder was absolutely incredible. I'd love to see some close up footage of him hanging on through those turns.

[TahoeJ]

check out Turdell's POV video. Woah. https://www.facebook.com/FreerideWorldTour/

[klar]

I'm not certain whether this latest venue should be dissuading me from wanting to get in to competing or getting me more pumped on the idea.

But damn, I really want to try and hit a FWQ event sometime.

It's really fun and I would encourage anyone even a little interested to try a comp at some point, ESPECIALLY THE LADIES!!! There are a lot of good people around and it does push you skiing wise. For me it stopped being worth it when every event turned into an FWQ and everyone got all serious about it. At least around here, there are hardly "casual" events left that aren't part of the feeder FWQ/FWT system. It's all about collecting points to get on the tour. Hardly anyone does a couple of events per season just for fun anymore (used to be the majority). The system is not set up for that approach. If you actually want to get into the 3 and 4* events you need commit pretty significantly in terms of time and money.

[straightlineorbust]

It's really fun and I would encourage anyone even a little interested to try a comp at some point, ESPECIALLY THE LADIES!!! There are a lot of good people around and it does push you skiing wise. For me it stopped being worth it when every event turned into an FWQ and everyone got all serious about it. At least around here, there are hardly "casual" events left that aren't part of the feeder FWQ/FWT system. It's all about collecting points to get on the tour. Hardly anyone does a couple of events per season just for fun anymore (used to be the majority). The system is not set up for that approach. If you actually want to get into the 3 and 4* events you need commit pretty significantly in terms of time and money.

Goal for me would really just be to ski in a comp or two and not come dead last. Skiing is really all about never letting the stoke die and I think comp skiing would be a great way to keep pushing my ability. I'll be the first to admit I'm nowhere near a good enough skier yet, but I'd like to get there. Hence straightlineorbust, frankly do plenty of busting, but there's no better feeling then hitting a line you were always afraid of and then thinking hot damn that was fun.

The idea of it being all about the points though kind of seems lame, like I'd love to get good enough that I could seriously think about ranking high, but if I ever got to the point where I was skiing to get the points not skiing to have fun with it I'd be so done. Especially if it ever comes to the point where I can't tell whether the risk or reward is higher I'll be so out.

[GoldenBC]

They're all adults, making their on decisions, and rolling with the consequences. Just about every feeder/junior comp I've ever seen has been held in as challenging if not far worse conditions, and carnage has always been the price for biting off more than you can chew. I saw recklessness being punished.

As a judge of 4* FWQ and Jr events I can confidently say that in Canadian events, recklessness gets punished hard and any control errors at all destroy scores. Judges and TDs mitigate risks and put the focus on skiing by limiting features and not running away with line scores. It is up to the organization to not promote go big or go home skiing, and we are doing that.

There is carnage at the Jr level but it is very limited. Big crashes, sure. But there are very very few times where we are afraid for the athletes. Over the years we have rewarded smart skiing and the coaches reinforce this attitude. With these Jrs coming up the ranks and graduating to the FWQ we are seeing the same control and smart skiing and they are winning the events.

Europe and the USA do what they do, but Canada is running a pretty tight ship that sure as hell doesn't promote go big or go home.

[sf]

I was pretty bummed at this event to see so many athletes not knowing their limits.

Dennis? That was not his first reckless run. Just the first one with major consequences. I see his line, the landing he was going for was perfect, but come on... all of his lines have had blind take offs that have made my eyes roll over the last few years. All riders have those, but Dennis has always made me nervous.

Risvoll......third rider @1:26....no idea how to embed this video

http://www.zapiks.com/roldal-freeride-2016-run-de-.html

[klar]

Goal for me would really just be to ski in a comp or two and not come dead last. Skiing is really all about never letting the stoke die and I think comp skiing would be a great way to keep pushing my ability. I'll be the first to admit I'm nowhere near a good enough skier yet, but I'd like to get there. Hence straightlineorbust, frankly do plenty of busting, but there's no better feeling then hitting a line you were always afraid of and then thinking hot damn that was fun.

The idea of it being all about the points though kind of seems lame, like I'd love to get good enough that I could seriously think about ranking high, but if I ever got to the point where I was skiing to get the points not skiing to have fun with it I'd be so done. Especially if it ever comes to the point where I can't tell whether the risk or reward is higher I'll be so out.

Don't worry about not being good enough. Just go do a 1* (you probably wont get into anything else if you're not on the seeding list, i.e. have points from previous events) or find an independent event (if you are in Europe check out the back on track and the eco freeride tour, those are great) and have fun. Throwing backflips off 20 m cliffs is not an entry requirement for any event.

As a judge of 4* FWQ and Jr events I can confidently say that in Canadian events, recklessness gets punished hard and any control errors at all destroy scores. Judges and TDs mitigate risks and put the focus on skiing by limiting features and not running away with line scores. It is up to the organization to not promote go big or go home skiing, and we are doing that.

That's great to hear. Do you really think the Euro and US judging is different in a significant way? How would you judge Slemett's run in Fieberbrun?

With the lower level FWQs around here it does seem like they try hard to set up the zoning in such a way that there are no features where people could potentially kill/badly hurt themselves. They learned that the hard way though, I'm thinking of one local organization that got on the FWQ bandwagon in a big way and I suspect they strongly underestimated the lack of experience/recklessness/stupidity /whatever you want to call it of the competitors, especially at the lower level events.

An 18yo kid died following a crash at a 2* in Argentina last summer. This was all the FWQ/FWT had to say about it:
http://www.freerideworldtour.com/new...dent-argentina

[straightlineorbust]

United states based, anyone know a good resource for regional events or is https://www.freeskiers.org/events/ifsa-events.html as good as it gets?

Doesn't seem there's really that many adult events in the U.S, but there's an event in June which sounds really fun for shits and giggles.

[adrenalated]

United states based, anyone know a good resource for regional events or is https://www.freeskiers.org/events/ifsa-events.html as good as it gets?

Doesn't seem there's really that many adult events in the U.S, but there's an event in June which sounds really fun for shits and giggles.

That's pretty much it to my knowledge. You won't get into a 4* without having done a comp prior so shooting for one of the 2* is your only option. They make it pretty tough to do a comp for fun, especially if you're an adult with a job.

[kootenayskier]

^^ Watch the last two events. People were throwing back flips and rotations and also skiing some technical billy goat lines. So much depends on the venue.

Stomping high consequence lines is what defines free-skiing comps from slope-style. I enjoy seeing who can perform this at the highest level.

[TahoeJ]

Stomping high consequence lines is what defines free-skiing comps from slope-style. I enjoy seeing who can perform this at the highest level.

Of course. I find slope style utterly boring. But it is cool when the riders are skilled enough to throw tricks in those higher consequence circumstances. Who doesn't enjoy watching Tabke throw one of his smooth backflips?

[oftpiste]

Go hit up some 2-stars. The breadth of skill levels is pretty wide. From what I've seen it'd be hard to come in dead last. No insults intended, just was surprised when I was doing judge training at a 2-star recently at what a variety there was. No such luck in a 4 star though.

Goal for me would really just be to ski in a comp or two and not come dead last. Skiing is really all about never letting the stoke die and I think comp skiing would be a great way to keep pushing my ability. I'll be the first to admit I'm nowhere near a good enough skier yet, but I'd like to get there. Hence straightlineorbust, frankly do plenty of busting, but there's no better feeling then hitting a line you were always afraid of and then thinking hot damn that was fun.

The idea of it being all about the points though kind of seems lame, like I'd love to get good enough that I could seriously think about ranking high, but if I ever got to the point where I was skiing to get the points not skiing to have fun with it I'd be so done. Especially if it ever comes to the point where I can't tell whether the risk or reward is higher I'll be so out.