Freeride World Tour

[subtle plague]

More events would be cool as well. Would love to see 7 + tour stops. Feasible… probably not, but hopefully as free ride grows it becomes a possibility.


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You want freeride to grow? I mean I think here it is crowded already. I'd probably despair over on your continent.

And seriously: I don't think we have more than 20 years where you can get a "season".... after that the season will probably consist of spotty snowfall Events in some sort of a 6 months eternal autumn/ spring. Summer will go from may to october...so freeride will be for the hardcore enthusiasts..

Maybe not in northern bc but here most definitely

[TahoeJ]

They should create a masters class at one of these events. Competitors have to be at least 35(?) years old. Just do it as a one off thing so hopefully they could stack it with guys like candide, tabke, t-hall, etc.

Great idea! Would probably get the highest viewer count of any event. But they'd have to time it perfectly for powder since most skiers in their late 30's and beyond know better than to huck onto hardpack or variable, unlike in their younger days.

[meter-man]

Apparently, FIS bought FWT.

What does it mean? Maybe the future is a bit more secure? I dunno

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cl6Gl...d=NDk5N2NlZjQ=


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[TahoeJ]

FIS will probably find a way to ruin it.

[bobinch]

Give Hale-Woods the benefit of the doubt. He created this thing 25 years ago and it doesn’t sound like it has been a smooth ride. They are always struggling for cash so hopefully this helps in terms of venues, support for athletes etc

[bw_wp_hedonism]

Thinking about it, I have a hard time seeing how we as consumers will see the upside, but that we’ll likely see any downsideS that materialize. But we the consumers aren’t the only stakeholders. Time will tell I guess, but worth judging holistically before being crucified.


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[rbciii]

I hope it works well for the athletes. These guys and gals are laying it on the line in a very serious way and if they can get some additional support then more power to them. I do wonder if the FIS will water it down or in some other way degrade the experience and make it unappealing to the athletes.

[skiracer88_00]

I don't really understand how FIS can own FWT but not IFSA. Does this mean that all other freeride comps are IFSA events except for the FWT, but IFSA somehow still has control over the athletes that compete in those events?

[powdork]

Does this mean we'll see Shiffrin at the comps? That's the only upside I can think of

[oftpiste]

I don't really understand how FIS can own FWT but not IFSA. Does this mean that all other freeride comps are IFSA events except for the FWT, but IFSA somehow still has control over the athletes that compete in those events?

That's pretty much always been the case. FWT is not an organization as IFSA is, but a business, previously owned and operated by Nicholas. IFSA has developed a path for athletes to the FWT in concert with FWT, but has no sanctioning or governmental influence there.

[oftpiste]

Give Hale-Woods the benefit of the doubt. He created this thing 25 years ago and it doesn’t sound like it has been a smooth ride. They are always struggling for cash so hopefully this helps in terms of venues, support for athletes etc

It could be good, certainly is for him! Supposedly he comes from scads of money which may be how he's kept it afloat in leaner times. Now he just gets to do the same job, probably get paid pretty well for it, and not be personally on the hook.

[Buster Highmen]

. Time will tell I guess, but worth judging holistically before being crucified.

You must be new here.

[LHutz Esq]

I predict-
- NaturalMountainEnvironments(tm), Man made obstacles that loosely resemble big mountain features but can be created on any hill (or non-hill) that can scratch up the hosting fee (read bribe). Can't wait until we get some great Freeride(also tm) footage in front of a couple cooling towers. The first tour stop in Quatar in 2025! Or if they use the same venues - what about a couple rails to liven up Bec des Rosses. Kicking Horse sure could use a Kicker!
- Having the entire face in play will a) increase the risk and therefore increase insurance costs; and b) be more expensive to film - so all the athletes do the same line now.
- the future stars will be ex-gymnasts who will be judged on which identical run had 1/4 more spinny thing in their flippy spinny thing or exactly the same spinny but with "tighter form"

I have a lot of respect for the big air and slopestyle folks. They are amazing athletes. I just find it boring as fuk to watch them after a while. Not my thing. But I, like many who love FWT, are a very small market when compared to the folks that love the flippy/spinny kids.

.Git off my lawn.

Hope I am wrong

[oftpiste]

But I, like many who love FWT, are a very small market when compared to the folks that love the flippy/spinny kids.

Truth and this, to me, is the most curious thing about the acquisition. FIS must think the market is either big enough to make sense, or has the potential to become so under their tutelage. Not sure how they arrive at that given how hard it's been for Nicholas to keep the big sponsors on board over the years.

I hope you're wrong too.

[gaijin]

^^this.

We are either unaware of how successful FWT has become during and since Covid cancellations in 2020, or unaware of FIS visions.

The latter is a bit concerning.

All my cynicisms aside— this niche sport has gotten better to watch year by year. I used to just watch replays and highlights. But I haven’t missed a live feed in nearly a decade now.

And the last couple years with drones and live POV cams has been incredible.

I choose to believe (read- hope) FIS is well aware that those they just acquired were leading the world in how to broadcast sport.


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[toast2266]

There's like a 5% change that FIS doesn't find some way to fuck this up.

FWT has done a great job of incrementally improving the comps, mostly in terms of presentation. I can't imagine that FIS is interested in being involved just so they can continue to make minor improvements and tweaks, mostly to the presentation.

[gaijin]

Can I hope that FIS will take on the FWT model of media distribution and I'll be able to watch live feeds of alpine races?

[powdork]

The flippy spinny market may be bigger but i'd argue the big mountain aspiring crowd has to buy more gear, and is in a position to do so.

This is gonna suck. Unless you wanted to pay to watch drug tested athletes vow for the first quad backie.

[skiracer88_00]

That's pretty much always been the case. FWT is not an organization as IFSA is, but a business, previously owned and operated by Nicholas. IFSA has developed a path for athletes to the FWT in concert with FWT, but has no sanctioning or governmental influence there.

Interesting. I didn’t realize that they were distinct organizations. I thought FWT was just the highest level of competition available to IFSA athletes. I have to imagine that because they provide the qualification pathway, IFSA has influence over the format of the FWT events and judging, even if not officially. If FWT moves away from the IFSA format, it would open the door for IFSA to sanction their own competitions and no longer provide the FWQ qualification pathway, right?

So what I’m thinking is that unless FIS also acquires IFSA (which seems unlikely), they can’t change things to a huge extent.

[oftpiste]

Again, FWT is a business and not an organization. IFSA sprang from the N American 'extreme' competition community (Shane, JJ, others) to establish ground rules and guidelines for competitions, and FWT sprang from the European and had their own policies. IFSA has absolutely NO regulatory impact over how FWT operates, or their formats, comps, judging or any other function.

They do work together on some things, as the FWQ pathway demonstrates, but that took years and is relatively young, and concessions were made in order to provide a clear pathway for young Region 2 athletes. That pathway also benefitted FWT as it increased the pool of from which FWT athletes could be drawn. The IFSA FWQ pathway is also only for Region 2 and managed by IFSA. Region 1 FWQ pathway is managed by the FWT. My recollection is that FWT was kinda ambivalent about creating that Region 2 pathway.

So no, FIS doesn't give a shit about IFSA, and sadly, FWT would probably continue to do exactly what they do without any Region 2 FWQ pathway, as they mostly did for many years. Ever notice how the same Euro high visibility peeps are there year after year, and the Region 2 competitors have a lot more turnover? That should tell you something....

Interesting. I didn’t realize that they were distinct organizations. I thought FWT was just the highest level of competition available to IFSA athletes. I have to imagine that because they provide the qualification pathway, IFSA has influence over the format of the FWT events and judging, even if not officially. If FWT moves away from the IFSA format, it would open the door for IFSA to sanction their own competitions and no longer provide the FWQ qualification pathway, right?

So what I’m thinking is that unless FIS also acquires IFSA (which seems unlikely), they can’t change things to a huge extent.

[twat]

The flippy spinny market may be bigger but i'd argue the big mountain aspiring crowd has to buy more gear, and is in a position to do so.

This is gonna suck. Unless you wanted to pay to watch drug tested athletes vow for the first quad backie.

There is ski sponsors in ski jumping and nobody buys those.

So i guess for the sponsors the 1min13sec highlight reel of markus eder throwing a cork three of a cliff, helo shot from venue and xyz face in the gate and the podium is what counts. The 4376clicks on the livestream are neglectable.

[twat]

Again, FWT is a business and not an organization. IFSA sprang from the N American 'extreme' competition community (Shane, JJ, others) to establish ground rules and guidelines for competitions, and FWT sprang from the European and had their own policies. IFSA has absolutely NO regulatory impact over how FWT operates, or their formats, comps, judging or any other function.

They do work together on some things, as the FWQ pathway demonstrates, but that took years and is relatively young, and concessions were made in order to provide a clear pathway for young Region 2 athletes. That pathway also benefitted FWT as it increased the pool of from which FWT athletes could be drawn. The IFSA FWQ pathway is also only for Region 2 and managed by IFSA. Region 1 FWQ pathway is managed by the FWT. My recollection is that FWT was kinda ambivalent about creating that Region 2 pathway.

So no, FIS doesn't give a shit about IFSA, and sadly, FWT would probably continue to do exactly what they do without any Region 2 FWQ pathway, as they mostly did for many years. Ever notice how the same Euro high visibility peeps are there year after year, and the Region 2 competitors have a lot more turnover? That should tell you something....

Ever noticed all the ski movie stars are from ahhhh north america.

[toast2266]

Ever noticed all the ski movie stars are from ahhhh north america.

I think that's a cultural thing as much as anything. It's the same with bikes - the Euros dominate the competitive scene and the North Americans dominate the film / freeride scene. Although with both skiing and bikes, I see that shifting towards the Euros dominating both.

[twat]

And one more thing.
the nineties when fis started with comps and pushed the isf out of Business. Smth like only fis points will qualify for the Olympics and the sponsors wanted their athlets represent in the Olympics.

And who cares about snowboarding nowadays?

With wintersport films legs of steel and pirate movie productions definitly has an impact on euro stars getting airtime.

But fwt is outdated with natural selection showing whats is cool.

So skiers will want that too.

Maybe fwt gets fis money to build wood features into the bc.

Then only gates are missing....

[Core Shot]

A page ago someone mentioned building non natural features.

Yeah. It’s coming. Look at the evolution of kings and queens of Corbetts

Big airs don’t make good tv. Gotta have kickers for flippy spiny shit the average Budweiser fan can enjoy.