Freeride World Tour

**grskier** · 02-12-2022, 10:24 PM

I think Maxine was third… the rest of it was correct.
Great show on tough conditions… big ups to that event crew for the pivot

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**powdork** · 02-13-2022, 01:46 AM

haven't watched it all but my inittial reaction is that it should be made clear there will never be extra points given for rotations beyond 360 degrees. Its gonna become another stupid aerials contest.

**roQer** · 02-13-2022, 02:08 AM

Maxime clearly deserved to win. Everybody knew or expected it when Maxime skied switch through the gates. Made the best of the somehow mini golfy venue and the shitty snow. The few big mountain features were kinda cramped to get to and to land, so smart tactics to skip that if you can compensate with high level trickery. His full throttle freestyle run was, like already in Andorra, jaw dropping.

**powdork** · 02-13-2022, 02:20 AM

His run was a cool slopestyle run. I hate that's the direction it's moving. This is supposed to be about all terrain all conditions but instead they moved it to better conditions for more rotations. Fuck that.

**MTT** · 02-13-2022, 03:03 AM

Originally Posted by powdork

His run was a cool slopestyle run. I hate that's the direction it's moving. This is supposed to be about all terrain all conditions but instead they moved it to better conditions for more rotations. Fuck that.

What about the second part of his run. Looked he went from a 720 over to a rough line through the trees pretty much straight lined it hits a big kicker throwing layout backflip into Mach loony. Or did I miss something?

It was just better than the rest. And a hell of a thing to watch. One false move and he leaves in a chopper

**gaijin** · 02-13-2022, 07:08 AM

Trickery being judged higher than features has always digested sour among athletes.

I won’t say who should have won. It’s not my place. But I get the two sides of the debate.

Thank you for the comp. And thank you for the feed.

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**TahoeJ** · 02-13-2022, 09:18 AM

Originally Posted by powdork

His run was a cool slopestyle run. I hate that's the direction it's moving. This is supposed to be about all terrain all conditions but instead they moved it to better conditions for more rotations. Fuck that.

Watch it again. He charged that face and just happened to throw in some extremely stylish tricks. While I agree that no extra points should be awarded for more than one rotation, what I liked about his cork 7 is how smooth and pretty it was, and the same goes for the monster backflip. He absolutely stomped all of his landings.

Same goes for Palm’s double backflip. I thought the first one was a little awkward but this one had way more style and looked cleaner.

**TahoeJ** · 02-13-2022, 09:59 AM

Winning run POV...

**raisingarizona13** · 02-13-2022, 10:11 AM

Everyone competing is throwing threes and backflips now. Harder, or creative/different tricks are going to be rewarded.

A part of me doesn't like that it's changing to more Slopestyle influenced competition but that's progression and it's probably safer overall. That mega rowdy extreme ski shit is dangerous and it's not exactly a good thing to reward those that throw themselves way out there risking their lives like that.

**powdork** · 02-13-2022, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by TahoeJ

Watch it again. He charged that face and just happened to throw in some extremely stylish tricks. While I agree that no extra points should be awarded for more than one rotation, what I liked about his cork 7 is how smooth and pretty it was, and the same goes for the monster backflip. He absolutely stomped all of his landings.

Same goes for Palm’s double backflip. I thought the first one was a little awkward but this one had way more style and looked cleaner.

I was specifically referring to Palm outscoring Turdell. Same exact run but Palm had two bobbles along with 2 rotations so he scored higher. On a windlip into a huge open field of no risk

I thought Chabloz' run was probably the winner but the 720 just looked stupid IMO and I hate to see the sport moving there. A big clean 720 in a higher risk zone (like his 3 up top) would be different than something spun superfast to say he got an extra rotation.

**toast2266** · 02-13-2022, 10:55 AM

It was a shitty venue, and most of the bigger airs had flat landings. Can't really be surprised when that results in a spin it to win it kind of competition. And Maxime's spinning was pretty clearly better than everyone else's.

**TahoeJ** · 02-13-2022, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by powdork

I was specifically referring to Palm outscoring Turdell. Same exact run but Palm had two bobbles along with 2 rotations so he scored higher. On a windlip into a huge open field of no risk

I thought Chabloz' run was probably the winner but the 720 just looked stupid IMO and I hate to see the sport moving there. A big clean 720 in a higher risk zone (like his 3 up top) would be different than something spun superfast to say he got an extra rotation.

Ah ok. I also liked Turdell’s run more than Palm’s - he makes it look so effortless.

**JRainey** · 02-14-2022, 02:20 PM

The second any tricks bumps a score over a simple air, it's a rating of the degree of difficulty. Never once have I gotten an impression that they judged a pretty backflip differently than a less pretty one. It's always how big and how clean. That's all they care about. FWT Judging is so contrary to having a Freestyle event because they punish any control issue severely. You can try whatever you want, but you better fucking land it clean, or your career is on the line.

Contrast this with Natural Selection Tour judging. Trying something difficult seemed to be what was most prized with their "overall impression". Stick a 9, but crash somewhere else, no big deal. That's the way it needs to be for freestyle or everyone would just be hucking backies... like FWT. Let people take risks, over the whole run. FWT has to do what they have to do to prevent death basically, but it's no slopestyle.

But ultimately telling the best kids in the world how to ski is lame. Shit changes, but they rip.

Edit to say I also liked Turdell over Palm. But if style matters...

**muted reborn** · 02-14-2022, 04:04 PM

I don't think this comp is a sign at all things are moving to a tricks-only FWT. As Toast said, "Can't really be surprised when that results in a spin it to win it kind of competition" because any smart rider would do a trick-line to make the cut and not risk it all with a crash off a big cliff to flat landing or tracked out landing. No need for hand wringing IMO as the final two venues will mix classic BM riding and tricks together as it should be.

**LSeed** · 02-14-2022, 10:09 PM

I mean its superbowl at KH, not a ton of fall line features so way more entertaining seeing some new tricks and cool links, Craig Murrays line was so dope and really wish he had held onto that as he probably had more in the bag later on. As said above you basically have to stomp whatever trick you toss perfectly or your score is tanked no matter what so its pretty cool to see some harder tricks coming into comps and getting stomped clean.
It would be sick to see some truly gnarly faces in the comps but danger aside it seems really hard to get conditions to pull it off. Ozone North would have been a super cool venue for a comp with a much higher big mountain vibe then almost all of the venues on the tour now.

**grskier** · 02-15-2022, 09:30 AM

I know the judging is different now, but I go back to line score guiding the rest of the scoring.....

Turdell and Palm skied over more exposure and hit some cliffs with technical aspects to them. Palm hit the same wind lip and threw a big trick too.

Maxime also had 2 small bobble that the other two on the podium didn't

The 7 was smooth. The linking of windlip to windlip was cool. Just not what I would have scored the top run. I still had him on the podium.

**bobinch** · 02-15-2022, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by LSeed

It would be sick to see some truly gnarly faces in the comps but danger aside it seems really hard to get conditions to pull it off.

It’s coming….

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**TahoeJ** · 02-15-2022, 11:22 AM

How much more snow are they going to need to make that skiable? Any in the forecast?

**grskier** · 02-15-2022, 11:23 AM

^^ Is that a thin Bec de Rosses?

**raisingarizona13** · 02-15-2022, 11:33 AM

Unpopular Opinion here but, I feel like safer lines done with style and more technical tricks is a better look for the sport. Putting higher values on the more death defying and dangerous lines isn't a great look. Still, a part of me agrees and I can't help to feel a little annoyed by the fact that this gives the kid that's grown up in a ski town, generally more privileged and trained their entire life for free skiing the upper hand compared to the soulful dirtbag with a dream and a big heart but that's life and it's always been a factor with skiing or any other professional outdoor adventure sports. Skiing is now gymnastics, or at least it is with airtime but that's progression and things change. My ego wants to reject that since I don't have those skills but then I'd be pretty lame

**californiagrown** · 02-15-2022, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by bobinch

It’s coming….

Snow? Hopefully?

**grskier** · 02-15-2022, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by raisingarizona13

Unpopular Opinion here but, I feel like safer lines done with style and more technical tricks is a better look for the sport. Putting higher values on the more death defying and dangerous lines isn't a great look. Still, a part of me agrees and I can't help to feel a little annoyed by the fact that this gives the kid that's grown up in a ski town, generally more privileged and trained their entire life for free skiing the upper hand compared to the soulful dirtbag with a dream and a big heart but that's life and it's always been a factor with skiing or any other professional outdoor adventure sports. Skiing is now gymnastics, or at least it is with airtime but that's progression and things change. My ego wants to reject that since I don't have those skills but then I'd be pretty lame

If this is the case, let them onto the face early and shape some of this stuff ala linecatcher and kings and queens of corbets.

But yeah, that strikes a nerve for me to, as I only ever got threes with missed grabs off of windlips

**TahoeJ** · 02-15-2022, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by grskier

If this is the case, let them onto the face early and shape some of this stuff ala linecatcher and kings and queens of corbets.

That would make it way less impressive. The natural takeoffs are where it’s at. These guys are just so damn good now.

**toast2266** · 02-15-2022, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by TahoeJ

That would make it way less impressive. The natural takeoffs are where it’s at. These guys are just so damn good now.

This, for sure. Killing it on natural, usually kinda shitty conditions is the most impressive thing.

It's not like any skiing disciplines are "safe" when they're done at the top levels. Half pipe guys are getting blown onto the deck and paralyzed. Slopestyle guys are wrecking themselves all the time. DH guys are flying into the netting at 90mph and hopefully stopping before they hit a tree. FWT doesn't strike me as being dramatically more dangerous than any of those other events.

FWT is its own corner of the sport, and it happens to be the corner that's at least marginally similar to the skiing that most people (including me) do. Putting more emphasis on trickery just pushes the sport towards slopestyle. Which is still cool to watch, but less relatable, and therefore I care less.