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Insider's guide to Verbier Freeride World Tour
Get the low-down world's most famous freeride event
Verbier is home to some of the most exciting, challenging, and awe-inspiring freeride terrain in the world, attracting adventurous skiers from across the globe to travel here and test their mettle. With such a famous reputation, it’s no wonder that Verbier has for a long time been the final leg of one of the most daring competitions on the planet; the Freeride World Tour.
The competition is weather dependent, so it’s possible the event could take place any time between March 23rd and 30th, but given the consistently sunny weather forecast, it’s likely the first day of competition should start on March 23rd, with the elite riders usually kicking off the event by hitting the steep faces of the Bec between 09:00 and 13:00. This will then be followed by a prize giving ceremony between 14:00 and 14:30 at the Audi Viewing Area, located half way down the red Gentiannes run.
To get the best view of the competitors as they ride down their chosen route, make sure you get up and on the Jumbo lift early. This way you’re most likely to secure yourself a good spot with a clear view of the mountain. If you want to meet the stars of the Freeride World Tour, then you’ll have the chance during a Meet and Greet, held on Thrursday March 21st at Pub Mont Fort, the official bar of the event. Starting at 10:00, anyone is welcome to go along, grab a drink, and chat to the stars.
Similarly the next day, from 18:00 there will be a FWT autograph signing session in the Rue de Medran, closely followed by the official opening ceremony. If you can’t make it up to the Audi Viewing Area, then you’ll still be able to catch the live action in town on the giant screen at the Medran lift station. Throughout the event, the whole of the Rue de Medran will be pedestrianised, with gear and food stalls, as well as a stage for live music. Last year the atmosphere walking down the street was fantastic, so definitely take some time to wander through the event village if you’re visiting next week.
On Friday, the Xtreme Verbier Party Festival will be held by Pub Mont Fort, Crock No Name, Farinet South, and L’Etoile Rouge, with the best live DJs in Verbier playing until 04:00 in the morning. Saturday will see an even bigger party, as Pub Mont Fort plays host to the Xtreme Verbier Official Party, starting at 22:30. Once the main elite event has been rounded off, the Junior Freeride competition will commence. Make no mistakes, the juniors are often just as impressive as the elite riders, and provide a spectacle of flips, tricks, and big airs similar to the main event. There’s a lot on the line in this final leg of the Freeride World Tour, with three of the elite competition titles still up for grabs, while the women’s snowboarding title was claimed in the last stage in Ordino Arcalais Andorra by Marion Haerty.
Markus Eder has a strong lead going into the final, but with Kristofer Turdell and Leo Slemett both still in contention, and knowing the unpredictability of the Xtreme Verbier, we could still see an exciting competition with potential upset. Similarly, Arianna Tricomi of Italy sits ahead of Jacqueline Pollard by only 220 points, so everything comes down to how they both perform on Saturday. One thing’s for sure, the steep and challenging faces of the Bec des Rosses take no prisoners, and anything can happen on the day. With so much going on in town and on the mountain, this is definitely the event in Verbier you don’t want to miss.
