FREERIDE WORLD TOUR GRAND FINALE RECAP

The 2022 Freeride World Tour (FWT) Champions were crowned over the weekend in Verbier, Switzerland at the Xtreme Verbier, the final stop of the 15th edition of the FWT. The event closed a competitive season that will be remembered for breakout performances from wildcards and rookies, and new world champions in all four categories.

XTREME VERBIER WINNERS

Challenging conditions couldn’t hold back the talented field of riders, who set new performance standards for mixing freeride and freestyle on the steep, gnarly slopes of the Bec Des Rosses venue.

Manuela Mandl (AUT) delivered a masterful run to take a dominant win in Snowboard Women. She was out of contention for the world title but won by a nearly 11-point margin. Victor De Le Rue (FRA) returned to competition as a Wildcard and won the men’s category with a high-speed run down the steepest section of the venue.

“It feels well earned – we had tough, tough conditions. It has been one of the big aims of my entire career to win at least once in Verbier – and now I did it! So yes, I’m overwhelmingly happy.” –Manuela Mandl

Xtreme Verbier Snowboard Women Results

1) Manuela Mandl (AUT)
2) Erika Vikander (USA)
3) Tiphanie Perrotin (FRA)
4) Coline Benninger (SUI)

Xtreme Verbier Snowboard Men Results

1) Victor De Le Rue (FRA)
2) Blake Moller (USA)
3) Camille Armand (FRA)
4) Michael Mawn (USA)
5) Ludovic Guillot-Diat (FRA)
6) Cody Bramwell (GBR)

Both of the ski categories were won by Swiss skiers. 22 year-old FWT rookie Sybille Blanjean (SUI) won in Ski Women. Blanjean, a Verbier local, grew up watching the legendary Xtreme, and achieved victory on her first attempt. Taking the victory in Ski Men was Maxime Chabloz (SUI), who again delivered his winning combination of powerful technical skiing and high-flying freestyle elements.

“I was so scared this morning that I was crying in my dad’s arms. But I went up and just told myself to have fun. The run was really tough but I managed to hold on. It’s my first podium on the Tour, and for it to be a win at home really means a lot!” –Sybille Blanjean

Xtreme Verbier Ski Women Results

1) Sybille Blanjean (SUI)
2) Hedvig Wessel (NOR)
3) Olivia McNeill (CAN)
4) Elisabeth Gerritzen (SUI)
5) Lily Bradley (USA)
6) Jessica Hotter (NZL)

Xtreme Verbier Ranking Ski Men Results

1) Maxime Chabloz (SUI)
2) Ross Tester (USA)
3) Carl Regnèr Eriksson (SWE)
4) Jack Nichols (USA)
5) Andrew Pollard (USA)
6) Kristofer Turdell (SWE)
7) Craig Murray (NZL)
8) Abel Moga (ESP)
9) Reine Barkered (SWE)
10) Léo Slemett (FRA)
11) Aymar Navarro (ESP)

2022 WORLD CHAMPIONS

Tiphanie Perrotin (FRA) emerged by the thinnest of margins to become FWT Champion in Snowboard Women. Erika Vikander (USA) had worn the leader’s golden bib all season, but Perrotin overtook her in the overall ranking by only 500 points. And after finishing 2nd overall in 2021, Blake Moller (USA) became the FWT Champion in Snowboard Men.

Overall Ranking Snowboard Women

1) Tiphanie Perrotin (FRA)
2) Erika Vikander (USA)
3) Manuela Mandl (AUT)

“We were expecting tough conditions, but these were some of the best we’ve ridden all year! I had a slow start at the first event in Spain, but my results kept improving at each stop.I couldn’t be happier right now.” –Blake Moller

Overall Ranking Snowboard Men

1) Blake Moller (USA)
2) Camille Armand (FRA)
3) Cody Bramwell (GBR)
4) Michael Mawn (USA)
5) Ludovic Guillot-Diat (FRA)

Jess Hotter (NZL) became FWT Champion in Women’s Ski. Though Hedvig Wessel (NOR) chased her all season, Hotter was out of reach in the overall ranking with two event victories and one 2nd place. Maxime Chabloz (SUI) capped his rookie season on Tour not only with the event win, but the title of FWT Champion in Men’s Ski. Chabloz finishes the season with three event victories, having previously won at Ordino Arcalís, Andorra and Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, B.C.

Overall Ranking Ski Women

1) Jessica Hotter (NZL)
2) Hedvig Wessel (NOR)
3) Olivia McNeill (CAN)
4) Lily Bradley (USA)
5) Sybille Blanjean (SUI)
6) Elisabeth Gerritzen (SUI)

“It’s been a very emotional two or three weeks. After two wins everyone expects you to do really well, so Fieberbrunn was tough with a bad result. So coming here and taking the win with the support of the home crowd is just unbelievable.” –Maxime Chabloz

Overall Ranking Ski Men

1) Maxime Chabloz (SUI)
2) Carl Regnèr Eriksson (SWE)
3) Ross Tester (USA)
4) Kristofer Turdell (SWE)
5) Andrew Pollard (USA)
6) Jack Nichols (USA)
7) Abel Moga (ESP)
8) Léo Slemett (FRA)
9) Max Palm (SWE)
10) Craig Murray (NZL)
11) James Hampton (NZL)

FWT 2022 IS COMPLETE

The Xtreme Verbier marks the conclusion of the 2022 FWT! The party in Verbier went late into the night, but the story isn’t quite complete. The last events of the FWQ Finals are this week, which will decide the qualified rookies for next year’s tour, so the full 2023 FWT 2023 and calendar updates will follow soon on freerideworldtour.com. Check out the replay of Xtreme Verbier below, and congratulations to everyone involved with the FWT for another incredibly successful and mind-blowing Tour!