2022 FREERIDE WORLD TOUR CALENDAR ANNOUNCED

Following a summer of passionate work and preparation, the Freeride World Tour (FWT) is proud to unveil the calendar for 2022! With world-class destinations spanning five countries, an exciting new Tour stop, plus progressive Tour format updates, FWT 2022 promises to reach new heights of Freeride action, with the best riders on the best mountains.

Here’s a look at the locations and dates for this winter’s Tour…

1) (New) Baqueira Beret, Spain: January, 22nd - 28th, 2022
2) Ordino Arcalis, Andorra: January 30th - February 5th, 2022
3) Kicking Horse, Golden, B.C., Canada:  February 12th - 17th, 2022
4) Saalbach Fieberbrunn, Austria: March 15th - 20th, 2022
5) Verbier, Switzerland: March 26th - April 3rd, 2022

Freeride finds a fantastic new home in 2022, with Baqueira Beret, Spain hosting the first event of the season. Located in the spectacular Val d’Aran in the Spanish Pyrenees, Baqueira Beret boasts a world-class resort, vast alpine terrain and copious snowfall, making it an ideal destination for the Freeride World Tour.

“We are so proud to be selected as a host resort for the first event of the 2022 FWT season! We can’t wait to watch the world’s best riders perform on Baqueira Beret’s mountains, and look forward to sharing the majesty of Val d’Aran with the world,” says Xavi Ubeira, Baqueira Beret Marketing Director.

Rising Freeride star Aymar Navarro (ESP) shared his excitement at having an FWT event at his home mountain: “If you had told me 10 years ago it was possible for a skier from Spain to podium at the Xtreme Verbier, I would have said you were crazy. And now there’s going to be an FWT competition at my home mountain, Baqueira Beret!”

Following the inaugural event at Baqueira Beret, the Tour returns to perennial Pyrenean freeride mecca of Ordino Arcalís, Andorra, before crossing the Atlantic for a triumphant return to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in Golden, B.C., Canada. And this is where things get even more exciting.

Key changes have been made to the 2022 Tour format designed to push athletic performance and enhance the overall viewing experience. First, The Cut will now follow the third stop of the Tour (instead of the fourth). After Kicking Horse, a cut will be made to the field based on riders’ top two results, with the top 26 riders (12 ski men, 5 ski women, 5 snowboard men, 4 snowboard women) qualified to the final two events of the year: The FWT Finals.

The first Finals event at Fieberbrunn will feature a revolutionary best-of-two-runs format. Each rider will have two runs, with only their top score counting towards the final results. Freeride is traditionally a one-run sport, and this format update is certain to push the riding to stratospheric, never-before-seen heights.

Also fuelling performance is the redesigned Tour point system, with both FWT Finals events awarding increased points towards the overall Tour ranking (12,500 points for 1st place instead of 10,000). Expect riders to deliver even bolder performances through the home stretch of the season, particularly when they face off on the most legendary venue of all, Verbier’s Bec des Rosses. Learn more about the FWT Format, Rules and Sustainability by clicking here.

In addition to the updated calendar and format, 2022 marks an important benchmark for the FWT. It’s the Tour’s 15th season!

“We are very proud to welcome Baqueira Beret and its excellent venues into the FWT Calendar. The new FWT Finals format, with a best-of-two runs event in Fieberbrunn and the World Finals on Verbier’s mythical Bec des Rosses will be a great way to celebrate the Tour’s 15th anniversary!” says Nicolas Hale-Woods, Freeride World Tour CEO.

Summer is winding down and a promising winter season is just around the corner. With extensive media libraries and competition replays to get you through the fall, and new content and live event coverage streaming all winter long, freerideworldtour.com is your online home for freeride skiing and snowboarding.