Canadian Open Freeride Championships Recap

RED Mountain Resort saw its famous terrain put to good use as athletes shredded Link's Line during the adult category of the 19th Annual Canadian Open Freeride Championships presented by Helly Hansen.

Link's Line. Photo by Lawrence Wright

This year saw, for the first time, RED classed as a 2* Freeride World Qualifier (FWQ) for the Freeride World Tour. This allowed athletes to collect points to ultimately qualify for the Freeride World Tour.

During the event, RED hosted over over 90 athletes from a mixture of Canadian and USA-based freeride teams as well as independents to compete and aspire to the title of the Canadian Open Freeride Champion.

Pillow popping. Photo by Lawrence Wright

With Mother Nature delivering 66 centimetres of snow during the previous week, athletes from as far away as Nevada, Texas and Ottawa provided the rest as they charged the course, throwing down their best lines and tricks. Day 1 saw skiers and snowboarders shred one run to qualify for finals, and Day 2 saw 50 athletes supply the stoke and skill needed to compete in the big show.

Dropping in. Photo by Ryan Flett

“Creative, dynamic and technical lines were laid down on Link's Line, the perfect venue for a FWQ 2* freeride event. I was impressed by the caliber of athleticism. The athletes pushed the boundaries while staying within their abilities. It’s beautiful to watch the riders learn about physical and mental boundaries while having a blast,“ noted an enthused Jeff Holden, the Canadian Open’s Head Judge and Technical Director.”

“RED’s Links Line makes for an excellent venue as it gives athletes a wide range of steep, natural challenging terrain with various cliff features and hits. Plus, with our abundant snowfall, it promotes athlete confidence to ride the terrain aggressively,” stated Nicole Briggs, RED’s Marketing & Events Manager.

For information on and photos from the 19th Annual Canadian Open Freeride Championships, visit canadianfreeskiing.com.

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