Red Bull Infinite Lines is back for 2023. Eight of the best and most creative male skiers will be joined by four of their female counterparts to battle it out in a 1 v 1 format. The backcountry freestyle event goes down in Avoriaz, the 28-31 march and the invited athletes reads like a freeski dream team, from multiple disciplines; imagine Magnus Graner versus Alex Hall or Colby Stevenson taking on Nico Porteus.
The complete list of skiers is as follows:
24 international skiers and snowboarders, among the most creative of their generation, both men and women, will showcase their talents in a head-to-head competition format on a natural terrain that is ideal for the event. With a few added features, riders will be able to make their own adjustments and refine their lines during the first two days of the event. At the last edition in 2021, the challenge of bringing together and distinguishing the performance of athletes with such different profiles on the same playing field proved successful both from the participants' and judges' points of view.
This was the playground at Infinite Lines in 2021. Expect similar, but also expect the unexpected! Photo by Lorenz Richard/Red Bull Content Pool
Natural or man-made or both? Those are the choices the riders must make at Infinite Lines. Photo by Lorenz Richard /Red Bull Content Pool
The relatively mellow face scattered with natural features is made more enticing with the addition of manmade features: kickers, hips, step-ups, step-downs and tabletops. These features are added seamlessly giving the riders infinite lines to choose from. The competitors' performances are judged by 6 judges (3 ski/3 snowboard) based on creativity, fluidity, and difficulty criteria.
Whilst the two are completely different contests, the sponsor and even half of the name are the same, Red Bull Infinite Lines inevitably brings back memories of Red Bull Linecatcher. A similar backcountry freestyle event in Vars, in 2010, offered up one of the most legendary podiums in the history of freeskiing: 1. Candide Thovex 2. Sean Pettit 3. CR Johnson. With the calibre of skiers on show next week, who knows, in years to come the podiums at Infinite Lines 2023 might even rival that one.
There will be two points to watch the action on the day, but no live stream, so get yourselves to Avoriaz on the 30/31 of March!
Jade Michaud in the start gate at the last Infinite Lines. A whole new batch of riders will be lining up under the inflatable Red Bull arch next week. Photo by Oliver Godbold/Red Bull Content Pool