The Kitzsteinhorn has been the venue for freeride competitions and a highlight at the end of the international freeride season for years. However, last Wednesday’s 4* Freeride World Tour Challenger was an absolute premiere and exceeded the expectations of everyone involved. After the first Challenger stop in Monterosa, the second round took place in sunny spring weather. At the halfway point, we can already see the first signs of who could get a ticket for the Freeride World Tour 2025.
A competitor threads the needle.
Maximilian Pflanzl
Event News
FWT Challenger
X Over Ride 2024 Challenger: World-class freeriding on the Kitzsteinhorn
The Lakarschneid, which is now known far beyond Austria’s borders, absolutely meets the requirements of a challenger face. This face offers numerous backcountry freestyle options in the upper area and many big mountain elements in the lower, very steep terrain. So there was something for every type of rider in the top international field. At the end of the day, it was a huge freeride show at a phenomenal level, which was celebrated by numerous spectators in front of a perfect backdrop with direct views of the face from the public area at Langwied.
Sunny weather and spring conditions at Kitzsteinhorn — a perfect day for sending.
Pflanzl
Snowboard Men
Enzo Nilo (FRA) stacked his run with multiple features including a perfect backflip and three 360s as well as a huge cliff and another air, perfectly executing everything to take home the win. His compatriot Gabin Bouzanne (FRA) wasn’t far behind in second place with a smooth line that included a massive 360, with Rémi Benamo (SUI) in third.
I'm super happy with my run and the win, especially as the level with the other riders was so high! I did exactly what I wanted to do, and am satisfied with a good result following my fall at Monterosa.
Snowboard Women
Tiphanie Perrotin (FRA) backed up her second-place finish in Monterosa with a win here at Kitzsteinhorn to firmly announce her intentions of requalifying for FWT 2025. She went full speed down the face, oozing with style and control, including a huge cliff to secure the top spot. Just two points behind was Mikaela Hollsten (FIN) in second, showcasing her fluid style and integrating nice drops, ahead of Noémie Equy (FRA) in third, who delivered a run defined by power, speed and a 360 for good measure.
It was a great run with changing conditions from start to finish, but I'm glad I was able to ride a smooth line with fluidity and speed. I'm super happy it ended like that!
Ski Women
The big question in this category is, can anyone stop Lena Kohler (GER)? Lena secured her second win in a row to race ahead in the overall rankings, with a run that included two massive cliffs backed up by incredible style, control and speed. Local rider Ulla Gilot (AUT) took the second spot with a massive cliff and numerous smaller features, and Lou Barin (FRA) wrapped up the podium in third with a controlled run with lots of jumps at high speed.
It's so incredible and crazy to win two stops in a row. I'm so excited for more!
A clean backflip from a competitor in the men's field.
Pflanzl
Ski Men
The top three riders in the Ski Men category all finished with 90 points or more, highlighting the level these young guns are pushing the sport. Tiemo Rolshoven (GER) claimed the top spot today and, in doing so, rocketed up the rankings to number one. His run was stylish and fluid, incorporating a backflip and a massive 360 and entering some of the more technical zones on the face. Virgile Didier (FRA) combined a flat 360, a backflip and an enormous double at the end of his run to take second, ahead of Ugo Troubat (FRA) in third.
I'm really happy with my run, especially as I didn't really ride well in Monterosa, but today I managed to land everything!
With two events down and only one to go in Region 1 of the FWT Challenger by Orage, the race to qualify for FWT 2025 is nearing a close. Apart from Lena Kohler in the Ski Women’s category – who enjoys a lead of over 2000 points – the rankings are tight, increasing the pressure going into the last event, the 2024 French Freeride Series Avoriaz FWT Challenger. Until then, stay tuned to the FWT social channels for all the latest updates as they drop.
After 2 Challenger stops, a number of landmark decisions have already been made. Nevertheless, the current leaders still have to give their all to secure their ticket for the premier class – the Freeride World Tour 2025. With 2 Challenger competitions still to go, all riders are therefore still being asked to go all out.
The Kitzsteinhorn in Zell am See/Kaprun certainly provided the perfect stage for a Challenger stop and we can only hope that the highest contest category will also find a home on the Kitzsteinhorn in the future.
You can experience the contest and the unique atmosphere in full over on the X OVER RIDE YouTube channel. More pictures and highlight videos of the #xoverride event can be found on the social media channels and on the website www.x-over.at.
