There are scheduling irregularities, and then there’s whatever is going on right now at the Freeride World Tour. Just days after announcing the cancellation of the planned tour kickoff in Baqueira Beret, Spain, the FWT organization has just announced that a surprise tour stop has been scheduled for this weekend in Verbier, Switzerland in order to capitalize on the good conditions in the Alps. To summarize Drew Tabke on Instagram, “RIP athletes’ mental health.” Read on for the press release.
VERBIER, Switzerland – January 24, 2024: After careful assessment of the situation, a decision was made by the FWT team to organize the first stop of the season in Verbier, Switzerland in order to kick off the season and take advantage of the good snow conditions in the Alps.
FWT organizers are confident in the weather models in the Alps, and current conditions provide an excellent chance of running an event on the weekend, with abundant recent snowfall – including a fresh storm early this week – and bluebird skies forecast for the end of the week. The FWT team is working with local guides to assess the situation in Verbier, and is aiming to hold the competition on the Bec des Rosses with the start gate slightly lower than the summit.
In regards to the Ordino Arcalís Pro event, the organizers are closely tracking the weather forecast in the Pyrenees and keep the option if new precipitations are forecasted within the weather window to organize the Ordino Arcalís Pro during the event’s weather window planned from February 1 to 7, 2024.
Be sure to keep a close eye on the FWT social media channels and www.freerideworldtour.com for more information on the situation as it evolves.