Nendaz Backcountry Invitational: Watch the live show!

If you haven’t heard of it before, the Backcountry Invitational is Europe’s—and maybe the world’s—premiere backcountry freestyle event. Each year, a hand-picked crew of riders battle it out on a unique venue that seamlessly blends freeride terrain with backcountry booters. Maybe the most important feature of the BC Invitational is its long weather window, spanning six weeks in January and February. This long time frame allows the event to be held in the best possible conditions—which, if you’ve every tried to stomp a trick into powder snow, you’ll know is a prerequisite for a good BC session.

Instead of a livestream direct from the event itself, this year Nendaz is trying something new with a “relive” concept similar to that of Natural Selection and other events. The skiing itself actually took place last weekend—but together with a commentary team including yours truly from Downdays, you can watch all the action in a more compact and easy-to-digest format.

Tune in at 18:00 CET today to catch all the action from one of the most exciting events on the calendar!

The sixth edition brought together 16 elite athletes (11 men and 5 women) from around the world — including professional skiers, Olympians, Freeride World Tour athletes, and emerging talents — competing in exceptional powder conditions following 10 cm of fresh snowfall and stable snowpack under bluebird skies.

Elite Performance Meets Community Spirit

Each athlete completed three runs across three rounds in a venue combining freeride terrain with hand-shaped kickers, park features and natural features.

The competition operates under a hybrid Rider Judge Format:

• Athletes reviewed FPV drone footage together after the event.

• Riders voted for the best run of each round, generating a community-driven Top 3.

• Technical judge Malo Jobin scored all runs using defined performance criteria to establish the final ranking and resolve ties.

While the performance level is uncompromisingly elite, the atmosphere emphasises shared progression over rivalry.

After the official rounds concluded, several athletes chose to hike back up the face for additional free runs purely to enjoy the conditions — underscoring the event’s philosophy: world-class competition without sacrificing the essence of backcountry camaraderie.