Verbier Finale of FWT Set for Tuesday

20th March 2023

Last modified on March 27th, 2023

Bad weather led to the YETI Xtreme Verbier being called off for Saturday. The organisers hoping it will run on Tuesday as the weather clears. UPDATED

The final event of FWT23, the YETI Xtreme Verbier, is confirmed for Tuesday, March 28th.

The Freeride World Tour CEO Nicolas Hale-Woods, Mountain Guide, and Commissioner went up to the mountain on Monday to assess the conditions and check the face.

“Despite the strong winds gusts of the past two days, the recent snowfall guarantees prime-looking conditions on the Bec des Rosses,” said a statement form the organisers on Monday.

“In order to ensure safe conditions to all the riders, safety works which include bombing, will be performed tomorrow morning at first lights.”

Competition will kick off at 9:45 am CET, with the live stream action starting at 9:35 am CET at www.freerideworldtour.com.

The order of play is as follows:

Snowboard Men
Ski Men
Ski Women
Snowboard Women

“Following the tricky weather conditions the YETI Xtreme Verbier has been postponed,” said the organisers in a statement on Saturday.

“We have tried our best to run the full competition today, but this time the weather was not on our side.

If it goes ahead it will be held on the Bec des Rosses where the Freeride World Tour was born.

This face offers the athletes up to 600 vertical meters of intimidating terrain, with steeps exceeding 50 degrees in an intricate maze of technical features.

It is the ultimate test for any freerider, and a fitting conclusion to the season.

If it goes ahead athletes will drop just below the top of the Bec des Rosses with riders of all categories dropping in from a single start gate.

It’s been a while since the FWT riders haven’t been riding the full Bec Des Rosses from the summit and this is, therefore, an exciting moment especially as most of the riders are newcomers on the Freeride World Tour and the pressure is at its maximum.

𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙀 𝙒𝙀 𝙂𝙊 𝘼𝙂𝘼𝙄𝙉 🔒
The 2023 @YETICoolers Xtreme @VerbierResorts is confirmed for tomorrow, Tuesday March 28th. Watch live on https://t.co/03FlAOzd1g 📺
🇨🇭 9:35 AM CET
🇨🇦 2:35 AM MDT
🇯🇵 5:35 PM JST
🇳🇿 9:35 PM NZDT #HomeofFreeride #FWT23 pic.twitter.com/esYaThqvTu
— Freeride World Tour (@FreerideWTour) March 27, 2023

Despite the generally dangerous snowpack in the area, the Bec kept all its winter cover and it’s safe even after the bombings the head mountain guide performed.

In fact, the snow conditions are some of the best seen on the Bec, with roughly 20 cm of fresh snow over a firm and stompable underlayer.

There have been some big snowfalls over the last week improving conditions to give riders the best canvas for one final showdown.

Bec des Rosses, Verbier. Image c/o PlanetSKI

Spectators at the Verbier Xtreme. Image c/o PlanetSKI

Athletes are buzzing after an exceptional competition in Austria.

Final rankings – as well as the coveted FWT world title – will be determined by their top three results, allowing riders to drop their two worst finishes.

La grande finale du @FreerideWTour arrive ! YETI Xtreme #Verbier du 25 mars au 02 avril 🔥🤘
___
The grand finale of the @FreerideWTour is coming! YETI Xtreme #Verbier from 25 March to 02 April 🔥🤘 pic.twitter.com/32kU9m3Bi9
— Verbier (@VerbierResorts) March 21, 2023

Katie Anderson (CAN) has already secured victory in the snowboard women category, while the other disciplines remain tight.

In the snowboard men, Ludovic Guillot-Diat (FRA) holds a narrow lead over Jonathan Penfield (USA) – who is fresh off a win in Fieberbrunn in the Tirol in Austria.

FWT in Tirol. Image © PlanetSKI

Justine Dufour-Lapointe (CAN) in the ski women category is gunning to give Canada its second world champion of the season, but must hold off a field of talented skiers.

The ski men category is especially close.

Valentin Rainer (AUT) is narrowly ahead of a pack of hungry athletes, with reigning world champion Maxime Chabloz (SUI) less than 1,500 points behind and late-season mover Andrew Pollard (USA) not far back.

Joining this insane line-up will be five wildcards who have all tasted varying levels of success on the Bec, and will surely give the regular roster a run for its money.

Firstly, former FWT world champion and 2021 Xtreme Verbier winner Victor De Le Rue (FRA) makes his long-awaited return.

Injury has kept him from making use of his season wildcard this year, but he is back in form and ready to ride.

Local Verbier rider Sybille Blanjean (SUI) is also back on the main stage and set to defend her Xtreme Verbier title.

Leo Slemett (FRA) from Chamonix returns to show the freeride world he is still one of the athletes to beat.

Reine Barkered (SWE), who is the longest-serving FWT athlete in history after 15 years on tour, will give it one last shot to add some more silverware to his cabinet.

His big mountain style is well-suited to the Bec, and his brute strength and speed always make him a crowd favorite.

Finally, Marion Haerty (FRA), one of the most successful riders in FWT history with a staggering four world titles, returns from injury, and will be eager to revisit the podium she knows so well.

The YETI Xtreme Verbier will be broadcast LIVE!

Watch all the action as it happens exclusively at www.freerideworldtour.com, with incredible user-friendly replay options ensuring you don’t miss a beat.

For more information about Verbier, please visit: https://www.verbier.ch/winter/