The Freeride World Tour is back with the first stop of the season going down this past Thursday in Baqueira Beret, Spain, back on the Tuc de Bacivèr venue for the first time since 2023. A meter of recent snow provided a good base and filled in the comp face well however strong winds created some seriously variable wind-buffed conditions that kept the riders on their toes.
A few highlights that stuck out in our minds:
– Toby Rafford’s second place run where he tackled a burly line pioneered on tour by the legendary Aymar Navarro. Certainly contending for a winning run.
– Kelly Hilleke’s FWT debut where he came out swinging with some gorgeous skiing but was unfortunately unable to keep it together resulting in a NS.
– Mia Jones, daughter of Jeremey Jones, taking the W in her first ever FWT comp
Check out the comp results of all four disciplines below plus a few pics, videos of the winning runs, short highlight video (above) and longer highlight video at the bottom. Next up on the FWT calendar is the Val Thorens, France January 24th-29th! We’ll be streaming the comp live here on Powhub.
Ski Men
“My run went well, even though it felt a bit loose and sketchy at times. The conditions weren’t ideal for showing our best riding, so I’m just happy to have made it down. Being back in Baqueira is awesome, and competing in front of this crowd is really special.” – Ben Richards
Ski Women
“I was really nervous at the start because of the snow, but it turned out much better than expected. Landing the backflip in such an exposed spot was way outside my comfort zone, and I’m really proud of that because pushing my limits is my goal this year. Finishing with big airs and celebrating with the Baqueira crowd, where everyone can see the face, made this win incredibly special and one of my favorite places to take my first victory.” – Justine Durour-Lapointe
Snowboard Men
“I’m really happy with my run, it went exactly as planned. Of course, finishing in first place was the cherry on top. It’s always great to be back in Baqueira. The crowd goes absolutely wild, and you can really feel that energy everywhere.” – Liam Rivera
Snowboard Women
“My run went really well and the snow was way better than expected. It’s my first time in Baqueira and Spain, and the resort is incredible with so much freeride terrain. Riding in front of such a big crowd was really special. At the top, I didn’t realize how many people were going to be out there, and the support at the bottom was amazing.” – Mia Jones
