The JR Men’s field at the 2012 Salomon Freeride Championships at Taos has sold out! And with the event, scheduled for March 1-3, rapidly approaching, the rest of the field is filling up. If you’re an athlete planning on competing this year, now is the time to register.
Featuring some of the best skiers in the world, the 2012 Salomon Freeride Championships at Taos hosts an international field at New Mexico’s best ski area from March 1-3. A 4* Freeride World Qualifier (FWQ) event, this year’s athlete lineup is expected to include some of the top freeride athletes in the world, including a stacked JR field.
“Over the last eight years Taos has become one of the most important stops on the freeride circuit,” says Taos’ Alejandro Blake. “The JR athletes compete on the same venues as the pros, and this has made it one of the most respected and competitive JR events in North America, if not the world.”
It’s not just the JR’s who see Taos as an essential stop on the competition scene. The recent agreement between the Freeride World Tour (the sanctioning body for Taos) and the Freeskiing World Tour (organized by Utah-based Mountain Sports International) to harmonize world rankings means that Taos will be a crucial event for athletes looking to score points and move on to the top-tier World Tour events, featuring such exotic locations as Chamonix, Sochi and Verbier. Taos is considered a 4* FWQ event, granting top points for competitors who finish on the podium, and is one of a handful of elite FWQ events in the world.
“We’ve always enjoyed seeing the best athletes in the world compete in Taos,” says Chief of Race Tom Winter. “But with the new harmonization of overall points and standings, Taos will provide the opportunity for North American skiers and snowboarders who might not have had a shot at the Freeride World Tour to make a case for themselves. In this regard, I expect 2012 to be our most competitive event ever, as up and coming athletes look to podium at Taos and make a name for themselves.”
To learn more about the Salomon Freeride Championships, to make reservations or to see results from past year competitions, please visit skitaos.org/freeride. To learn more about the Freeride World Tour, check out freerideworldtour.com. Stay tuned for special see and ski deals that will allow spectators to take advantage of discounted accommodations and skiing during the March 1-3 timeframe of the event. https://www.skitaos.org/freeride/
