On August 9 and 10, The North Face Chilean Freeskiing Championships from El Colorado, Chile will officially start the Freeride World Qualifier (FWQ) season for 2013/14, giving athletes the opportunity to compete on the 2015 Swatch Freeride World Tour by The North Face. The 2013/14 FWQ season will run through May 31, 2014.
Press Release, Salt Lake City, UT, August 8, 2013:
Although summer temperatures are still blazing in North America, South America is deep in the frozen grasp of winter. Solid snowpack and a promising forecast are attracting freeskiers from around the globe to El Colorado, Chile and the continent’s only 4-star Freeride World Qualifier (FWQ). The North Face Chilean Freeskiing Championships by Cristal Light will officially open the 2013-14 FWQ season giving athletes a head start on the race to the 2015 SWATCH Freeride World Tour by The North Face.
Fifty freeskiers from countries including Spain, Great Britain, Canada, Russia, Italy, Chile and the United States will tackle the steep and committing Santa Tere venue located on the outskirts of El Colorado Resort. The massive venue is ordinarily closed to the public but will be opened for this very special competition organized by The North Face Chile and produced by Mountain Sports International (MSI) with the support of Wetfly.
“The conditions in Chile are shaping up perfectly for the first FWQ of the year,” said Event Director Bryan Barlow of MSI. “Freeride fans should prepare to witness big lines and plenty of pow turns on the Santa Tere.”
Fans and winter enthusiasts around the globe can tune into the action by watching the event webcast on Powder.com starting at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST August 9th and 10th.
The Freeride World Qualifier point system (FWQ) has been developed as part of the SWATCH Freeride World Tour by The North Face. All FWT events are designated as 5-star events. FWQs range from 1 to 4-stars and enable athletes to earn a corresponding ratio of points based on their performance at competitions. The 2013-14 FWQ season started June 1, 2013 and will run through May 31, 2014. Accumulated points immediately affect an athlete’s position on the ranking system. The top ranked athletes will qualify to participate on the 2015 Freeride World Tour.
