Featured Image: Jeremy Bernard/ FWT
Hot off the heels of an exciting competition in Hakuba, Japan, the second stop of the Freeride World Tour in Golden, BC, was met with fresh snowfall and bluebird skies. The top-shelf conditions set the tone for the day, leading to huge performances in the notoriously steep big-mountain terrain of the Ozone face at Kicking Horse.
For the women, Jacqueline Pollard (USA) put down a near flawless run, following the fall line with two big, back-to-back airs for a first-place finish–her first podium on the tour. Defending World Champion, Arianna Tricomi (ITA), straight-lined her way through one of the gnarliest sections of the venue to stomp a massive air and took home second place. Hazel Birnbaum (USA) snagged the third spot on the podium with a smooth-as-butter run from top to bottom with a clean double.
On the men’s side, New Zealander Craig Murray took home first place with a run that seamlessly tied together a 360, backflip and an insanely big bottom air. Markus Eder (ITA) maintains his top spot in the rankings with a huge cork 3 safety for a solid second place finish. A favorite on the tour, Logan Pehota (CAN), pulled out a third place performance with back-to-back 360s and stomping out of one of the biggest airs of the day.
In his second FWT competition ever, Tanner Hall explored a section of the Ozone face never previously skied in the contest, pulling out a massive 360 shifty at the bottom of the spine. While the final score wasn’t enough to land him on the podium, the Ski Boss remains third in the standings after the second stop on the tour.
With incredible performances from Pollard and Murray, as well as continued success for Tricomi and Eder–both leaders in the rankings, the bar was raised, yet again, for the FWT. As the competition continues on to Fieberbrunn, Austria, on February 22, it’s no doubt limits will continue to be pushed in the world of big-mountain freeskiing.
