Featured Image: Dom Daher, Courtesy of the Freeride World Tour
All good things must come to an end, as is the case with the 2025 Freeride World Tour competition season. We’ve seen a wild ride to the finish line over the last few weeks, and that goes for more than just the skiing. Stop Four in Georgia was met with heavy snowfall, high winds and variable avalanche conditions. The resulting snowpack was unstable and caused a multi-day delay in the event.
In Fieberbrunn, Austria, for Stop Five, FWT officials made the tough choice to cancel the Ski Men’s field due to poor conditions which made certain features unsafe for riders. The decision was met with mixed reactions, as it solidified the standings before the cut without giving hopeful skiers another shot at redemption.
Nonetheless, the rankings were set in stone and only the top thirteen men and seven women advanced to the finals in Verbier. But what a finals we got. For the third stop in a row, conditions were dicey but manageable for the world’s finest freeride athletes. The infamous Bec des Rosses mountain played host to the YETI Xtreme Verbier, and while the skiing may look easy from the replay, we promise you that wasn’t the case. The face was scoured with snow ranging from chalky and edgeable to crispy and punchy. With no guarantees and the season on the line, these riders held nothing back. Backflips, 360s, yard sales, front punches and more; let’s dive in.
Below you’ll find results from the YETI Xtreme Verbier, as well as the final 2025 FWT season standings.
In the Ski Women’s Field, only four of the seven competitors were able to put up scores as Lily Bradley and Astrid Cheylus weren’t able to make it to the coral. Zuza Witych, while listed on the start sheet, did not compete due to a recent knee injury. With such a talented field, this speaks to how tough the snow conditions really were on the Bec. FWT Rookie Leena Kohler took home third place despite enduring a large fall halfway through her run. She was able to bounce back and keep all her gear intact, finishing the run with her head held high. There’s no doubt we’ll be seeing more from Kohler next season, as her three podium finishes this year indicate she’s a rising star to watch. The mogul skier turned freeride queen Justine Dufour-Lapointe took second with a strong run that included several big airs and technical turns. It wasn’t her finest run of the season, but it was exactly what she needed to seal the deal and take home the overall title for 2025. But the day belonged to none other than Swiss local Jenna Keller. With a score of 82.00, she dominated her competition at just the right time, sticking her fourth straight podium finish.
“I am shaking all over. It is crazy to think that I never had many wins in my freeride career, and now winning this competition feels like a dream come true.” – Jenna Keller, 2025 YETI Xtreme Verbier presented by Honda Ski Women Winner
In the Ski Men’s Field, there truly wasn’t a dull moment. This crew punted their way through the course and picked apart features like it was light work. The podium was filled with North American flags though, as Toby Rafford took home third place. The 21-year-old FWT Rookie had showed his stylish prowess throughout the season, and was able to capitalize on the firm snow. Rafford hauled through the first section of the face and nailed a gigantic 360. However, he wasn’t able to hit the second cliff he had been eyeing as the grabby snow and a loose pole pulled him away. Still, he earned a 72.67 and, later that evening, was crowned 2025 FWT Rookie of the Year.
Second place went to Alta and Snowbird’s freeride golden-man, Ross Tester. After returning to the Tour this year, Tester has seen mixed results over the last few months. He was able to pull everything together in Verbier though, and dialed in several airs, mach 10 turns and a huge 360. It was great to see this familiar face back on the podium grinning with the silver medal. But despite the high level of competition, first place at the 2025 YETI Xtreme Verbier was claimed by Whistler’s own Weitien Ho. In his first competition on the Bec des Rosses, he laced up nothing short of a dream run. With a backflip from the roof, a 360 and a double drop to seal the deal, Ho picked up a score of 84.33 and grabbed first with an eight-point margin.
“It’s an honor to win the Xtreme Verbier. I can’t believe it, and I couldn’t have asked for a better end to the season—it’s the cherry on top!” – Weitien Ho, 2025 YETI Xtreme Verbier presented by Honda Ski Men Winner
Below, you’ll find the podium results, winning runs and a full photo gallery of the event.
Click here to watch the full replay from Verbier on the official FWT website.
Ski Women’s Stop Six Results
🥇 Jenna Keller (SUI) 82.00
🥈 Justine Dufour-Lapointe (CAN) 77.00
🥉 Lena Kohler (GER) 48.33
Ski Men’s Stop Six Results
🥇 Weitien Ho (CAN) 84.33
🥈 Ross Tester (USA) 76.67
🥉 Toby Rafford (USA) 72.67
2025 Freeride World Tour Final Standings
That’s a wrap on the 2025 FWT season. Thank you to all the staff and competitors for a terrific year!
Ski Women’s Final Standings
🥇 WORLD CHAMPION: Justine Dufour-Lapointe (CAN)
🥈 Jenna Keller (SUI)
🥉 Astrid Cheylus (FRA)
Ski Men’s Final Standings
🥇 WORLD CHAMPION: Marcus Goguen (CAN)
🥈 Martin Bender (SUI)
🥉 Toby Rafford (USA)
Photo Gallery
Images: Dom Daher & Jeremy Bernard, Courtesy of the Freeride World Tour
