Featured Image – Dom Daher, Courtesy of the Freeride World Tour
In an exciting update from the Freeride World Tour organizers, the 2024 YETI Xtreme Verbier has been confirmed for Friday, March 22. While this competition date is one day ahead of the previously assigned weather window, it was the only safe option according to the team. “High winds and snowfalls are predicted afterwards, with no clear window in the following week,” said the FWT in a the official press release. “Friday [March 22] looks like the safest and best option for competition, with calm winds and only a thin cloud layer predicted.” Recent storms in Switzerland has been stacking up, leaving the iconic Bec des Rosses face filled in; more than it has been in several years.
With the competition face seeing such promising recent snow, riders in the Ski Men Field will be able to drop from the top of the peak. This has not happened in five years, and that’s sure to affect some of the younger riders on the roster. The top section is incredibly exposed and steep, with little to no room for error. High risk, high reward up there! The Ski Women’s Field will drop in from the Petit Bec start gate, to the lookers right of the summit. That start is also very challenging, and serve up many stomach-churning lines for even experienced riders. You can expect nerves to be a factor, as the winner of the Xtreme Verbier might well take home the 2024 FWT Title at large.
The top seat in both the Ski Women’s and Ski Men’s Fields are wide open, with no 2024 winner yet claimed in either. For the women, there are four possible champions that are all fighting for the crown. The current favorite is French rider Astrid Cheylus, after her stellar performance and first place finish at the recent Fourth Stop in Fieberbrunn. Perhaps the next most likely to claim victory is Hedvig Wessel. The veteran from Norway has experience on the Bec des Rosses, and that is a critical point to consider as the daunting face can take many rookie riders by surprise. For the men, it is also currently a toss up as to who will take the win for the season. It comes down to a duel between Max Hitzig and Marcus Goguen. Both riders have been skiing on another level this year, with each demonstrating their prowess in both Big Mountain and Freeride. Goguen’s run from the Georgia Stop earning him a 98 and standing out as one of the most impressive runs the Tour has ever seen. With so much up in the air in both fields, the 2024 YETI Xtreme Verbier is sure to be a surreal conclusion to one of the most exhilarating seasons the Freeride World Tour has ever seen.
Click HERE for the official YETI Xtreme Verbier page of the FWT website, and catch up on action from the previous Fieberbrunn Stop Four with the FREESKIER event recap.
