Featured Image – Jeremy Bernard, Courtesy of the Freeride World Tour
The thunderdome that is the YETI Xtreme Verbier provided an absolutely electric finish to the 2024 Freeride World Tour season. Located in the Swiss freeride mecca of Verbier, this competition has been a pilgrimage for the sport’s most devoted riders for two decades. This makes sense when you see the towering Bec des Rosses face in full form. It’s a staggering venue, with the top section reaching pitches of over 50 degrees *gulp*. For the first time in over five years, riders in the Men’s Ski and Snowboard Fields were able to drop from the summit, enduring the 600 meter (1,969 feet) descent to the finish line below. March 22nd brought with it excellent conditions with limited visibility. The snow throughout the face was soft, with a consistent base, and the classic features of the face were filled in to perfection. Due to the persistent clouds, flat light was a hindrance, but that didn’t stop the title-hungry riders from putting on a f*cking show! In both Ski Women’s and Ski Men’s, brand new FWT Season Champions were crowned. The excitement was tangible as they put a bow on an unbelievable season.
In the Ski Women’s Field, the day rightfully belonged to Hedvig Wessel. She has been one of the most consistent skiers the Tour has ever seen and by securing first place at the Xtreme Verbier, she cemented herself as a 2024 Freeride World Tour Champion. She certainly didn’t get there without steep competition though. Third place went to the young French skier Astrid Cheylus. She had been skiing like veteran in this rookie season, and that aggressive yet stylish performance continued on the Bec des Rosses. With a couple huge airs, she was only dragged down by a stumble near the bottom and the loss of a pole on the landing. Her solid skiing earned her an 86.00 and she was crowned the second place finisher in the 2024 season overall; an incredible stat line, especially for a rookie season. Zuza Witych slid into second place for the day, as she had been on and off of podium finishes throughout the year. It was great to see the Polish rider ski so confidently in the final stop, and earn a third place finish in the 2024 overall standings. As mentioned, Hedvig Wessel became the 2024 FWT Women’s Ski champion by finishing in first place here today. The 28 year old had to bring everything in her box today, and won the judges over with strong skiing, several big features and superb line selection.
“It has been such a fight for the last five years to get to this position. It’s all worth it with the win. I want to thank everyone who has been there and supported me on this journey. We were unsure what the conditions would be like, but I had some good plans in place. I think this will be a good ending to my story on the FWT, but I want to keep skiing and watch the level continue to increase year after year.” – Hedvig Wessel, YETI Xtreme Verbier Champion and 2024 FWT by Peak Performance World Champion
In the Ski Men’s Field, two of the greatest freeride skiers on earth went at it for the top spot. Marcus Goguen and Max Hitzig had been locked in as contenders for the season title before Stop Five. Marcus needed Hitzig to finish in fourth or lower to claim the thrown with a win in Verbier. That wasn’t how it played out, but both riders had to still be incredibly happy with their performances. Third place went to the young Kiwi Finn Bilous. Known as one of the most freestyle oriented skiers on the Tour this year, it was awesome to see him blending incredible maneuvers into this big mountain face. Bilous became the first competitor in FWT history to toss a successful 360 off the Bec des Rosses’ Hollywood Cliff. His stylish yet technical run earned him a 93.33. Hopefully we’ll see him back on the Tour again next season. Second place was taken by Max Hitzig. The Austrian, riding out of Germany, had a lot on the line, and he came up clutch with a couple giant airs and a pristine 360. His line selection was loved by the judges and his powerful riding at speed helped earn him a 94.67. This was enough to secure his spot as 2024 FWT World Champion. But don’t count out the Canadian! Marcus Goguen showed up yet again, proving that he is not only one of the strongest skiers in the world, but one of the most creative. Veering into a rarely-skied section of the face, Goguen teed off a MASSIVE double drop that was unanimously dubbed “the cheeseburger” by our lovely announcers. His innovative and impressive line scored a 96.00; a fantastic score that gave him the win in Verbier. With Hitzig’s impressive day, that finish wasn’t enough to give the young Canadian the 2024 win, but he still finished second overall in the season. An outstanding season for such young riders, we can’t wait to see what the future holds.
“It’s such a stress relief getting down here, as my legs were burning by the end of the line. I came here to have fun and ski my line. My goal next year is to continue having fun and maybe even win the title. I will keep trying to put down these lines and stay consistent. I’m excited for the future!” – Marcus Goguen, YETI Xtreme Verbier Champion
“I can’t believe it. I was so nervous before my line. I have worked so hard for this. The level is getting so high, so I know it is getting harder to claim the title every year, which makes me happy to win it this year. I was scared to ski the Bec des Rosses from the top, but when you are in competition mode you just go full send!” – Max Hitzig, 2024 Freeride World Champion
Below, you’ll find the podium results, winning runs and a full photo gallery of the event.
Click here to watch the full coverage of the YETI Xtreme Verbier stop four on the official FWT website.
Ski Women’s Stop Five Results
🥇 Hedvig Wessel (NOR) 93.33
🥈 Zuzanna Witych (POL) 88.67
🥉 Astrid Cheylus (FRA) 86.00
Ski Men’s Stop Five Results
🥇 Marcus Goguen (CAN) 96.00
🥈 Max Hitzig (GER) 94.67
🥉 Finn Bilous (CAN) 93.33
Photo Gallery
Photography: Dom Daher and Jeremy Bernard | Courtesy of the Freeride World Tour
Stay Tuned for the FREESKIER Freeride World Tour 2024 Season Recap. We’ll dive into the Seasons final standings, our favorite moments, and what we’re already looking forward to next year.
