All Images: Jacob Banta, Courtesy of Sugar Bowl
California’s Sugar Bowl Resort is welcoming back scores of top freeride athletes for the second edition of The Silver Belt competition. From April 2-4, 2025, over 50 skiers will be battling it out during a qualifier and finals round to see who will take home the coveted trophy this year.
The best part? We’ll be on-site at Sugar Bowl, bringing you all the action. Plus, you can help decide who deserves a spot in the freeride history books by voting right here on FREESKIER.com for your favorite run after the event.
The Silver Belt has a long and storied history dating back to the 1940s. The competition has gone through many phases, with each iteration looking different from the last. After a long hiatus, Sugar Bowl decided it was time for the event to return with a fresh look.
Riders will have to compete in a qualifying round, with a select few moving on to the finals where they’ll try and put down their best top-to-bottom run. Spearheaded by Sugar Bowl athlete and professional skier Xander Guldman, The Silver Belt competition returned last year and was met with cries of joy from the freeski community.
“I am so excited to ride and hang with incredible people at my home mountain,” Guldman told FREESKIER. “To share this mountain, and particularly the terrain in the Silver Belt gully, with some of my favorite skiers and snowboarders in a one-of-a-kind athlete-centered event is incredible. From a hand-built course to athlete judging, every competitor directly contributes to this event. Last year, this shared project left me feeling closer to both my home mountain and the freeride community as a whole.”
The event might seem quite different than other traditional competitions, and that’s entirely on purpose. Guldman explained that the goal behind this new version of The Silver Belt has always been, “to create a low-stress environment that centers around fun and emulates what it feels like to ski with your friends. As someone who no longer skis competitively, this event was such a fun way to stand in a start gate again without having to worry about a result. I’m excited to see what this year has in store!”
Guldman isn’t the only one who feels the excitement surrounding the event. This resurgence has sparked a chord throughout the community. Sugar Bowl ambassador and 2024 Silver Belt winner Elena Messner explained to us how this competition is about far more than winning.
“I have considered Sugar Bowl to be my home since I learned how to ski when I was four. It is a place that connects my family, my greatest friends, and the most influential mentors in my life,” said Messner. “My earliest memories on the Sugar Bowl Ski Team are standing on the podium at Village Hall, where I discovered my dream of becoming a professional skier. Being back on that same podium last year, after the most fun event I’ve ever been part of, brought everything full circle. I want to thank Xander Guldman, Sugar Bowl Resort and everyone involved for creating an event full of opportunity, authenticity, and passion in the ski community.”
Simply put, The Silver Belt competition is filling a void in competitive skiing. It’s pumping new life into the freeride community at Sugar Bowl and beyond, and we’re stoked to be along for the ride.
Stay tuned to FREESKIER’s social channels as we bring you live updates this week, and don’t forget to check back and vote for your favorite finals rider.
