Featured Image: Scott Crady | Skiers: Birk Irving & Tom Wallisch
It’s (almost) TIME for another edition of perhaps the most interesting freeski competition around: Red Bull Cascade! The multi-faceted event took over Winter Park, Colorado, last spring for its second-ever iteration. While there had been a pre-curser to Cascade back in 2022, the full vision finally took for in 2023. With a sprawling course wrapping its way through the resort, the full line consisted of jumps, rails, boxes, side hits and a plethora of creative features that would make any skier’s head spin with excitement. While it took many hands to make it happen, the idea and creation stemmed from the mind of one of freeskiing’s most legendary figures, Bobby Brown.
This year, the course and competition are both getting a fresh makeover. For starters, the whole shebang will be moving one state to Utah, heading to none other than Solitude Mountain Resort. Solitude is one of the finest ski areas in North America, with nearly 400″ of annual snowfall on average. The layout is perfect for an event like Cascade. The resort sits in the massive mountains of Big Cottonwood Canyon, with a mixture of freeride terrain. Flowing hills, steep pitches and incredible glades dot Solitude’s front side. If it sounds good, trust us, it looks even better. Red Bull Cascade combines a variety of features built into the hill to form continuous lines for the riders, so a mountain like Solitude, with its abundant snow and playful terrain, is ideal. With the legendary park shaper Charles Beckinsale helping with the course, you better believe it’s going to be pristine.
The actual competition is changing, too. Previously, it was hosted as a March Madness-style bracket competition. This year, they’ve introduced a new team format. Groups of three male and female riders will compete against each other for the top spot over two days. They’ll have to get imaginative and utilize everyone’s strengths since the riders will be a mix of freestyle and big mountain wizards. “The decision to adapt the event into a team-style competition really stemmed from seeing the camaraderie and collaboration that occurred amongst all the athletes last year,” said Bobby Brown, “and at the end of the day, that is what Red Bull Cascade is all about.” The list of confirmed competitors is sure to grow, but so far, it includes Bobby Brown, Gus Kenworthy, Blake Wilson, Grace Henderson and Svea Irving.
Red Bull Cascade is scheduled for March 29 and 30 at Utah’s Solitude Mountain Resort.
Stay tuned for more updates from FREESKIER as the event approaches!
Click here for the official Cascade page from Red Bull
Below, you’ll find photos from the 2023 Red Bull Cascade event in Winter Park, Colorado.
Photo Gallery
Images: Scott Crady & Daniel Milchev, Courtesy of Red Bull
