[Update: 1/14/13 @ 2:22 p.m. MT — The Linecatcher event is currently on weather hold. Stay tuned for more information on the freeskier.com homepage.]

Tomorrow, the fourth edition of the celebrated Red Bull Linecatcher event goes down at its new home in Les Arcs, France, and if everything goes according to plan, the event could set a new bar in the field of backcountry freestyle.

If you haven’t heard of Linecatcher, just imagine a typical freeride competition: a steep, challenging venue peppered with cliffs, chutes, spines and the like. Then imagine that venue augmented with kickers hand-built by Julien Regnier and a judging format that would do a slopestyle competition justice, and you’ve got Linecatcher.

P-White, Sage, Bushfield, Durtschi and more, ready to throw down in France

Last year’s event was cancelled due to poor snow conditions, but this season the French Alps have already received significant snowfall, and all signs point to great snow conditions for tomorrow’s competition. Les Arcs just got a fresh dusting yesterday, and according to Dylan Hood, who’s been skiing here for a few days already, “It was good even before it snowed.”

Dylan is one of a strong crew representing North America at Linecatcher. Other notables from “across the pond” include Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Oakley White-Allen, Parker White, Eliel Hindert, Dash Longe, Tim Durtschi and Rory Bushfield. They’ll be facing stiff competition from a host of Europe’s best backcountry freestylers, including Richard Permin, Leo Taillefer, Nicolas Vuignier and Arnaud Rougier.

Today riders scoped the new contest venue in Les Arcs’ Cirque du fond Blanc, and the first impressions were all positive. “The jumps are great and the snow is deep,” said Hood. There has been talk of this being the “best Linecatcher ever.”

Stay tuned to Freeskier.com for more Linecatcher coverage—we’ll have a full event report before the dust settles.

2013 Red Bull Linecatcher start list:

– Permin, Richard (FRA)
– Cattabriga-Alosa, Sage (USA)
– White-Allen, Oakley (USA)
– Eder, Markus (ITA)
– Bushfield, Rory (CAN)
– White, Parker (USA)
– Imbert, Mathieu (FRA)
– Hindert, Eliel (USA)
– Blanc, Tomas (ARG)
– Durtschi, Tim (USA)
– Tritscher, Tobias (AUT)
– Studer, Fabio (AUT)
– Grojean, Romain (FRA)
– Taillefer, Léo (FRA)
– Tom, Leitner (AUT)
– Hood, Dylan (USA)
– Favret, Sam (FRA)
– Vuignier, Nicolas (SUI)
– Longe, Dash (USA)
– Arnaud, Rougier (FRA)