It’s been a tumultuous start of the season for the Freeride World Tour. First, the planned kick-off event in Baqueira Beret, Spain was cancelled due to low snow conditions in the Pyrenees. Then, a last-minute stop was pulled off successfully on the Petit Bec in Verbier. Now, the second event of the season in Andorra has also been cancelled. Read on for the full press release.
ORDINO-ARCALÍS, Andorra – January 30, 2024: The FWT is sorry to announce that the second event of the season – the Ordino Arcalís Pro – has been canceled due to insufficient off-piste snow conditions, which prevent the snowpack from meeting the safety standards for a FWT Pro competition.
Even though the mountain offered optimal conditions a few weeks ago, recent rains and rising temperatures have damaged the off-piste snowpack, making it too dangerous for professional freeriding.
However, conditions on-piste in Andorra remain excellent and all resorts are fully operational; the ISMF World Cup, as well as the 32nd Borrufa FIS Children’s International Trophy – with 250 athletes from 27 different countries – took place in the last weeks, and preparations are being finalized to host the Alpine Ski World Cup in Grandvalira between February 10 and 11.
According to the weather models, a snowstorm will hit the Andorran Pyrenees on February 10-11, unfortunately too late to meet the Ordino Arcalís Pro event’s weather window: February 1-7, 2024. For this reason, a joint decision was made between the operating committee at Ordino Arcalís and FWT organizers to cancel the competition this year.
The next and second event of the FWT 2024 will be the Kicking Horse Golden BC Pro, with a weather window that runs from February 14-20.
With four more exciting events on the FWT calendar, there is still plenty of explosive freeride action on the way. Be sure to stay tuned to the FWT social media channels and visit www.freerideworldtour.com to keep pace with all the latest news as it drops.