Seven Great Freeride Contest Moments

Welcome to the borderline, the realm of speed demons and mountain men: the wacky, wondrous world of freeride competition. From the Freeride World Tour to independent contests like Red Bull Cold Rush and Linecatcher, here are a few of freeride competition’s most memorable moments.

Candide Thovex — Red Bull Linecatcher — Les Arcs, 2010

Candide’s 2010 Linecatcher run (starting at :22 in the video) is a masterpiece of the backcountry slopestyle discipline. Watch the master lace a backcountry jump line like it’s a run through the park.

Sverre Liliequist – Swatch Skier’s Cup — Zermatt, 2013

This may not be the most epic contest line of all time, but it’s the one with the most online views (around 2 million) due to its unique tag line, “Skier Backflips Into Avalanche.” Sverre Liliequist casually stomps a backie while a slide nips at his heels.

Aurelien Ducroz – Freeride World Tour — Verbier, 2009

Can you say exposure? Aurelien Ducroz’s 2009 winning run in Verbier shows masterful control through butt-puckering terrain, with a 50-foot launch tossed in for good measure.

Sam Smoothy — Freeride World Tour — Vallnord, 2015

In what was touted as possibly the best FWT run ever, Sam Smoothy laid waste to the Vallnord venue in 2015, flashing the upper section with an incredibly technical mountain-goat line and, in true speed-freak fashion, barely holding on to the last air at the bottom.

Loic Collomb-Patton — Freeride World Tour — Chamonix, 2015

Watch French ace Loic Collomb-Patton win the Chamonix stop of the 2015 FWT in about three turns. This is how you do it, folks.

2011 Red Bull Cold Rush – Silverton, CO

The 2011 Red Bull Cold Rush in Silverton was the perfect blend of conditions, terrain and skiers. Sean Pettit’s flawless 360 off a 70-foot cliff may be the highlight, but Dane Tudor, Richard Permin, Jackie Paaso and the rest of the field didn’t hold back either.

Guerlain Chicherit — Freeskiing World Tour

We’re not sure where this hectic run is from, but we’re pretty sure that Guerlain Chicherit spends as much time in the air as on the ground during it. Skip forward for massive airs and a sketchy bottom section that can only be described as death-defying.