Hotham Alpine Resort Hosts Australia's First Freeride World Tour Events

Late last week, Hotham Alpine Resort made history by hosting Australia's first Freeride World Tour (FWT) events.

The primary competition (there was a junior event, too) was a one-star qualifying event wherein athletes could earn points to climb the ranks and secure a position in the big leagues. On comp day, the athletes blasted down Hotham's freeride venue, sending cliffs and chucking backflips. In total, 70 athletes competed. Millie Evans and Charlie Comben won the women's and men's fields, respectively.

"This event is a perfect opportunity to showcase our resort and its amazing terrain. It also provides a valuable platform for Australia's freeride skiers and riders to earn important FWT points without leaving the country," said Tina Burford, Hotham's Vice President & General Manager.

Earlier this summer, the International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) recognized Freeride Skiing and Snowboarding as an official discipline. The headline associated with the decision was that freeride was now closer to becoming an Olympic sport, but Nicolas Hale-Woods, the founder and CEO of the FWT, also predicted that it could increase global interest in the sport.

"The inclination worldwide is that it's going to grow the sport. It's going to grow the number of participants," Hale-Woods said when asked about the impact of the FIS recognition.

In a press release published before the Australian qualifier, Mt. Hotham wrote, "The event marks a significant milestone for the Freeride World Tour, especially following the recent recognition of Freeride Skiing and Snowboarding by the International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS)."

With the FIS recognition— and previous FIS acquisition of the FWT —it's clear that competitive freeride is in an evolutionary period. Olympic discussions seem more serious. The level of competition on the FWT pro circuit is skyrocketing in both the men's and women's fields. A similar story is playing out in the qualifiers where pro circuit hopefuls are putting it all on the line.

The end result of this evolution isn't clear yet, but the development of park skiing, which first appeared in the Olympics in 2014, might provide some clues. Once members of a niche sport, park skiers who compete in park disciplines at the highest level now operate under the same U.S. Ski & Snowboard banner as their alpine racing counterparts. Thick rulebooks guide the judging of the competitions they appear in, and they can dream of representing the U.S. atop an Olympic podium. The FWT may eventually look similar.

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