Winter 2009 Snowboard Freeride Schedule

What’s up all you rippers? Seems like the freeride lights for the 2009 season are starting to flicker. Announcements for comps are all over the web. Snowboard Freeride is on the rise. Looks like the North Face Master’s Series is going to be part of the Freeride World Tour Qualifying Series. Are you going to be there? I know I am. See you in Snowbird, Utah January 30 – February 1. Then hanging out on a cliff with all the billygoaters in Crested Butte, Colorado February 13-15. Bridger Bowl hosts The Bridger Gully Freeride February 21. My home mountain Snowmass hosts the Colorado Freeride Championships February 27 – March 1 and the first stop the North American Snowboard Freeride Tour. Keep an eye out for Casey Vandenbroek I think it’s his year. Kirkwood gets riders back and it’s riders only March 6-8 for the final stop of The North Face Masters. The final comp in North America is going to be the Silver King Freeride at Crystal Mtn. Washington. It’s thw second stop on the North American Snowboard Freeride Tour. The King is sick and Crystal is insane with a North and South Backcountry that offers just about everything .Besides this continent, Europe has tons of potential for Freeride World Qualifier. Austria starts it off at The Fieberbrunn February 5-15, with the winner going to Tignes to compete in the Freeride World Tour Stop. Then Italy throws out the Mystic Freeride Event February 21. If you go to legendary Verbier for the Nendaz Freeride Comp March 14-18 and win you get to compete in the Freeride World Tour Finals the Following week. After Verbier there are still points to be had at the Jasna Freeride in Slovakia March 31- April 5. And there is also the Norwegian Freeride Cup. Four events culminating at the Championships in Roldal, which is also the final stop of the Freeride World Tour Qualifier Series, which I attended last year. All I can say is there is crazy shit everywhere though not a lot of vert. The First three stops are Lofoten which is on an island, Hemsedal, and Sauda which has a hybrid comp with a day devoted to a run with natural features and man made kickers for you to choose from. The final day is a great face and the guys who run it are cool as shit. Oh yea , The winner at Roldal is in for the 2010 Freeride World Tour Sochi, Russia which will be the first stop.