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Posted on Friday October 15th at 11:07 a.m.
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Reigning World Champions Candide Thovex, FRA (men's ski), Ane Enderud, NOR (women's ski), Xavier de Le Rue, FRA (men's snowboard), and Aline Bock GER (women's snowboard) will be back on the 2011 tour to defend their title against an international field of skiers and snowboarders that are all hungry for the world's ultimate freeride title.
Men's Ski
The Freeride World Tour 2010 was one of the most exciting editions of FWT history with the final crown being won in a close competition by French skiing icon Candide Thovex in his rookie year on the tour. The 2011 Tour will be even more competitive with 2008 World Champion and 2010 third-place finisher Henrik Windstedt (SWE), more committed than ever, and 2009 winner Aurélien Ducroz, from Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, in France, hungry to regain his title, starting off the season in his home town. In addition there is a particularly electric group of wild cards for 2011 including Norwegian upstart Torgrim Vole, Swiss chargers Jérémie Heitz and Samuel Anthammaten, and the legendary US skier JT Holmes, who will be putting it all on the line for their chance to claim the highly-coveted Freeride World Tour Champion title.
"2010 was a trial year for me on the Freeride World Tour. Competing with the best riders in the world creates a truly positive and permanent evolution of the sport. My objective in 2011 is to defend my World Freeride Champion title. I'll be under a lot of pressure but more than anything else I'll be competing on the FWT for my own pleasure. That's how I improve. The two new events on the schedule are two more chances for us to express ourselves and throw down tricks during a run with less pressure." Candide Thovex, Freeride World Tour 2010 Champion.
Men's Snowboard
Will 3-time Freeride World Tour Champion Xavier de Le Rue from France continue to dominate or will this year's remarkable lineup of wild cards Flo Orley (AUT), Martin Cernik (CZE), James Stentiford (UK) and Andy Finch (USA) be able to knock him off his throne? The man who many believe is unbeatable, Xavier de Le Rue, says bring it on: "Every year since the beginning I've been impressed by the way the tour has continually improved year after year. Where will it go this year? Can't wait to find out!"
Women's Ski
The women's events have been expanded to include three Freeride World Tour events; Chamonix, Kirkwood and Verbier, and three 4-star Freeride World Qualifier events. This new format will open the competition to many more of the growing number of outstanding women freeriders and will result in increased media focus, spotlighting what is sure to be a very exciting women's tour.
The importance of the women's title is explained by Women's Freeride World Champion 2010, Ane Enderud from Norway, "Winning the Freeride World Tour for both years that I have competed on it has changed my life for sure. Going into my third season on the tour and wanting to defend my title is definitely a challenge but challenge can be fun! My main mission is to be physically and mentally strong, to be healthy and enjoy life. If I'm healthy and focused I believe I can do whatever I want and that includes winning the tour again."
Women's Snowboard
In women's snowboard, the new schedule including six main events will now open the race for the final overall title to a wider group of riders. Women's Snowboarding Freeride World Tour 2010 Champion Aline Bock from Germany states, "I've competed in the last two seasons in the Freeride World Tour and I am more than happy to have finished the 2010 season as Freeride World Champion. Of course, I will try to defend the title in 2011 again. The level of women's freeriding has risen over the past few seasons and I would really like to push it as far as it goes in the FWT 2011 competitions."
