See the Stunning Runs That Won the Freeride World Tour in Alaska

After a string of Freeride World Tour cancellations, fans were jonesing for some good old-fashioned big mountain action. You know, the kind with deep snow, big cliffs, and bigger tricks.

Thankfully, during an eagerly anticipated return to Alaska for the competition circuit, the skiers didn’t disappoint. 

The event, on Friday, March 13, had all the makings for a memorable showdown. About eight inches of snow blanketed the competition venue, a towering face that last appeared on the FWT in 2017. While the FWT is all about managing whatever the mountain serves up—often that means tough and bad weather—this time, skiers dropped into a pristine landscape that wouldn’t be out of place in a ski movie.

Their skiing met that bar, too. While plenty of athletes went down as they tried to push the limit, others kept it together, lacing runs that skiers, presumably, will be talking about for a long time.

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Women’s Winning Run

Sybille Blanjean cruised into first in the women’s field, cutting down the venue with control and power. 

For her, skiing in Alaska was a childhood dream.

“I grew up watching freeride films featuring these mountains,” she said. “When I was competing on the Juniors, I watched the FWT events here and imagined what it would feel like to ride them. Winning here is even more incredible.”

With the final stop of the FWT in Verbier, Switzerland, looming, Blanjean hopes she can pull off a repeat performance to finish out the season.

Men’s Winning Run

Last winter, Toby Rafford exploded onto the FWT with a second-place finish in Baqueira Beret. He’s part of the next generation shaking up the men’s side of the circuit. Alongside others like Ben Richards and Marcus Goguen, Rafford has dispelled doubts that freestyle and technical skiing can’t happen in the same run.

Rafford’s performance in Alaska hammered that point home. At the top of his run, he spun a 360 off a big cliff. Then, he executed three high-speed turns to avoid looming rock features. It was some of the most exciting seconds of skiing the FWT’s seen to date. 

“I was so hyped to be in Alaska with all the other American riders, and taking the win makes it even more special. It’s a crazy feeling,” Rafford said. “I just chose the line I liked the most and went for it without thinking about the result.”