2025 Freeride World Tour – Kicking Horse Stop Three Full Recap

Featured Picture: Courtesy of the Freeride World Tour | Skier: Jenna Keller

The temps have been hovering round zero levels Fahrenheit in Golden, British Columbia, over the previous few days. However regardless of the breathtaking chill within the air, the power on the town has been electrical with the Freeride World Tour rolling in for Cease Three of the 2025 season. Recent snow from current storms has been preserved on each side of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, with the well-known Ozone face using extraordinarily effectively. A steady snowpack and tender landings gave these riders immense confidence, and the proof was on full show for the complete day.

The final cease in Val Thorens, France, set the bar excessive. Val Thorens was hammered with a number of ft of snow, and whereas that may be each good and dangerous for a freeride competitors, the end result was splendid for many riders. Nonetheless, the crew returned to North America and blew away each expectation. The Ozone face is a brief, technical pitch filled with options, so it’s no shock we noticed robust technical snowboarding with loads of freestyle components thrown in. From swap landings to cork 7s to entrance flips, tomahawks and all the pieces in between, this was one hell of a Canadian throw down.

Within the Ski Ladies’s Subject, we noticed a large shakeup that few would have predicted. Up to now this season, we’ve seen Astrid Cheylus and Justine Dufour-Lapointe buying and selling blows at every cease, with the 2 riders holding down first and second place in Spain and France. At this time, neither of them cracked the highest three. As an alternative, we noticed each new and acquainted faces on the rostrum, as third place went to German Lena Kohler. The FWT rookie dialed in her second bronze in a row with a clear run, taking two huge cliffs to her ft and pinning it out onto the apron. Whereas Kohler’s been spending time within the park engaged on her freestyle recreation, this was a superb demonstration of some basic massive mountain snowboarding.

Second place went to a different FWT rookie, Jenna Keller. The Swiss rider is a extremely licensed teacher educating on the Verbier Ski Faculty, and he or she has tailored these flawless fundamentals into the freeride world with ease. Her line choice put her above and past right here, snipping recent tracks throughout the decrease portion of the face that led her into an untouched double. Coming into the apron with pace, she held on and got here into the corral with no time to waste. In first we noticed the one and solely Molly Armanino. The American has been a freeride staple for a number of years. She’s had combined outcomes on the Tour this yr, however in Canada, she got here out guns-a-blazing and returned to the highest of the rostrum.

“I really feel nice and tremendous grateful for the assist. I’m additionally actually excited for the opposite ladies who put down runs to be happy with. It’s wonderful to share this second with them.” – Molly Armanino, 2025 Kicking Horse Golden BC Professional Ski Ladies Winner

Within the Ski Males’s Subject, there was no scarcity of jaw-dropping moments that left the gang roaring. Fairly a couple of riders discovered a number of poorly positioned rocks on the course and weren’t in a position to end, together with Toby Rafford, Weitien Ho and Maxime Chabloz. However for individuals who linked their traces as they’d envisioned, it was a hell of a day within the tender snow. We’ve got to present an honorable point out to Ross Tester. Whereas the Utah ripper backslapped a bit on his again flip, he ended his run with an enormous 180, using swap down the underside of the apron to the delight of any wise human being. Third place went to Kiwi Ben Richards. Richards has been on a tear this season after touchdown on the quilt of FREESKIER Quantity 27 Difficulty 1. Coincidence? We expect not. He landed a pristine 360 and punted one of many largest entrance flips you’ll ever see. It was a stellar mix of technical and inventive using.

Abel Moga spent many of the day within the scorching seat after placing down a great thing about a run. Ultimately, he was edged out into second place, however not with out valiant effort. He put down a entrance flip, again flip and despatched an enormous cliff all whereas going mach 10. The group was fired as much as see the Spanish freerider again on the rostrum. Six factors forward of the competitors was Canadian Marcus Goguen placing it down on his residence soil. Goguen took the identical line as Moga, however added in a little bit of variation. Going backflip to cork 7 on back-to-back options, he as soon as once more confirmed his power as he was in a position to seamlessly put these tips down regardless of loads of obstacles and pace.

“Profitable right here at residence feels surreal. Having my household and buddies round makes it much more particular. I’m thrilled to have put down a stable run and to carry extra aggressiveness and elegance into my efficiency.” – Marcus Goguen, 2025 Kicking Horse Golden BC Professional Ski Males Winner

This marks the minimize of the 2025 Freeride World Tour season. Keep tuned to search out out which riders shall be shifting onto the second half of the season and into the finals, with the subsequent cease happening in Georgia with a climate window from February 23 – March 1.

Beneath, you’ll discover the rostrum outcomes, successful runs and a full photograph gallery of the occasion.

Click on right here to observe the total replay of Cease Two on the official FWT web site.