. world ski news : Girls Just Want to Go Big! - 28 November 2012 - 13:11
SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR BY THE NORTH FACE 2013 Features Top Female Competitors
FWT2013. LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – November 28, 2012 – The first season of the SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR BY THE NORTH FACE (FWT) after the unification of the Swatch Freeride World Tour, Freeskiing World Tour and The North Face Masters of Snowboarding will bring world-class skiers and snowboarders together on a global big mountain stage. Included on the roster are highly talented feminine freeriders who will put on a great show this coming season in FWT competitions and also at Freeride World Qualifier (FWQ) and Freeride Juniors events.
Highly decorated competitors and athletes, these women come from all aspects of snowboarding and skiing. Many have had vast training with national alpine race teams, freestyle and freeride programmes from around the world. Women have been featured in big mountain competitions and films for many years. The continued increase of interest amongst women in the sport as well as recent advances in gear specifically designed for and by women have heightened the female playing field.
Overall women’s 2012 Freeskiing World Tour Champion Crystal Wright (USA) of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, couldn’t be more excited about the merger between the tours and the competition between the female athletes. “It is so cool to have the best athletes from both tours throw down! I am hoping it will help benefit the women with more media coverage and recognition of how strong the women have been skiing the last couple of years,” stated Wright.
Eva Walkner (AUT) who finished 2nd in the 2012 FWT added, “I think the level of women freeskiing has grown enormously over the last couple of years. We’re pushing each other a lot. The girls on the tour are going bigger and faster every year and show a pretty high level of women’s freeskiing.” Walkner continued, “freeskiing is not a just-for-fun sport anymore. In the past few years, it has become more and more professional on a very high level. For a run at the Freeride World Tour we have to know our line very exactly. And the preparation takes time, we need one or two days for only one run. Everything is very professional."
Freeskiing females are not the only women athletes on the tour. The merger has also combined the top snowboarding ladies. “This tour has given me the opportunity to travel the world and to test my abilities on some of the toughest venues with snowboarding’s most talented athletes,” stated female snowboarding athlete, Shannan Yates (USA) who successfully took part in the FWT and Masters of Snowboarding last winter. “The level of competition from the female athletes continues to impress me. I am so thrilled that I get the privilege to ride with some of the most talented women on snow.”
The women and men kick off the 2013 SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR BY THE NORTH FACE competition season at Revelstoke, British Columbia, CAN on January 7. The female tour continues onto Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, FRA (Jan. 26), Kirkwood, USA (Feb. 27), Fieberbrunn-PillerseeTal, AUT (March 9), and concludes at Verbier, SUI (March 23).
Press Release
Freeride World Tour
November 28, 2012
photo © FreerideWorldTour / J.BERNARD www.jeremy-bernard.com
Christine Hargin's Verbier run >
Pre-qualified Female Athletes
Ski Snowboard
Christine Hargin - SWE Margot Rozies - FRA
Eva Walkner - AUT Elodie Mouthon - FRA
Janina Kuzma - NZL Anouck Mouthon - FRA
Pia-Nic Gundersen - NOR Aline Bock - GER
Nadine Wallner - AUT Shannan Yates - USA
Anne-May Slinning - NOR Casey Lucas - USA
Natalie Segal - AUS Iris Lazzereschi - USA
Crystal Wright - USA Laura Dewey - USA
Ashley Maxfield - USA
Jackie Paaso - USA
Sonja Lercher - CAN