The Super Bowl of big mountain skiing and snowboarding, the Nissan Xtreme, is slated to go off this Sunday. In its 16th season, the Xtreme is the culmination of the Freeride World Tour, and takes place on the famed Bec des Rosses, in Verbier, CH.

Only the top 13 men skiers, seven men snowboarders, and five women skiers and snowboarders have qualified to compete on the Bec des Rosses this weekend. Following this event, the riders’ best four results will be used to determine the 2011 Freeride World Champion in each category: ski men, ski women, snowboard men and snowboard women.

This year, the men’s ski event will be extraordinarily thrilling because more than five skiers are still fighting it out for the Freeride World Champion title! Overall FWT tour leader Stefan Hausl (AUT) as well as Samuel Anthamatten (SUI), Aurélien Ducroz (FRA), Reine Barkered (SWE) and Henrik Windstedt (SWE) all know they have one chance to ski their best for their final shot at the Freeride World Champion title. With so many riders with so much at stake this will be a truly remarkable event.

Samuel Anthamatten (CH) – First year on the FWT and one of the contenders to the World Champion title ski men: “I’m stoked to ride with the best riders on the best mountain, the Bec des Rosses. Right now I’m not thinking too much about the overall win but it’s in the back of my mind. I would really like to win it but I’m really trying not to put too much pressure on myself.”

Reine Barkered (SWE): “Expectations are high going into Verbier. Quite a few of us are aiming for the overall win in the most prestigious big mountain competition there is. I’m looking forward to it with an excited / scared / pumped / mind-breaking / happy anticipation.“