With two stops down already the 2014 Freeride World Tour is firing on all cylinders. If you have missed some of the action so far here is your chance to get caught up. Below are the current rankings and a quick rundown of some of the key players in each category. You can also check out the highlight clips from Courmayeur and Chamonix below.
Current FTW Rankings:
Ski Men Top 18
So far the leader board in ski men is an interesting combination of  FWT rookies and veteran FWT riders. Leading the pack currently by a large margin is freshman French skier Loic Collomb-Patton with 1st place finishes at  the first two events this year. His bold lines, fast skiing and ability to stick freestyle tricks off of large natural features has set him apart so far this year. In second currently is Swiss rider Jeremie Heitz who has been on tour before and is riding stronger than ever at this point. In third currently is 36+ year old rookie Garrett Altmann. The young Altmann has blended his mogul skiing background with big mountain knowledge to throw down unique and creative lines so far this year.  American Josh Daiek and Kiwi Sam Smoothy round out the top five.
Their are 36 riders total in this category and with four events remaining things are likely to switch up a great deal. Watch for big moves from defending champion Drew Tabke, Swiss mega ripper Samuel Anthamatten, the American Chickering-Ayers brothers, Â Swedish speedster Reine Barkered, and “The Flying Frenchman” Julian Lopez. Check all the full rankings here!
Ski Women Top 12
The Ski Women category has less separation so far with only one event in the books. American Jackie Paaso was dominant in the opening event and took home first by sending a large double cliff in a single air. This was one of the most impressive moves from any competitor in Courmayeur this year. Â In second place currently is Swedish skier Matilda Rapaport who skied with power and fluidity top to bottom. Austrian Lorraine Huber is holding down third place at the moment. Lorraine’s strong technique has her strongly on the radar for the 2014 FWT.
Snowboard Men Top 14Â
Snowboard Men has seen a re-shuffle of rankings this year with many of the former top ranking veterans appearing near the bottom of the list. Â Through two events American Sammy Luebke stands above the rest. Canadian rider Jamie Rizzuto is back in the mix and currently ranked 2nd overall. Ludovic Guillot-Diat of France continues to ride well and is currently in 3rd place.
This is another category that could see a great deal of change by the end of the 2014 FWT Season.
Snowboard Women top 8
After one event Shannan Yates of the USA sits atop the leader board. Her extremely fast and smooth riding at Courmayeur separated her from the pack. A multi-time champion Yates seems to have her eye on the prize and and her body in top physical shape for this season. Amber Schuecker of Australia is holding down second after a solid performance in the first event of the year. Swiss rider Estelle Balet who recently moved up from the FWQ sits in 3rd currently.
Everyone is excited to see how the next few events will change the overall rankings and to see all the riders throw down their best runs in the quest to be the 2014 Freeride World Tour Champion!
Check out the highlights and previews below:
Best of Chamonix 2014 Skiing Edit:
Best of Chamonix 2014 Snowboard Edit:
Best of Courmayeur 2014 Edit:
Here are a few interviews and a quick preview for the Feiberbrunn event going down Saturday morning in Austria. That should be about Midnight MST:)
Watch the event live on FreeskiingWorldTour.com! (Starts at Midnight MST)