The world’s best freeriders captivated audiences at the Verbier Pro for the first event of the FWT by Peak Performance season. The tumultuous start to the year didn’t deter the athletes, who held nothing back to secure some valuable early-season points. Verbier’s Petit Bec provided the perfect canvas for the event as skiers and snowboarders went large and held nothing back. The Petit Bec was in prime condition for the athletes, with a consistent snowpack from top to bottom,and a fresh layer of snow overnight that softened the landings. Here’s all the winning runs:
The ski men’s category went huge today, but the ever-impressive Max Hitzig (GER) proved too strong, putting down a spicy run and skiing with speed and power to finish ahead of the field. A couple of rapid airs to start teased the judges before he found another gear, beginning the lower section with two huge airs and a titanic 360.
Zuzanna Witych (POL) put down an absolute heater with a near-perfect score of 97.67, emerging from a stacked field of talented riders to finish on top. Zuzanna’s skiing was aggressive and controlled, taking no time to stack up the points with an air out of the gates, then charging some freeride turns before lining up three ginormous cliffs to bolts.
Two-time FWT Champion Victor de Le Rue (FRA) continued his dominance in this category with an aggressive, fluid run to take the win. He opened his account with a switch 180, then made quick work of the Petit Bec, combining an oozy backside 360 mid-run and a huge, fall-line triple drop with ease.
Núria Castán Barón (ESP) firmly announced her return to competition after an avalanche incident last season, confidently claiming her first FWT victory. The Spanish sensation sent a huge cliff up top, then linked some dreamy powder turns surrounded by exposure, and finished with a shifty before the end gates.
