The Freeride World Tour is easily the most famous of the big mountain freeride competitions. It brings together the best of the best freeride skiers and snowboarders, pushing them to compete on huge faces around the world. While it does create a Freeride World Champion, is it really the hardest freeride competition there is?
If you were to ask professional skier Alex Hackel, his answer would be no. Hackel and many people in his video claim that the Scandinavian Big Mountain Championships, or the SBMC, is more difficult than the Freeride World Tour, and after watching this video, I think I believe him.
With the competition going on despite crummy conditions, requiring three days of incredible runs in order to win, and strict Swedish judges focusing heavily on control, it seems like the SBMC is pretty darn difficult to win, even if you’re a champion in the overall Freeride World Tour. Plus, the locals have a clear advantage, and the competition field is immense. Definitely seems like a party to watch though.