The first stop of the 2026 Freeride World Tour occurred yesterday, January 15th, at the Baqueira Beret Pro in Spain, bringing the world’s top freeride skiers and snowboarders together to compete for gold. There were a lot of stellar runs throughout the day, ranging from fast to technical and smooth to trick heavy. But no run stood above New Zealand skier Ben Richard‘s which fittingly earned him a first place.
To begin with, Ben’s run was fast and smooth, cooking through the steep sections like they’re nothing. His background in ski racing shined through, but his talents in the air is what gave him the win. He threw a massive Lincoln Loop, in which you flip sideways, and followed it up with a smooth 360, all without appearing to break a sweat.
Ben’s run was top of the rankings, but it wasn’t the only solid one. The entire replay is worth a watch, but for the sake of time, Toby Rafford of the United States took 2nd place. and Weitien Ho of Germany took 3rd. You can watch the entire replay below.
