The first ever FIS Freeride World Championships went down earlier this week, bringing 65 of the world’s best freeride skiers and snowboarders from 17 nations to Ordino Arcalís in Andorra for an epic competition. There were a ton of seriously impressive and mind-boggling runs, from big crashes to massive tricks, but this one stands out for its own reason.
19-year-old Kai Jones of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, earned a spot in the Freeride World Championships through a wildcard, having never competed at a professional level on the Freeride World Tour (though he has competed in the Natural Selection Tour). He put that wild card spot to good work, throwing down a killer run despite losing his goggle lenses mid-ride.
Kai’s impressive run earned him a 3rd-place finish in the inaugural Freeride World Championships, with French skier Ugo Troubat taking 2nd place and New Zealand skier Ben Richards taking 1st. Huge congrats to Kai on the incredible success despite the loss of his goggle lenses.
