Snowboarding
Watch all the winning runs, follow the pros behind the scenes throughout the comp and get the insider background briefing.
Why's the Fieberbrunn Freeride World Tour tour stop a must-watch?
- The venue's killer: steep gullies, big cliffs, rocky terrain, wide-open powder fields – this face has all the elements for creative runs and allows for everything from insane speed to huge drops, from freestyle moves to pure style.
- The weather gods offered perfect pow and sunshine, ideal conditions for the fully stacked-field to go full blast.
- In snowboarding, legends like Gigi Rüf were still holding the fort, but freeskiing’s young guns started kicking the established field’s behinds with a bigger bag of backcountry freestyle tricks, hinting at an impending changing of the guard.
What did the riders have to say about the face?
"We know every single line that’s possible on this face, but due to a low-snow year and some fresh snow this week, some of the biggest features are closed, some of the winning lines are just too rocky... But we still have incredible spine features, a classic lower section with a gully – this face has all the elements for big mountain runs on the top and freestyle on the bottom," said tour veteran and double World Champion Drew Tabke.
Last year's overall tour winner Marion Haerty kept her strategy insights short and sweet: "I'll go big and fast."
I'll go big and fast
Join Paddy Graham as Elias Elhardt, Hedvig Wessel, Drew Tabke and Marion Haerty explain their line-choice strategies:
I love watching winning runs – where are they?
First out of the gate, snowboarding legend Gigi Rüf set the bar high with an immediate method, three 360s, a super-smooth and fast run in his signature beautiful and effortless style. Nils Mindnich wasn't got to let him have it, though. The US wildcard claimed some bigger cliffs than Gigi and, riding half of it switch, his run looked like a fast-forward park run on steroids, catapulting him into first place.
Watch Nils Mindnich’s winning snowboard run here:
In the men's ski, opening up with a massive backflip, a fast 360, a double on the rocks and a Cork 3, reigning World Champ Markus Eder was definitely on track to repeat last year’s victory with his creative line choice, mind-blowing tricks and video-game-level interpretation of the mountain – until he didn’t quite stomp a huge Lincoln right near the end of his run. Game over for Markus's hopes of a podium place.
After a heavy crash on the same face last year, Craig Murray went for full redemption starting off with a high-risk, exposed floaty three, followed by a huge cliff drop, a mind-boggling fast transition to another flat three into another cliff drop, several more airs and a first place. Other notable runs were Kristofer Turdell’s characteristic explosive run until he went for a "mushroom hunting expedition" basically landing in a tree, and rookie Isaac Freeland’s second consecutive podium spot announcing a change of guard in favour of a bigger variety of backcountry freestyle tricks.
Watch Craig Murray's winning ski run here:
The ski women’s field presented a bit of a disaster: coming in too hot into the already-tracked-out venue, the top ladies Jessica Hotter, Hedvig Wessel and Elisabeth Gerritzen offered scary tomahawks and one yard sale after the next. So Arianna Tricomi just needed to keep it together to land in first place, but while at times visibly taking pressure off her ankle, she nevertheless went for it with big airs, a fluid, determined line and her signature style to keep the golden leader’s jersey. Speaking after the run, she said, "Three weeks ago I ripped a few ligaments in my foot and the doctor said: 'season’s over,' I’m a physiotherapist, so I know what to do to get fit again, but coming out with a win is incredible!"
Three weeks ago … I ripped a few ligaments in my foot and the doctor said 'season’s over.' … Coming out with a win is incredible!
Watch Arianna Tricomi's winning ski run here:
Pulling a nice air in the venue’s more exposed, technical section, followed by a fast, fluid line down a couloir and several more airs, former freestyler Marion Haerty was in a class of her own in terms of fluidity and control, and secured a deserved win in Fieberbrunn that – much like last year – has already cemented her world champion title before the big finals in Verbier. Coming in second was rookie Michaela Davis-Meehan – after a win in Andorra and Fieberbrunn’s strong showing, she's definitely one to watch next season.
Watch Marion Haerty’s winning snowboard run here:
What about the full podium results?
Where to watch the infamous Verbier Xtreme 2020 world tour finals?
Don't miss the Red Bull TV live stream from the world's gnarliest freeride competition venue, where, with the exception of the women's snowboarding, all the Freeride World Tour titles will be on the line.
Join us on Red Bull TV between March 28 and April 5, 2020.
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