2008 VERBIER XTREME: US Skiers Make A Big Impression

3rd place overall Aurélien Ducroz Serge Sozonoff / Freeride Association

The inaugural Freeride World Tour, an ambitious series of competitions organized by renowned European event promo maestro Nicolas Hale-Woods, wrapped up this weekend with the 13th edition of the Nissan/O’Neill Verbier Xtreme.

Normally drawing from a pool of marquee European freeride pros and a few North American wildcards, this year’s format allowed IFSA qualifiers the opportunity to compete at the highest international level, and the Americans showed up in force on Saturday. The prize: a share of $100,000 in cash.

The intended venue, Verbier’s Bec de Rosses, is one of the world’s most legendary competition faces, a mandatory stamp in any freerider’s passport. A 1,500-vertical-foot pyramid-shaped face with 45-50 degree pitch and myriad exposure, the Bec lives up to the hype. Unfortunately, an avalanche during inspection on the Bec brought three-quarters of the mountain down, and organizers moved the competition to nearby Mont Gélé. While the north face of Gélé is a maze of couloirs and cliff bands, it is far shorter than the Bec and lacks the overall intimidation factor.

After nearly a month of high pressure in the Alps, the snow conditions were looking grim. Then, a brief storm caked 8-12 inches of wind-buff on Gélé. With three different starting zones under the tram, riders would spread out and try to pick different lines to distinguish their vision. Improvisation was on frequent display during the Tour, which was hit with trying conditions in the four previous stops at Mammoth, California; Sochi, Russia; a mobile event in the Alps; and Tignes, France.

The ladies got the first chance to leave their mark on Gélé. Girdwood, Alaska’s Elyse Saugstad charged from the top gate, hitting the biggest drop of all the women, and skied a clean run that landed her in first place. She would also take home the FWT championship as well. “I was able to pretty much stick to my line although the conditions were pretty firm, which is always a bonus,” she said, noting the importance of her racing background. “There’s a part of me that really likes to get up and lay it down when it really counts.”

IFSA competitor and Jackson Hole local Jesse McMillan, who was leading the FWT rankings until Tignes last week (where the airline lost her skis), followed Saugstad into second place. Marja Persson, defending Verbier Xtreme champ, skied a solid run to finish third.

“The tour was amazing,” said McMillan. “To actually get paid a decent amount and get to go to places like Russia was incredible.”

“I love the IFSA,” she continued, “but to come here and be a part of this is such a big deal. It’s almost like the Olympics of freeskiing. Most of the Euros are getting paid well, and have sponsors like Nissan and Swatch, and we’re just barely scraping by.”

Mont Gele, the Verbier Xtreme venue Jack Shaw