Epic first edition of the Georgia Pro sets the stage for FWT Finals

World’s best freeriders turn up the intensity at the Georgia Pro.

The FWT by Peak Performance season went into overdrive today, with the first FWT Pro event in Georgia completed in picture-perfect conditions. It was the last stop before the FWT Finals, meaning titles – and careers – were on the line.

Khakhiani – or კახიანი in Georgian – was the chosen venue, which was caked in dry, fluffy snow from the top to the finish line, offering up pristine conditions for the world’s best freeriders. With bountiful creative options – mixed with a complex web of features – athletes were enticed to go big… which they did.   

Snowboard Men

Victor de Le Rue (FRA) was the first rider out of the gates and threw down the gauntlet for the rest of the field, sending a huge double drop followed by four 360s, buttering the bottom section to take his third win in a row. FWT veteran Jonathan Penfield (USA) showed us why he has been one of the best riders for years with a solid run to finish second, ahead of Liam Rivera (SUI) in third.

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Snowboard Women

Núria Castán Barón (ESP) wowed the judges with a fast and fluid line to take her second win of the season. Her run included two big hits out of the starting gates before linking multiple clean features with an aggressive freeride approach. Erin Sauve (CAN) showed total commitment on the entire face to finish second, while rookie Anna Martinez (FRA) locked in her third FWT podium from as many starts. 

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Ski Women

Sybille Blanjean (SUI) needed something special today to make the Cut, and she delivered a colossal performance. Sybille took no time to get into her line, sending a massive air into the face before going into cruise control, linking a bunch of smooth drops ahead of another huge send at the bottom. Hedvig Wessel (NOR) went full throttle on the Khakhiani face, showing impeccable style in the air to take second place, just in front of Lily Bradley (USA) in third.

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Ski Men

The new generation shone today, signaling a changing of the old guard in the Ski Men’s category. Marcus Goguen (CAN) put down an absolute mind-blowing run and earned a near-perfect score of 98 from the judges. He exploded into his line with a smooth 360 into the guts of the face and then didn’t deviate from the fall line, combining a huge backflip with a corked-720 before endlessly sailing over a transfer to bring home the win. Young Swiss rider Martin Bender (SUI) finished in second, leapfrogging up the rankings and securing an FWT Final berth with a fluid line that included a 720, backflip and a 360. Max Hitzig (GER) backed up his pair of wins this season with a solid third-place finish, combining multiple gravity-defying backflips with an equally deep 360.

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The Stage is set for the FWt FINALS

This was the final event before the Cut, pushing riders to go even bigger. In the Snowboard Women’s category, Anna Martinez (FRA) qualified in her rookie year and Núria Castán Barón (ESP) continued her amazing season, while FWT 2022 World Champion Tiphanie Perrotin (FRA) didn't make it through the Cut.

Victor de Le Rue (FRA) made it an incredible three wins from three in the Snowbaord Men’s category, while Liam Rivera (SUI) made a big move today with his podium finish, making the Cut and progressing to the FWT Finals. Among the big excluded from the Finals there is FWT 2023 World Champion Ludovic Guillot-Diat (FRA) and Cody Bramwell (GBP).

The young guns are really pushing the sport in the ski categories, putting down incredible runs. Manon Loschi (FRA) – in her rookie year – kept the lead in the Ski Women’s category, and Astrid Cheylus (FRA) also qualified. Sybille Blanjean put down an amazing run and qualified for the FWT Finals, where she returns to competing in front of her home crowd, where she has already tasted success. Molly Armanino (USA) had a solid choice of line, but unfortunately crashed and missed her spot in the Finals as well as Addison Rafford (USA)  and Megane Betend (FRA).

In Ski Men, Max Hitzig kept the lead and Marcus Goguen jumped from an 8^th to a solid 2^nd position. The highly anticipated rookie Martin Bender finally put down a solid run and qualified for the Finals with an amazing podium, as did Maxime Chabloz (SUI). Jackson Bathgate (CAN), Max Palm (SWE) and FWT legend Andrew Pollard (USA) all missed out on the Cut, and will head to the Challengers.  The much-anticipated Georgia Pro went off with a bang today, with riders delivering solid freeride performances and unleashing their deep bags of tricks. The FWT by Peak Performance season now heads into the FWT Finals, increasing the pressure on the riders who have made the Cut. Relive all of today’s action at www.freerideworldtour.com, stay tuned to the FWT social media channels, and subscribe to the FWT newsletter to keep pace with the latest news as it drops.