Three New Freeride World Champions Crowned at the 2024 YETI Xtreme Verbier

FWT veteran Hedvig Wessel claimed her maiden FWT title in the Ski Women’s, after multiple runner-up finishes in the past. She has worked extremely hard over the years, and has been a key contributor to pushing the level of the sport. She was followed by Astrid Cheylus, who topped off an incredible rookie season, which included two wins and a third place today. Zuzanna Witych rocketed up the rankings today to finish in third spot, equaling her position in FWT 2021. In the Snowboard Women’s, Erin Sauve took the crown in her rookie year ahead of Núria Castán Barón, who finished in second and couldn’t hold her lead coming into the event. Anna Martinez finished third overall in her rookie year.

Victor de Le Rue already secured his title in the Snowboard Men category in Austria, winning four competitions in a row. Jonathan Penfield claimed his second win on the Bec des Rosses and, in doing so, jumped up into second overall for the FWT by Peak Performance season. Liam Rivera finished his season with three podiums to cement third overall for the second year in a row, an incredible performance by the young Swiss rider. The top two riders in the Ski Men’s category – Max Hitzig and Marcus Goguen – went toe to two all season, culminating in a show-stopping performance today in Verbier. Incredibly, both athletes are competing in just their second season on the FWT, but they always look at home in the big mountains. It was Max who edged ahead today with his podium finish, claiming the overall ranking win, with Marcus close behind. Kiwi rider Ben Richards had a strong finish to the end of the season – with a win in Fieberbrunn and a fifth here today – to finish third overall. 

The 2024 FWT By Peak Performance Comes to A Close

The YETI Xtreme Verbier marks the conclusion of an epic 2024 FWT by Peak Performance season. Congratulations to all the riders who have entertained onlookers all season with their progressive freeriding, and a special shout out to the 2024 Freeride World Champions. However, the season’s freeride story doesn’t finish here, as the FWT Challenger events are still to come, which will decide who qualifies for next year’s tour. Relive all of today’s action at www.freerideworldtour.com, and be sure to follow the FWT social media channels to stay adrift with what’s happening in the FWT Challenger series.