The First Stop Of Skiing's Biggest Freeride Competition Was Just Cancelled
The Baqueira Beret Pro is a popular stop of the Freeride World Tour held in the Spanish Pyrenees.
Unfortunately, this year, it looks like it's off the table due to a lack of adequate snow for the lines these pros need to draw during the competition.
In a press release from the Freeride World Tour Media Team, officials announced that they "are sorry to announce that the first event of the season – the Baqueira Beret Pro – has been canceled due to snow conditions."
Luckily, for FWT fans worried about the fate of the other stops on the tour, "the rest of the calendar remains unchanged for now."
The full press release included information detailing the weather forecast, saying "despite recent snowfalls and good conditions on-piste, there is insufficient snowpack off-piste to safely conduct a freeride competition. Conditions in the backcountry will likely deteriorate further, given the warm weather forecast in the coming week, with no precipitation expected."
"Organizers have chosen to cancel the event to ensure the safety of all riders, which always remains at the forefront of every decision made at the FWT."
"The Baqueira Beret Pro will not be replaced with another event, meaning that if all upcoming stops take place, the best two results out of three will count towards points to make The Cut, which guarantees qualification to the FWT Finals.
Check out Max Palm's winning run at last year's Baqueira Beret Pro below.
The FWT Ordino Arcalís Pro is still projected to proceed, and the FWT safety team will continue to assess conditions, with ample time – 19 days – before the competition weather window ends.
FWT Founder Nicolas Hale-Woods spoke out about the cancellation, saying, “We are sad to have to cancel the FWT Baqueira Beret Pro, especially as events here over the last two years have delivered such great starts to the FWT season. As always, weather and snow conditions dictate our decisions, which is a part of the outdoor sports world. Although this is disappointing, we can’t wait to return here next year in January!”
Xavi Ubeira, the Commercial Manager at Baqueira Beret, said, "the FWT Junior and Qualifier events will still be held from the 20th to the 23rd of January, and all lifts at the resort are in operation, opening up more than 120 km of slopes. Therefore, there is still high-quality skiing on offer but, unfortunately, not enough for a FWT Pro event.”
We're keeping our fingers crossed for that next stop.
Related: Freeride World Qualifier And Freeride Junior Tour Dates Announced
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