Freeride World Tour Challenger Series To Kick Off In Crested Butte, Colorado

Ian Greenwood
·2 min read

The North American leg of the Freeride World Tour's Challenger Series is headed to Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Colorado, this week from March 14th to March 16th for the series' first event.

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The FWT's Challenger series occupies a space between the standard qualifying circuit and the Tour itself, pitting qualified athletes against those who didn't make the cut for the FWT finals.

For instance, Canadian WeiTien Ho didn't earn enough points on the FWT this season to make it into the finals, so he's been relegated to the Challenger Series. He'll return to the FWT next winter if he ranks in the top four during this series.

Here are the rest of the North American former FWT athletes who will appear in the Challenger Series as they fight to earn their coveted on-Tour positions.

Women's Field

· Molly Armanino (USA)

· Addison Rafford (USA)

· Lydia Nelsen (USA)

Men's Field

· Kendall Goodman (USA)

· Dillon Flinders (USA)

· Jackson Bathgate (CAN)

· Colton Shaff (USA)

These athletes will face the highest performers from the FWT Qualifier. Once the rankings are finalized after the three North American competitions, four men and two women will proceed to the 2025 FWT.

I took a cruise through the roster of athletes coming from the Qualifier circuit, and let me tell you: it's going to be a pitched battle to see who ultimately qualifies for the big leagues.

The Challenger Series was first introduced in 2022 to inject additional excitement into the FWT qualifying process. Event organizers have created the ultimate pressure cooker by combining the highest-ranking Qualifier athletes and lowest-ranking FWT athletes into one field. In short, every run counts.

After Crested Butte, there are two more Challenger Series events in Silverton, Colorado, and Kirkwood, California.

The FWT will livestream these events, so stay tuned.

Related: Vermont Ski Resort Starts Day With 20 Inches Of Fresh Snow

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