2026 FIS Freeride World Championships Full Recap

Featured Image: Dom Daher, Freeride World Tour | Skier: Kai Jones

We finally got a taste of an official FIS Freeride World Championship. At Ordino Arcalis resort in Andorra, the world gathered to watch the best skiers and boarders take on the iconic Basser Negre venue, a classic face that has previously hosted Freeride World Tour competitions. The steep, rocky area requires ample snow to safely operate on, and riders were lucky enough to enjoy soft landings.

But like any freeride competition, organizers were at the whim of Mother Nature. 60 inches of snowfall in the last week helped prepare the venue, but it also left many sharks lying just beneath the surface. Several skiers fell victim to these hidden obstacles, with 10 of the 24 men losing a ski in one way or another, six women crashing on course and freeride veteran Jess Hotter sustaining a tragic knee injury.

Importantly, the weather called the shots at the end of the day during the Ski Women's field, the last group of the event. As Hotter was being helped off course, clouds swiftly rolled over the mountain peak, making proper visibility near-impossible. According to FIS regulations, a competition can be called after more than two-thirds of the field has dropped. Though powerhouse riders Agostina Vietti, Manon Loschi, Astrid Cheylus, Lily Bradley and Wynter McBride had yet to drop, the comp was ended after a lengthy weather hold yielded no change in cloud cover.

This obviously left a sour taste in the mouths of many competitors and fans, as several of the skiers left were considered favorites to win, with Vietti coming off a strong win at Stop Two of the 2026 FWT in Val Thorens just a week prior. That said, there was no way to safely run or judge the competition at that point in time.

For now, we'll leave that debate to the comments section and focus on the incredible skiing we got to witness. Read on to see the podium results, winning runs, highlights and more from the inaugural FIS Freeride World Championships.

In the Ski Women's field, we saw tremendous riding from the top four finishers, especially given the circumstances. The field was slated to drop last, meaning they had to ski the course after 24 snowboarders and 24 male skiers had descended. Lines that were skiing well just hours before had been reduced to tracked-out chunder. But with two start gate options and plenty of features, creativity and technical riding would be the keys to success. Shout out to Elly Olsson, the only rider not on the podium to put down a clean run, who scored a 70.33 and landed in fourth place.

Third was claimed by a familiar face in freeride, American Molly Armanino. Consistently one of our favorites to watch, Amranino scored a 74.00 with strong turns and an incredible top section to her line, as the judges favored her in the Control and Technique categories. Second place went to Justine Dufour-Lapointe, the Canadian powerhouse who's been nearly unstoppable lately. She stuck a textbook backflip and several sizeable airs into her run, even managing to stomp a flat landing without much of a backslap. First place went to the lone member of Team Poland, Zuzanna Witych. Returning from injury, Witych came out firing, dropping right into a hairy section of the course and laying down one of the more techy lines we saw all day.

As mentioned, the competition was canceled before Agostina Vietti, Manon Loschi, Astrid Cheylus, Lily Bradley and Wynter McBride were able to ride, raising the question of how this podium would have looked given good weather. But no matter what, it's safe to say that Witych earned her gold medal. This win was far from a handout, as an 80.33 is nothing to scoff at and her run was executed perfectly. This is the gamble of any ski competition, especially freeride, where the mountains can change in an instant. It's understandable to be both proud of the riders who landed on the podium, while also hoping for a more all-encompassing outcome in the future.

Ski Women’s World Champs Results

🥇 Zuzanna Witych (POL) 80.33

🥈 Justine Dufour-Lapointe (CAN) 76.33

🥉 Molly Armanino (USA) 74.00

Left to right: Justine Dufour-Lapointe, Zuzanna Witych, Molly Armanino

Photo: Jeremy Bernard, FWT

In the Ski Men's field, no stone was left unturned as these 24 skiers tackled damn-near every feature on course. 10 riders, nearly half of the entire field, kicked a ski in one way or another and weren't able to finish their runs. There were plenty of close calls, from Marcus Goguen almost stomping an earth-shattering backflip to Carl Regnér Eriksson nearly sticking one of the more technical descents of the day. But in the end, three riders reigned supreme. Shoutout to Martin Bender, Tenra Katsuno and Oscar Mandin for all putting down incredible runs of their own, all missing the podium by four points or less.

Third place went to a recognizable name from the world of ski films, Jackson Hole's Kai Jones. The youngest rider at the World Championships, Jones put on a creative show, highlighted by a huge double at the end of his run that he styled out and put to his feet for a 77.67. The Frenchman Ugo Troubat, essentially a wildcard for the event, filling in for the injured Virgile Didier, seized the moment with an 86.00! He stomped three 360s, including a pinpoint snipe right off the bat into herroing terrain, and capped it off with a giant backflip off an unhit cliff.

But nobody could dethrone the man who's already won two Freeride World Tour stops this year, Ben Richards. Flying the Team New Zealand flag, Richards made a dominant impression on the judges and scored a staggering 91.67. He flew down the top close-out couloir, bolted a huge 360 and then found his way into a new area, taking flight and clearing the final cliff section in one go. With Air and Style, Fluidity and Technique nearly maxed out on the judges' scale, Richards showed why he deserves to wear the crown.

Ski Men's World Champs Results

🥇 Ben Richards (NZL) 91.67

🥈 Ugo Troubat (FRA) 86.00

🥉 Kai Jones (USA) 77.67

Left to right: Ugo Troubat, Ben Richards, Kai Jones

Photo: Jeremy Bernard, FWT

Stay tuned for the third stop of the 2026 Freeride World Tour in Georgia's Caucasus Mountains, with a weather window from February 21 - 27.