Featured Image: Jeremy Bernard, Freeride World Tour
Freeride is entering a new era this winter, as we prepare for the debut of the FIS Freeride World Championships by Mammut. With a weather window from February 1-6, 2026, the comp will be held at Andorra's Ordino ArcalÃs resort in the mighty Pyrenees Mountains.
After months of anticipation, the final roster has been released. Unlike a normal Freeride World Tour competition, there are four different avenues for riders to qualify for the World Championships. The details are a bit confusing, but we broke them down as best possible. The qualification routes are:
Pro Ranking
Top-ranked riders from the 2025 FIS Freeride World Tour.
Continental Quotas
Five continental quotas (Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America). Spots were awarded to the highest-ranked rider on the Qualifying Global Seeding List, which is determined based on the rider's three best scores in the last 52 weeks.
National Ski Association (NSA) Quotas
NSAs are country-delegated governing bodies recognized by FIS (ex: U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association). Each eligible NSA without a qualified athlete (or two athletes in the case of Ski Men) was invited to nominate one rider who meets FIS Freeride qualification standards.
FIS Wildcard
One wildcard per discipline is awarded at the discretion of FIS Freeride.
Host Nation Wildcard
The last spot is given to the host nation, allocated by the Andorran Ski Federation (FAE).
In total, 41 skiers made the cut for the Championships. The roster is chock-full of familiar faces that FWT fans will instantly recognize such as Justine Dufour-Lapointe, Molly Armanino, Ben Richards, Marcus Goguen, Jess Hotter, Kristopher Turdell and Ross Tester.
Prominent young guns in the sport like Manon Loschi, Fynn Powell and Toby Rafford have also made their way into the mix. Though their competition experience pales in comparison to competitors like Turdell and Hotter, expect these riders to get creative and push the judges to consider new angles.
It's worth noting that the list also includes a few riders who have never competed in a FWT Pro event, such as Agostina Vietti, Kelly Hilleke and Kai Jones. Jones, of course, has a stacked film resume, but it will be interesting to see how these riders adapt to the high-staked of the competition's rigid structure.
This is far from Ordino ArcalÃs' first freeride event experience. The area has played host to several Freeride World Tour stops over the years, with the most recent scheduled for January 2024, though the stop had to be canceled due to poor conditions.
But that just makes the anticipation even greater for this winter. This area of the Pyrenees is riddled with jagged peaks and steep descents, creating a daunting yet ideal freeride venue.
Stay tuned for updates on the 2026 FIS Freeride World Championship from FREESKIER
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