Featured Image: Dom Daher, Freeride World Tour

It's time to go back... back to Alaska! For the first time since 2017, the Freeride World Tour planted start gates in the rugged mountains of Haines, Alaska. After two back-to-back competition cancellations in Georgia and Austria, riders and fans alike were hungry for full-throttle freeride. With blue skies, fresh snow and some of the biggest peaks on Earth at the ready, AK delivered.

The competition was held on a face known as The Venue. It's the only mountain ever to host an FWT Pro comp in Alaska. As one would expect, The Venue demands nothing short of flawless riding. With a sustained pitch of 45 degrees (maximum pitch of 51 degrees), and lines packed with spines, cliffs, windlips and gullies, there is no room for error. We saw the reality of this technical 2,400-foot descent take its toll on many competitors. Out of the 12 ski men finalists on course, six crashed during their runs, while only half of the ski women finalists (three out of six) were able to make it to the finish corral.

For some, a simple miscalculation led to hangups. For others, the variability of the face and landings took them by surprise. But one thing remains undisputed: every single skier left it on the hill in Alaska. Massive straight lines, huge stomps, falls and more; let's unpack the madness in Haines.

EXPLORE HEAD'S LATEST SKIS

In the Ski Women’s Field, it was feast or famine, as Agostina Vietti, Justine Dufour-Lapointe and Wynter McBride, each extremely talented in their own right, could not make it to the finish line. Both Lapointe and Vietti lost skis early in their runs, with the former getting hung up in the rocks and the latter landing sideways, narrowly avoiding a tomahawk down the entire slope. McBride had just a few hundred feet left in her line when she high-sided on a turn through avalanche debris.

It was a Europe-dominated podium in the end. Third place went to 20-year-old Zoé Delzoppo. The young French ripper was able to slide into a bronze medal despite taking a tumble. With both skis still on, she put together a composed run and snagged her second podium of the season. Lou Barin, another French rider, secured second place with the only run of the day that held a candle to the first-place finisher, Sybille Blanjean. While Barin was smart in her line choice, the judges docked her control, allowing the Swiss Blanjean to slide ahead. Her technical prowess and direct fall line run earned her a 75.67, and with two podiums on the season, she's in a prime position to capitalize as the Tour heads to her home in Verbier, Switzerland for the final competition of the season.

“Being here in Alaska was already a childhood dream for me. I grew up watching freeride films featuring these mountains. When I was competing on the juniors, I watched the FWT events here and imagined what it would feel like to ride them. Winning here is even more incredible. I had so much fun. Now the next event is at home on the Bec, my favorite mountain, and I hope I can do it again there.” - Sybille Blanjean, 2026 YETI Alaska Haines Pro Ski Women Winner

In the Ski Men’s Field, it was as close as it gets among the top finishers, with first and third places separated by just 1.67 points. As is only fitting at the only American-based stop on the Tour, the podium was dominated by the Red, White and Blue. Third place went to a familiar face in freeride, the one and only Ross Tester. Ross the Boss was able to lock down his second third-place finish of the season in style as he found fresh tracks and pioneered new sections of the course and stomped two giant 360s along the way. As the second ski men rider of the day, he set the bar high, and only two skiers would be able to top it.

Ugo Troubat took second place, bringing the flying Frenchman his first podium finish of the 2026 season. While his technique score was slightly lower than Ross's, the judges found his Air & Style to be impeccable. Troubat's incredible control at speed and huge 360 (among other hits) were enough to beat Tester by just 0.67 points. But it was the young Toby Rafford who left everyone speechless with his first-place run. Stomping a huge 360 into a pinch-point run while slalom-turning around cliffs out was enough to make anyone's stomach turn. With this win, Rafford is sitting in first place, though Ben Richards, with two wins this season, is just behind him.

“I was so hyped to be in Alaska with all the other American riders, and taking the win makes it even more special. It’s a crazy feeling. I just chose the line I liked the most and went for it without thinking about the result. Now it’s time to focus on the Bec des Rosses.” - Toby Rafford, 2026 YETI Alaska Haines Pro Ski Men Winner

Podium results, winning runs and full photo gallery below.

Click here to watch the full replay from the YETI Haines Alaska Pro on the official FWT website.