Freeride Skiing Could Join the 2030 Winter Olympics

Only two years after the International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) officially recognized freeride as a discipline in 2024, it is now in talks to be incorporated into the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps. If watching skiers rip ungroomed, steep terrain while throwing tricks off of cliffs isn’t the ultimate Olympic sport, then I don’t know what is. 

Freeride emerged in the 1970s as a rebellious movement against rigid, groomed, traditional alpine skiing and racing. The discipline has boomed in the past couple of decades and has climbed the ranks in terms of popular ski disciplines. Many famous freeride athletes have inspired the younger generation as freestyle’s groove is beginning to make its way into some freeride skiers' style. Think Ben Richard and Tony Raddford, who have been taking the freeride world by storm and throwing tricks in terrain that makes even the best skiers quite nervous.

For skiing, the Olympics already have multiple disciplines with different events in each. 

Alpine skiing 

• Downhill 

• Super-G 

• Giant Slalom 

• Combined 

Cross-country skiing 

• Classic and freestyle 

• Individual and team sprints 

• Skiathlon 

Freestyle skiing 

• Moguls and Dual Moguls

• Aerials 

• Ski cross

• Halfpipe 

• Slopestyle 

• Big Air 

Ski jumping 

• Normal hill 

• Large hill 

• Mixed Team Normal Hill

• Men's Super Team (new for 2026)

So why is freeride just now being included in the Olympic conversation? Well, there are multiple reasons. The first reason is the terrain required for freeride competitions. The discipline relies entirely on natural conditions and the state of the mountain. Unlike many of the other disciplines, where courses are mainly man-made. Just as surfing requires specific conditions for Olympic competitions, so does freeride. Another reason is the difference in how freeride is judged. Freeride is a “creative” sport and is difficult to translate to an objective scoring system traditionally favored by the Olympics. The freeride community is also wary of this incorporation, as some feel the discipline will lose its raw, artistic culture if it is included in the Olympics. 

But despite these challenges, official efforts are underway to include freeride in the 2030 Olympics. Since the Olympics are being held in the French Alps, location will not be an issue, as the region is home to world-class freeride terrain. 

Freeride World Tour CEO Nicolas Hale-Woods told ESPN in an interview about the incorporation of freeride in the 2030 Olympics, “To our eyes and to the eyes of a lot of skiers and snowboarders, it’s the most complete and inspirational discipline. It’s beautiful to watch and thrilling to perform.” 

According to ESPN, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) plans to announce the program for the French Alps 2030 Olympics in June.