Featured Image: Jeremy Bernard, FWT | Skier : Ross Tester
The 2027 Freeride World Tour (FWT) season is right around the corner, and the newly released schedule has us on the edge of our seats. With a potential surge in viewers thanks to freeride's Olympic inclusion , announced this summer, the Tour is under pressure to show the world what the sport can offer, especially considering multiple stop cancelations last year due to conditions.
With that in mind, the 2027 FWT schedule includes many of our favorite destinations from last year: five of the same locations, to be exact. But the Haines, Alaska venue has been removed from the list, and instead, FWT riders will be heading to the lower 48 States for the first time in over a decade, with Snowbird, Utah hosting the fifth FWT Pro competition of the season.
​Snowbird's history with freeride goes deep, with local clubs producing incredible skiers every season. The resort last hosted an FWT event back in 2014, but has since presented countless IFSA two- and four-star comps for the next generation of talent. Bringing the FWT back to the U.S. was something many riders had been pushing for over the years, with U.S. Ski & Snowboard even co-presenting the Snowbird stop.
Many FWT riders have expressed excitement for the new North American stop, but few are more amped than Ross Tester. Currently sitting at third in the FWT Pro Men's Ski rankings , Tester moved to Utah for college and has been a well-known face at Snowbird ever since.
"Snowbird becoming a Tour stop is a dream come true," Tester said in light of the schedule release. "Having a stop in the lower 48 was something I wasn’t sure would [again] happen until now. Being able to have my close friends and family come watch and share the competition experience means a lot to me. I know many people appreciate freeride skiing in the U.S., and particularly the Bird, so to bring it there will be so cool."
The legendary Mount Baldy will serve as the competition venue. Baldy boasts an average slope angle of 49%, with the coveted Amphitheatre Zone being the pride and joy of the area. Many IFSA Four Star competitions have been held here, and it will be exhilarating to see what the pros do with the area.
For fans, it's a great selection, as one only needs to take a short lap through Snowbird's Peruvian Gulch terrain to reach the viewing area, where, on a clear day, the entire face is visible from below. You could even grab a pair of binoculars and head to the other side of the valley if you wanted to watch from an exceptional vantage point.
The Snowbird competition will take place after the cut, in which the bottom 40% of skiers and boarders are removed after the first four stops of the season. The 2027 FWT Finals will then include Snowbird, with a weather window from March 16-22, followed by the iconic Xtreme Verbier from March 27 through April 4.
Get fired up for another season of freeride, and check out the full schedule release video below.
