Freeride World Tour 2021 – Ordino Arcalís (AND)
The world’s best freeriders put on a clinic – showcasing a mix of freestyle and pure freeride – in the FWT season opener in Ordino Arcalís.
Ordino Arcalís, Andorra – February 19, 2021: Sunny skies and spring-like conditions welcomed the competition in Andorra today, with athletes in all categories holding nothing back to secure the season’s first points. Competition went down on Ordino Arcalís’ Port del Rat face, which proved the perfect playground for athletes to unleash their tricks.
SKI WOMEN
Hedvig Wessel (NOR-1st Place) made it two consecutive wins in Andorra by launching an enormous backflip above some rocky terrain before pinning the rest of her run, following an intense fall-line approach. Juliette Willmann (FRA-2nd Place) earned her first podium finish ever after a gruelling training regime leading up to the event. She opened her run in the steep couloir, stomping an air back into the technical terrain then ignored the surrounding exposure to unleash a fast double and topping it off with a final technical air. Maude Besse (SUI-3rd Place), returning from injury, exploded out of the gates into the steepest section of the face then followed a fast, direct line, popping multiple airs along the way.
SKI MEN
Ross Tester (USA-1st Place) didn’t show any rookie nerves when he exited gates with some serious heat and delivered an express freestyle masterclass. Starting with a 360 to spin onto the FWT stage, he then stomped a huge air and finished off with a massive backflip to lock in the top spot in his first FWT competition. Maël Ollivier (FRA-2nd Place) opened his FWT account with a risky 360 into a tight chute and linked this at speed into another critical air. He sent multiple airs in the middle section and finished his fluid and dynamic run with a huge stomp. Blake Marshall (NZL-3rd Place) looked comfortable on a quiver of borrowed equipment, executing an effortless tailgrab-360 up top before a rapid-fire double in the middle and a huge bottom air to solidify a podium finish.
