The pressure is rising with two out of four competitions already completed of the Freeride World Tour 2010. By the third tour stage, the leading candidates for the Freeride World Champion title will be looking to make a major impression on the infamous Tram Face in Squaw Valley USA, a face that has never officially been ridden before.

Against the beautiful backdrop of the Mont-Blanc the Freeride World Tour 2010 kicked off in perfect weather conditions on the 500 metre “Pentes de l’Hôtel” face at the Brévent ski area in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. The 50 best freeriders on the planet put on an amazing performance, showing the 3000 cheering spectators the top of their game on the committing face and challenging snow conditions. The most impressive run of the day was the clean victory of French freestyle legend Candide Thovex, debuting in freeride contests, announcing a promising future.

The pressure is on for the first stage of the Freeride World Tour 2010. Krasnaya Polyana, the alpine and nordic ski area for the Sochi Winter Olympic Games in 2014, has become a legendary spot for the planet’s best freeride skiers and snowboarders. The athletes have challenged the Caucasian mountains since the creation of the Freeride World Tour in 2008. The Nissan Russian Adventure by Swatch will take off for its third edition 21-22 January at the Russian ski resort, which is working on the continued development of the resort ahead of the Olympics in 2014.

The United Nations General Assembly has designated 11 December, from 2003 onwards, as the “International Mountain Day”. It is observed every year with a different theme relevant to sustainable mountain development. The theme for the International Mountain Day 2009 is “Disaster Risk Management in Mountains”.