Courmayeur won a stage of the Freeride World Tour

on Tuesday 27 December 2011
by Freeride World Tour

Alcune Foto dall'edizione di Verbier del FWT 2010

VIDEO: La discesa di Aurélien Ducroz a Xtreme Verbier 2011

From 24th to 29th January 2012 Courmayeur will host the Italian date of the Freeride World Tour by Swatch, an international competition that brings together the slopes of the most beautiful mountains in the world and the great champions of the Freeride. The Valdostan resort had already tasted the excitement of the event last year when for the lack of snow in Chamonix the event was moved to the peaks overlooking the Val Veny.

The formalization of the stage at Courmayeur arrived just before Christmas and is a real success for the Valdostan resort that last year she had received the free riders on the slopes of Mont Fortin only by virtue of the absence of snow in nearby Chamonix.

This year though there will be time to better prepare the event. Courmayeur has pushed hard to get this stage and the satisfaction of the whole town is in the words of Courmayeur Mont Blanc Funivie president, Giocchino Gobbi : "This event has become a reality thanks to the collaboration between the Society of Cable Cars, Hoteliers, shopkeepers, mountain guides, instructors ski town of Courmayeur and Aosta Valley Autonomous Region. "
Leading this coalition compact precisely the Courmayeur Mont Blanc Funivie, which has always believed strongly in the tour and considers the freeride ski mountain the best trend of interest for the resort.

The President Gobbi adds: "It is an honor to host a stop on our area of the Freeride World Tour, giving the possibility to all the freeride scene to see the world's best athletes compete on the Italian side of Mont Blanc."

With typical Swiss precision and impeccable timing, Swatch has signed a new three-year deal to become title partner of the Freeride World Tour. In a ground-breaking deal that will ensure six elite level Freeride events over the 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons, Swatch confirms its commitment to the thriving action sports sector.
Swatch President Arlette-Elsa Emch says: “A passion for sport is one of the long-established pillars of the Swatch ethos. With this in mind, we are extremely proud to confirm our support of and commitment to the Freeride World Tour, as its title partner. During the next three years, working alongside the Freeride World Tour, Swatch wishes to build upon the existing excitement surrounding Action sports by increasing and promoting its significance globally, in order to enrich the experience of those participating in and those watching these amazing events."
The 2012 Swatch Freeride World Tour season will also see an event in Revelstoke (Canada) adding to the already confirmed stops in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Røldal, Fieberbrunn and Verbier.
The Revelstoke event will also mark the next step in a rapidly evolving partnership between the Freeride World Tour organisers and American Freeskiing and Freeriding organiser Mountain Sports International (MSI). This evolution will include a co-organised event and a new global ranking system in which all results from the new Swatch Freeride World Tour, Freeride World Qualifiers, The North Face Masters of Snowboarding and Subaru Freeskiing World Tour will be included.

Freeride World Tour founder, Nicolas Hale-Woods says: "With strong support from Swatch, the 2012 season will be the next step in globalising the sport. We're really pleased to have a new event in Courmayeur-Mont -Blanc which presents us with a superb range of Freeride competition options and we're working ever closer with MSI to further align our events and activities in 2013." MSI founder and CEO Adam Comey says: "Combining the Freeskiing and Freeride competitions structures in the Americas with those in Europe is inevitable and we will continue to discuss and work together in order to create a common platform for riders and fans alike."
Revelstoke Mountain Resort Chief Operating Officer, Rod Kessler says: “Although Revelstoke Mountain Resort is expanding into the family market, our heart and soul is big mountain skiing and riding. The combination of the Swatch Freeride Tour and the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour marks a historic event amongst the Snow Sports industry. Revelstoke Mountain Resort and the Revelstoke Accommodation Association is excited to host the world’s top big mountain ski and snowboard athletes in January 2012. Our goal is to deliver an unforgettable experience to both athletes and guests alike, while showcasing Revelstoke’s unparalleled terrain, snow conditions, and hospitality.”

Stampa