Freeskiing World Tour to Merge with Freeride World Tour

Freeskiing World Tour to Merge with Freeride World Tour:
By: Curtis Olsen

freeskiingworldtour.com

July 19, 2012

A Unified World Tour For 2013

Freeride World Tour to merge with Masters of Snowboarding and Freeskiing World Tour

to create one unified global championship series

Six-stop 2013 SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR BY THE NORTH FACE Tour Dates and Locations Announced

Salt Lake City, USA / Lausanne, Switzerland – July 19, 2012 — Event organizers of SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR, Freeskiing World Tour and The North Face Masters of Snowboarding announced this week a merger that will combine all three tours under one unified global 5-star championship series. The new six-stop world tour – named the SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR BY THE NORTH FACE – will include freeride skiing and snowboarding at each stop.

Watch the SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR 2013 by The North Face teaser here.

Confirmed tour locations include Revelstoke, Canada, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France, Kirkwood, USA, Fieberbrunn PillerseeTal, Austria, and one more stop still to be confirmed, before the World Tour finals in Verbier, Switzerland.
“The union of the three tours is a major step in the sport’s growth,” said Nicolas Hale-Woods, Freeride World Tour Managing Director Europe. “Not only at World Tour (FWT) level, but also at qualifying level, with events happening in New-Zealand, North & South America, and Europe, all counting for one unique Freeride World Qualifiers (FWQ) ranking, enabling riders from all active areas to qualify for the next season’s SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR BY THE NORTH FACE.”
“Big mountain freeriding has a long and rich history with incredibly talented athletes around the world,” said Adam Comey, Mountain Sports International President and Freeride World Tour Managing Director Americas. “Now, with two great brands in Swatch and The North Face, and two dedicated organizations in Europe and North America coming together for one mission and one tour, the next chapter of freeride skiing and snowboarding is very bright.” 
For 2013, start lists will feature qualified athletes from all three of the 2012 Tours, as well as from qualifier events (4-star events), along with a limited number of wild card entries from both continents.
Download the SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR BY THE NORTH FACE 2013 Pre-Qualified, Invited Athlete List: Men and Women
“The merger of the two ski tours is a great step for our sport,” said 2012 SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR Champion Reine Barkered of Sweden. “It will add even more recognition around the world. For me as a rider I’m looking forward to an even more exciting season with a lot of new faces.”
Read More HERE