Eleven American athletes are competing in the inaugural FIS Freeride World Championships on Tuesday in Ordino Arcalís, Andorra, located in the Pyrenees between France and Spain. Four of those competing are from the Lake Tahoe and Truckee area.
This landmark event marks the first-ever Freeride World Championships sanctioned by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), bringing together 65 of the world’s best freeride skiers and snowboarders from 17 nations to compete for the historic title of FIS Freeride World Champion.
Exceptional snow conditions over recent days have delivered up to about five feet of fresh snowfall across the Ordino Arcalís area, creating an ideal stage for this inaugural championship. At the heart of the event is the legendary Basser Negre face (8,817 feet), which returns for the first time since 2018. The event will operate under the same format as Freeride World Tour (FWT), as athletes have a single opportunity to ride one line down their chosen section of the natural face. From the start gate through the finish corral, they freeride to earn points in five categories.
The inaugural FIS Freeride World Championships represent a key step in freeride’s ongoing journey toward the Olympic Games, with the sport targeting potential inclusion and debut at the 2030 Olympics Winter Games in the French Alps. The timing adds to the sense of momentum, with the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics set to begin this Friday.
Ski Women
- Molly Armanino – (South Lake Tahoe, CA)
- Wynter McBride – (Ogden, Utah)
- Lily Bradley – (Tahoe City, CA)
Snowboard Women
- Mia Jones – (Truckee, CA)
Ski Men
- Ross Tester – (Truckee, CA)
- Toby Rafford – (Sun Valley, ID)
- Kelly Hilleke – (Aspen, CO)
- Kai Jones – (Victor, ID)
Snowboard Men
- Holden Samuels – (Big Sky, MT and Salt Lake City, UT)
- Michael Mawn – (Denver, CO)
- Blake Moller – (Edwards, CO)
Watch it Live
Follow the action live from Allianz FIS Freeride World Championship Andorra 2026 at https://www.freerideworldtour.com/live/?_kx=xyDQdRYqBtO1dmRPmJ55h1ufwJ9TeQ2vr9ihVtBY_Nw.WRU4Yh
Livestream coverage begins at 9 a.m. CET / 3 a.m. EST / 1 a.m. MST / 12 a.m. PST with the first rider dropping 15 minutes after live coverage begins.