The first Allianz FIS Freeride World Championships Andorra 2026 by Mammut took place on the Basser Negre face of Ordino Arcalís ski resort in the Pyrenees of Andorra on Tuesday. Ordino Arcalís has a storied history as a premier destination for freeride skiing and snowboarding, and was the perfect place to host the first-ever championships sanctioned by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). The inaugural event brought together 64 of the world’s best freeride skiers and snowboarders from 17 nations to compete for the historic title of FIS Freeride World Champion in four categories.
After back-to-back podium finishes in the first two stops of the Freeride World Tour, Truckee’s Mia Jones continued her streak and became the first Snowboard Women FIS Freeride World Champion. Jones moved through the upper section with speed and precision and took a pure freeride approach with clean, technical turns and multiple big airs to land a solid run and the top score.
I feel so lucky to be here. The venue was incredible, the snow was so fun, and everyone threw down. I’m just honored to be in this position. It’s a really big deal for the sport. It’s really special to have so much camaraderie representing America and being here with the rest of the athletes from my country. It really does feel like a team, and that’s really special,” said Mia.
The other American finishers:
South Lake Tahoe’s Molly Armanino, known for high-speed riding and extremely technical line selection, launched a solid air and then went immediately into powerful technical turns. Performing multiple airs in the bottom section, she kept her speed and style to land herself in third in the Women’s Ski division.
“It means a lot to compete here and come here for the first history event. I’m super grateful for the opportunity to compete with the world’s best freeriders and represent the U.S.A. I had a really great time. It’s an exciting new wave of freeriding. We’re ready to take Freeride to the next level [if Freeride becomes an Olympic sport],” explained Molly.
Lily Bradley of Tahoe City was unable to start her run due to clouds and a lack of visibility.
Photo Credit: J. Bernard, Freeride World Tour
At just 19 years old, the youngest male skier of the day, Kai Jones of Victor, Idaho set the tone as the first Ski Men rider to drop, charging to the podium with a third-place finish. Known as a rising star in the ski film world, Jones drew on his Natural Selection Tour experience to prove he belongs on the sport’s biggest stage. Coming in full throttle, he sent an enormous backflip early, followed by a cross-hill 360, both landed with slight backslaps. Jones kept pushing, taking a double drop as a massive single and styling it into another huge air. Crossing the finish line, Jones celebrated with his cousin, snowboard champion Mia Jones. Kai competed in the FWT Qualifiers in two events in 2022.
“It was so fun to go out there and compete. I got some fresh tracks and I just tried to put down a fun run and ski what spoke to me. It’s been so amazing to be out here working hard with the other U.S. athletes. It’s been an honor to compete alongside them and represent my country. It’s just the beginning. There’s more to come with Freeride and that’s the most exciting part about it,” said Kai.
Ross Tester of Truckee finished ninth after dropping with speed, opening with a bonus air into the chute and a smooth 360, recovering quickly from an edgy landing and charging through the face before lofting the final feature with a confident grab. Toby Rafford (Sun Valley) took 10th, skiing full speed through the top section into a lofty 360, showing smooth control despite a nagging ankle injury and hanging onto his landing after clipping a rock on a huge ledge takeoff. Kelly Hilleke (Aspen) was forced into an automatic no score when a rock took his ski immediately out of the gate, but still threw multiple 360s and a massive double backflip before exiting the course safely, offering a glimpse of what could have been.
Snowboarder Michael Mawn of Denver stepped back onto the world stage and straight onto the podium, earning a third-place finish after returning from a break in competition to represent his country. Mawn wasted no time in the nearly 47-degree top section, attacking the steep, technical face before flying over the first feature. Carrying serious speed, he stomped a clean double drop and followed it with a lofty backside 360 to seal a defining freeride moment.