Photo: Mia Maria Knoll
I am excited that you are interested in doing Freeride contests and we can help grow this sport in the USA. I found the process to be a bit confusing when I first started, and have since had many people inquiring about how it works and what to expect from doing a Freeride contest, and how to make the Freeride World Tour. This is meant to be a quick overview for people with questions on the process. I've attached links to the full rules and guidelines from IFSA at the bottom of this blog. I hope you find this informative, short and helpful.
First things first, whether your goal is to make the Freeride World Tour, or enter your very first competition, you will need a membership. This blog is going to focus on those athletes whose goal is to make the Freeride World Tour and what steps are necessary to line themselves up for success, but either way you will need to start here. Based on how many events you'd like to do you can buy a one time membership($25), or a yearly($60).
The link to do this is here: MEMBERPRO WEBSITE
After buying your membership you will be provided login information to the "memberpro" site. This is where you can register for events ONLY. Once you have successfully logged in, you can see upcoming events under the "events" tab here: EVENTS PAGE
On this page you will need to select which region you would like to compete in, whether you are doing an FWQ (Freeride World Qualifier) or FJQ (Freeride Junior Qualifier.) Most people reading this will want to signup for the FWQ contests in REGION 2 (Americas) however, your membership works for the European events as well.
ALL OTHER INFORMATION such as details about events, athlete meeting times, etc can be found on the IFSA website here: IFSA WEBSITE (HOMEBASE)
The tricky thing with events is that they are seeded, meaning you will need to gain enough points by competing in 1*, 2*, and 3* events in order to qualify for the highest tier which is the 4*. However, this year 2* and 3* events are also seeded from the global ranking list because of an influx of participation.
The timeframe to register for the events is always the same and opens 6 WEEKS prior to the contest and closes 4 WEEKS prior to the event. If all of the spots aren't filled in this timeframe, they will reopen registration.
2019 EVENTS CALENDAR
Photo: Jeremy Bernard
The only events that are first come first served are 1* events. So if this is your first time competing you will need to find 1* events to gain points to qualify for 2* events, and once you have done enough 2* events successfully you will have enough points to qualify for the 3* and so on.
However, if you are an "unranked" rider you need to signup for the higher tier events such as 2* and 3* as soon as registration opens. That will put you higher on the waitlist and give you the best chance of getting spot if people who are seeded higher than you choose not to participate in that event.
Photo: Jeremy Bernard
To simplify, if your goal is to make the Freeride World Tour, you will want to compete in the 4* contests because they are worth more points than a 1,2, or 3*. Example: Winning a 2* gets you 600 points where winning a 4* gets you 2500. To qualify for the World Tour they take your top 3 results at the end of the season and award the one spot per category per region for the Tour.
If you're a strategist, you could sign up for every single contest, but that wouldn't guarantee you the most points because they only award the world tour spot from YOUR top 3 results. This year will be different for 4* contests as well, to structure it more like the Freeride World Tour, 4* events will be one day one run events.
The more interest that is shown in these events the better for everyone. Together we can grow this sport in the USA and get it the attention and support it needs. We need to show event organizers that people, especially women are passionate about the world of Freeride in the USA. So ladies, sign up for these events!
Photo: Jeremy Bernard
"Athlete division allocations may vary by event as they are based on the percentage of riders in each division who registered to compete in the event. (Example: If 100 spots were available and 200 riders applied, and 20 of those applicants were female snowboarders, 10 spots would be awarded to the Female Snowboard division.)" - IFSA
Photo: Jeremy Bernard
IFSA RULE CHANGES
IFSA OFFICAL RULES HANDBOOK
