© Freeride World Tour - Tero Repo
Swatch Xtreme Verbier 2013: Event Preview
New Date and Who to Look Out For in This Year's Freeride World Tour Finals
The 2013 Freeride World Tour Finals in Verbier have been rescheduled due to a storm predicted to hit the region this Saturday. As a result, the highlight of the freeride calendar and climax to the Tour will now take place in Verbier on Friday the 22nd of March.
The Swatch Xtreme Verbier was originally scheduled to be held on Saturday the 23rd of March but organisers decided to advance the competition to Friday based on reports that a south west front may be arriving in Verbier that could remain in the area for a week. The action is now scheduled to kick off on the legendary 'Becs des Rosses' at 08:45 this Friday.
Friday's event will feature the best male and female skiers and snowboarders on the Tour who have qualified for the Finals here in Verbier. American Drew Tabke arrives in Verbier as the leading skier in the men's category and will be looking to stave off competition from the likes of the Jeremie Heitz (SUI), Julien Lopez (FRA) and the legendary Aurelien Ducroz (FRA) who picks up a wildcard for the event. In the mens snowboard category, American riders Sammy Luebke and Ralph Backstrom will need pull out all the stops to take the title back across the pond and will be pushed all the way by the likes of Aurelien Routens (FRA), Jonathan Charlet (FRA), and Verbier local Emilien Routens (SUI). Throw into the mix the wildcard, 3 time world snowboard champion, and Verbier favourite Xavier de Le Rue and you have a pretty tasty looking line up!
In the womens' competitions, Nadine Wallner (AUT) and Margot Rozies (FRA) will drop in from the Becs des Rosses on Saturday as the highest ranked female skier and snowboarder but both will face stiff competition in their respective categories. The womens ski and snowboard events just got a lot harder with the addition of wildcards for Jackson Hole's Crystal Wright and Lorraine Huber (AUT) in the ski category and the home favourite, Verbier local Estelle Balet in the snowboard event.
The 2013 edition of The Swatch Xtreme Verbier is lining up to be one of the best yet and if you can't make it up the mountain on the day, you can follow all the action live on the official website.
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