Flow World Freeride Championships

The Flow World Freeride Championships is snowboarding’s premier big-mountain event. With a variety of terrain, deep powder conditions and the challenge of Alaska’s Chugach, the Flow World Freeride Championships is considered by many to be the sport’s most esteemed event.

"This is real f---ing snowboarding." — Travis Rice, 2010 Champion

The Flow World Freeride Championships snowboard competition will return to Valdez, Alaska, April 1, 2012, to crown the best snowboarder in the world (male and female). Brought back as the King of the Hill in 2010 by SNOWBOARD magazine/Tailgate Alaska founder Mark Sullivan, the Flow World Freeride Championships has changed its name but maintains the same management and prominence to the sport.

Now entering its third year, we are making significant improvements to the event and venues.

The Flow World Freeride Championships will be a two-day competition. It will operate the same as it had the past two years under the supervision of Sean Wisner and the Alaska Avalanche Information Center. US Olympic Team coaches Ricky Bower and Mike Jankowski return to work with US Ski and Snowboard Grand Prix Director Eric Webster to ensure fair judging and a smooth-running event.

Day one will consist of two qualifying runs via snowmobile access. Day two will take the top qualifying competitors to an area only accessible by helicopters, where the top athletes will prove their mettle on the world's most challenging terrain in a two-run final.

With $10,000 on the line for First Place, the event will be the first of its kind. Big-mountain freestyle on the biggest mountains in the world.

The Flow World Freeride Championships finals will be set on multiple powder-drenched 4,000-plus feet of vertical, demanding massive airs, Cro-Magnon leg strength and cat-like board-handling agility.

According to organizer Mark Sullivan, "The only way to run a safe event on this type of terrain is to narrow down the field to the top riders, then unleash them on the best the Chugach has to offer." Essentially, it’s the ultimate test of a professional snowboarder with each run. The two-day event will feature freestyle-oriented freeride terrain to decide the overall best big-mountain snowboarder in the world.

"Way cooler than the Olympics." — Scotty Lago, 3rd Place 2010

The past two seasons of competition have proved to be one of the most competitive events in recent memory, with riders from all disciplines of the sport, contesting for the title of World Freeride Champion. Olympians, X-Games Champions, stars of snowboard videos and magazines face off in the ultimate conditions to prove who is the best rider.

The venues will be selected based on natural terrain features, snow stability, spectator viewing from the hundreds of Jackson Hole-sized peaks that surround the Tailgate Alaska base camp.

Past champions include Travis Rice, Vera Janssen, Will Brommelsiek and Holly Enderle.

According to event physician Dr. John Cullen...
"Having worked as event physician for all ski and snowboarding competitions in Valdez since 1994, I can say with some authority that Sean Wisner and his team of snow safety personnel are the most professional I have worked with. Long before the event took place, they were scoping out the safest way to provide a great competition in an inherently unsafe environment. They set up with an apparent ease that belied the technical difficulty of their task. During the event, they were poised to provide care that was thankfully never needed. Clearly they epitomized the backcountry knowledge and skills that are essential for an event of this caliber to take place."

There are three ways to qualify to compete:
1) If you competed at our events in 2010 or 2011 you are qualified.
2) Getting in the Top 8 at 'qualifying events' like The North Face Masters,World Heli Challenge or Freeride World Tour.
3) Have significant media exposure in backcountry terrain.

If you do not meet one of these criteria, send an email to mark@tailgatealaska.com and ask to compete.

Event Comparison

Terrain	Chugach Mountains, Alaska backcountry	North American resort/side country	International resort/side country	New Zealand backcountry
Slope Control	Uncontrolled	Controlled	Controlled/Uncontrolled	Uncontrolled
Access	Snowmobile and Helicopter	Lifts and Hiking	Lifts and Hiking	Helicopter
Prize Money	$10,000 USD for First	$3,500 USD for First	$6,000 USD for First	none
Safety	Alaska Avalanche Information Center Team, High Incline Rescue Specialists	Resort Patrol	Resort Patrol	Local Safety Crew
Competition Focus	Big Mountain Freestyle	1 to 2-day Traditional Big Mountain	1 to 2-day Traditional Big Mountain	2-day Competition: Big Mountain Freestyle and Traditional Big Mountain
Format	Qualifier and Final	Qualifier and Final	Final	Everyone competes in all runs
Qualification	Based on Qualification criteria	Open, first come first served	Pre-Qualification	Open
Managed by	Snowboarders	Skiers	Skiers	Skiers
Cost	$799 USD	$170 plus tickets	Closed Entry	$2,000+ NZD