We Are Delighted to Announce…..That We Cut the Women’s Pro Tour

The Freeride World Tour has decided to cancel the Women’s Pro Tour. It came as surprise to all of us, more like a shock. I have been trying to decide how I feel about the decision. Is this good? The FWT has been such a huge part of ski career that I want to feel good about the decision. Before I made I statement, I wanted to be sure about how I really felt. So after a month I am finally ready to let everyone how I really feel.

It sucks! I don’t know how else to say it. It just really sucks. The decision was announced on September 3 via email to all of the competitors. I had to read the email multiple times because there was such a positive spin on what they were really saying.

The letter started out by saying, “Freeride World Tour 11 is on and we’re delighted to announce a whole range of new events and happenings.” And followed with, “Firstly, we are creating a new platform for female riders in order to increase the number of female participants and make the World Title more accessible to young and upcoming talents. Female competitions will be integrated within FWQ events with the final in Verbier where we will all assemble as in previous years. Further, the Female competitions will be featured within their own media showcase with on-line video features and a specific 26 minutes highlights show.”The changes on the men’s side included, “Secondly, the men’s series is increasing to six events with expansion into Austria and the German part of Switzerland. This is a key move as Freeride clearly needs to gain more traction in these hotbeds of European snow sports.”

All of this sounded really positive for women until I realized what the letter was actually saying. The wording was so positive, but it sounded like the FWT had decided to cancel the Women’s Pro Tour. I finally asked a friend to read the email and asked what he thought it was saying. He read the email and turned to me and said, “Wow! Looks like you girls just got screwed!”

The FWT had made the decision to cut the Women’s Pro Tour and thought we would all be really excited to compete on a 14 stop qualifying tour across the World. I wasn’t totally against the idea until I opened the attachment and discovered that there would be no prize money offered for any of the qualifying stops except Kirkwood. There was no way I would be able to travel across Europe competing without prize money. I don’t know anyone who can.

WOMEN CALENDAR FWQ11
Final calendar including 1-4* level to be confirmed by September 30th.
Stop #1. LA CLUSAZ FREERIDE (FRA) 4*: 15-20 Jan
Stop #2. THE NORTH FACE MASTERS OF SNOWBOARDING – Snowbird (USA) 3*: 22-25 Jan (Snowboard only)
Stop #3. HOCHFUGEN FREERIDE (AUT) 4*: 4-8 Feb
Stop #4. THE NORTH FACE MASTERS OF SNOWBOARDING – Crystal Mountain (USA) 2*: 7-11 Feb (Snowboard only)
Stop #5. KITZSTEINHORN FREERIDE (AUT) 3*: 11-14 Feb
Stop #6. MORGINS FREERIDE – Morgins (SUI) 2*: 11-14 Feb
Stop #7. SNOWEEK KRASNAYA – Krasnaya (RUS) 3*: 12-17 Feb
Stop #8. ELDORADO FREERIDE – Vallnord (AND/SPA) 4*: 18-22 Feb
Stop #9. NISSAN MYSTIC EXPERIENCE – Monte Rosa (ITA) 3*: 18-22 Feb
Stop #10. SALOMON EXTREME FREERIDE CHAMPIONSHIPS – Taos (USA) 3*: 18-22 Feb
Stop #11. NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS BY SWATCH – KIRKWOOD (USA) 4*: 26 Feb – 3 Mar (Ski Only)
Stop #12. NORTH FACE MASTERS OF SNOWBOARDING BY SWATCH – Kirkwood (USA) 4*: 5-9 Mar (Snowboard only)
Stop #13. FREERIDE BATTLE SLOVENIA – Kanin (SLO) – 2*: 3-6 Mar
Stop #14. NENDAZ FREERIDE – Nendaz (SUI) – 3*: 11-16 Mar
FINAL : NISSAN XTREME BY SWATCH – VERBIER (SUI – Final): 19-27 Mar

Best 3 results out of an unlimited number of Stops attended count towards a cut made after Nendaz. NB: A 1-4* system will be defined with heavier points awarded in the 4* Events

The essence of the email was, “We are delighted to announce that we have cut the women’s pro tour. The women who can afford to travel to all 14 stops will get to compete in Verbier. Isn’t that great!” It would be great to increase the number of women who are competing and to make the Freeride World Tour more accessible to young and upcoming athletes, but the FWT has always put a cap on how many women are competing. For example, only the top three ranked women are guaranteed a position at each competition and 3-4 wild cards are given to athletes at each competition limiting the field to 7 or 8 women. This is true for Verbier as well this year. The top 5 skier women and top 3 snowboarders will be invited to Verbier. Again, limiting the field of women to 8. As far as making the Freeride World Tour Title more accessible to young and upcoming athletes that is what the original qualifying series was for and it worked. Athletes like Ane Enderud and Janina Kuzma battled their way through the qualifying series to guarantee themselves a place on the Pro Tour. Enderud went on to win the tour two years in a row. The incentive to compete on the qualifying tour was to make the Pro Tour. Now the incentive is gone.

The Freeride World Tour was an incredible opportunity and experience. The last three years I have been able to compete with and against some of the best skiers in the world traveling to places like Russia and Europe. The FWT has helped me become a better skier and opened my eyes to ski communities across the globe. Competing on the Bec De Rosses in Verbier is one of the more incredible experiences I have ever had. It is unbelievable to see 10,000 fans flood the streets of Verbier to celebrate skiing. I want to believe that the FWT has our best interests in making this decision, but it’s hard not to see this as a blow to women’s skiing.

Most of the women see this as a digression in Women’s Skiing, but not all. Lorraine Huber sees the decision as an opportunity. She writes, “Should this really be seen as a step backwards for the women as the first online reactions of the female riders have shown?” “Separating the women from the men allows the creation of an entirely new product which becomes attractive to a new group of sponsors wishing to advocate their women’s line or products.” http://skilori.wordpress.com/2010/09/05/freeride-world-tour-2011/

I am trying to see the good in the decision, but at the moment I think it really sucks. Time will tell. As far as me, I will be competing this winter. The Freeskiing World Tour is stoked to have women onboard and I will be competing in Revelstoke, Kirkwood, and Snowbird. I have also asked the FWT for a Wild Card to Verbier for 2011. I have placed second three years in a row at the Verbier X-treme and would really like to win it this year. So at the moment I am training hard and waiting for the snow to fly.

Aspen! Aspen! Aspen!

Scoping Lines in Chile

I wasn’t in Aspen. I was standing at the top of my first film line with Warren Miller. The helicopter was circling around, Chris Patterson was hanging out the door holding a 16mm camera, and it was finally happening. I slowed my breathing and prepared myself for one of the biggest opportunities of my ski career. I was filming with Warren Miller!

Chris Patterson Doing What He Does Best!

I watched the heli circle around. It was almost time for me to drop in. I reminded myself of the advice Chris Davenport had given me. “Filming is just like free skiing. Do everything the same, but faster!” I stared down my line. It was a beautiful couloir. There was nothing difficult about it. The snow was perfect and all I had to do was rip it! Really fast. The heli came around full circle. I waited to hear 3.2.1. Drop. The radio in my pocket started to crackle and out came, “Aspen! Aspen! Aspen!” I didn’t know what to do. Aspen? Aspen? Aspen? My mind raced as the heli came over head. Aspen? Colorado? What? I didn’t move. I had no idea what Aspen meant.

Helicopters are sooo Cool!

The heli circled around again. I knew that when it came back over head I was supposed to ski, but I had no idea what Aspen meant. The heli came around full circle once more and again, “Aspen! Aspen! Aspen!” I watched for another sign, waiting to hear 3.2.1. Finally Chris waved his foot and I dropped in.

The snow was awesome! Perfect pow and I sent it! I arced two beautiful turns and then dropped into a straight line through some rocks. Out of the straight line, I laid down a fast turn on the side of the couloir. The snow was flying out behind me. I was having a great run. Everything was going well until the snow changed. I was 100 meters from the exit of the couloir when the snow turned from perfect pow to bullet proof crust. I remember thinking, “Oh no, Jess! You are going way to fast!” I knew I had way too much speed for the conditions, but I was also going too fast to try to shut it down. I decided to try to point it towards the good snow. My skis started to vibrate and then wiggle and then it was all over. I went into a full tail spin; hitting my head on the concrete like snow and then my feet and then head and then feet. I came to an abrupt stop upside down in the snow. I was sick about it. My first real line with Warren Miller and I blew it.

The radio crackled again, “Jess are you ok?” I thought to myself, yes I’m ok, but my psyche has been bruised. I called back on the radio that I was ok, just needed to pick up the pieces of gear that I had yard sailed all over the mountain and then I would ski down. Chris Patterson was so worried that he picked Dav up in the heli and dropped him on ridge close to me. I was really embarrassed when Dav skied up to me. I couldn’t believe that I had just blown it. He asked me if I was ok. I him told yes, just really bummed. His next sentence was so encouraging, “It’s no big deal. It happens to everyone. And if it makes you feel better, I just cliffed myself out on my line.” This coming form a man who has had more film time than I could ever dream of, it did make me feel better.

Dav and I filmed one more quick line on our way down to the heli pickup. I was feeling better. We joined Chris Patterson and talked about the next line we would ski. I drank some water and tried to decide how hard I had really hit my head. After taking a few minutes, I decided I was fine, but I still didn’t know what Aspen meant. I turned to Chris Patterson, “What does Aspen mean?” He looked at me like I had completely lost it. “How hard did you hit your head? Are you sure you are ok?”

“My head is fine, but when the heli circled around you kept yelling, Aspen! Aspen! Aspen! I don’t know what that means.”

Laughter filled the mountains. And the joke was on me. “Not Aspen! Aspen! Aspen! Action! Action! Action!” I couldn’t help but laugh! Of course. Action! Action! Action!

The Andes are Incredible!

The rest of the day was incredible! We worked for four more hours. It is a day I will never forget. Aspen! Aspen! Aspen!

Waiting for Gear in Mendoza

Eric finally made it down to Argentina with perfect timing because it is dumping in Las Lenas. The only problem is that his luggage didn’t arrive with him. Needless to say we need his gear before heading to Las Lenas. So we have been spending a few days hanging out in Mendoza.

Mendoza is an awesome city. There is a lot to do. The bike and wine tour is standard. It is also really fun to get a map of all of the parks and spend the day walking around the city. One of my favorite things to do is go to the zoo. Don’t laugh. The Mendoza Zoo is not your typical zoo. Let’s just say that Argentina is a little lax on safety. Last year, I was fortunate to pet a puma. It was amazing. Her head was up against the chain-link fence. I started off by just reaching in quickly to pet her. She looked up at me with huge emerald eyes and I felt a little more confident. So much so that I by the end I started scratching her head and ears. She let me know that she was content by purring.

I have always had a fascination with monkeys. Last year, I watched people feeding the loose monkeys at the zoo and couldn’t wait to do the same. With Eric’s luggage somewhere between Jackson and Mendoza, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. You never know what might happen at the Mendoza Zoo. Check out Eric’s video to see what happened this time.