Ever since the Freeride World Tour merged with the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, or FIS, in 2022, those around freeride have been hopeful that the sport would soon be added to a Winter Olympic program.
Much of FIS’ governed events, such as alpine skiing, freestyle skiing and snowboarding and Nordic skiing, are mainstays of the Games.
When the International Olympic Committee laid out their program for the 2030 French Alps Games last Tuesday, some in winter sports, like those involved with Nordic combined skiing, were crushed, as the inaugural Winter Olympic sport was axed. But those in freeride finally saw their dreams come true as the IOC tapped the sport to make its Games debut.
Freeride sees skiers and snowboarders carve up backcountry runs, choosing their own lines and getting creative with tricks. The Freeride World Tour was formed in 2008, with formal freeride competitions having just started to pop up in the 1990s.
“This is an extraordinary moment for the entire freeride community,” said Freeride World Tour Head of Communications Marianna Dallabetta. “It’s the culmination of three decades of dedication and passion from athletes, organizers, partners and fans. We’re grateful to all of those who believed in the sport even from the very beginning, and we are excited to see the opportunities this will create for riders across all ages and levels.”
Dallabetta added that there’s “nothing quite like the freeride community.”
Freeride has quickly evolved from its grassroots days to a sport featuring 300 events worldwide, 10,000 licensed skiers and snowboarders and a presence in a growing number of winter sports clubs.
“For the next generation of riders, this means there’s now a new summit to aim for,” Dallabetta said. “The biggest change we envision will be increased visibility and access to resources. This could mean more support for youth programs, training, coaching, sponsorships and beyond.”
The Freeride World Tour founder and CEO Nicolas Hale-Woods believes the spirit of the sport will remain untainted as it readies to conquer the Olympic frontier.
“It’s skiing and snowboarding in perhaps its rawest form, creative expression and technical challenge on purely natural and unmanicured terrain,” Dallabetta said. “There is a start gate at the top and a finish line at the bottom, but it is otherwise up to the rider to choose the line that speaks to them.”
Park City freeride skier Ross Tester said last Tuesday’s announcement has helped him lock in his preparations for the upcoming season. He finished the 2025-26 season ranked third in the world in men’s freeride skiing.
“My initial thought was like, ‘Alright, game on,’ Tester said. “I was kind of having some doubts because there was a lot of politics and stuff that went into this decision, so it’s a bit of a pleasant surprise.”
Tester said he’ll get to work with more focus each day, with the possibility of making the first U.S. freeride team in the back of his mind.
The U.S. Ski Team announced they will create freeride teams last Tuesday. Tester and others would also like to be the first on those teams and further their training and development with U.S. Ski and Snowboard coaching and training resources.
“The potential to make that happen will be pretty game changing with all the resources they have,” Tester said. “(I’m) definitely shooting for that the best I can.”
Tester often trains at Woodward Park City, Snowbird, Alta and Brighton. He believes the addition of freeride to the Games could inspire new freeride skiers and snowboarders to come out of the woodworks or develop in Utah. Tester hopes Snowbird or Alta will host the freeride competitions at the 2034 Games.
For additional information on freeride or the Freeride World Tour, see visit freerideworldtour.com.