Australia’s First-ever Freeride World Tour Qualifier and Junior Events – Results

August 5th, 2024
Hotham’s “Peach Bowl” zone was the perfect venue for Australia’s first FWT sanctioned freeride events. Photo: Hotam

Mountainwatch |Press Release

The inaugural Hotham Freeride World Tour Qualifier and Freeride World Junior events were held at Hotham Alpine Resort on the weekend, the first sanctioned FWT events to be held in Australia.  Over the two days, 129 Junior and 71 Open athletes graced Hotham’s ‘Peach Bowl’ zone in Australia’s home of freeriding. The event attracted a host of junior and open skiers and snowboarders from resorts in Victoria and New South Wales who turned on some impressive and progressive skiing and snowboarding.

” It was an incredible event, the turnout was huge, the riding level was amazing, the terrain here at Hotham is one of the best I’ve ever seen, and the community here is what it’s really about,” said Dion Newport, Freeride World Tour Advisor. “It’s a really special place, really special people, and I really look forward to what the future is holding here.”

A competitor throwing down in yesterday’s qualifying event. Photo: Hotham

The skiing and snowboarding freeride athletes were judged across five different criteria for their overall score: line choice, control, technique, air and style, and fluidity .Congratulations to the winners on the day who have earned points towards the 2025 Freeride World Qualifying tour season:

Men’s Ski event – Charlie Comben, Mt Buller

Women’s Ski event- Millie Evans, Mt Hotham

Men’s Snowboard – Tom Hill, Mt Hotham

Women’s Snowboard – Brianna Delfs, Perisher

Cody Plant from Cardrona won the Sick Bird Award which goes to the skier who embodies the spirit of the Freeskiing World Tour by hanging it out there and going for it harder than anyone else.

The event site featured a number of natural drops. Photo: Hotham

“Congratulations to all competitors,” said Hotham Vice President + General Manager Tina Burford. “I’m so proud of our Hotham skiers and snowboarders for doing so well and was very happy to welcome competitors from around the state, and interstate, to our special mountain-top village for the first of what I hope is many more events like this held at Hotham. Thank you to Hotham team members for putting on such a successful event.”

“I hope it keeps building here; you’ve got great terrain and the competition is just going to get better and better,” said Charlie Comben, Men’s Ski winner. “You know we’re all competing but everyone’s pretty stoked for each other and happy to see each other do well.”

The standard in Saturday’s junior event was impressive. Photo: Hotham

The Junior event was held on Saturday with three age divisions in ski and snowboard, men and women and it was a display of progressive freeriding from a host of naturally talented skiers and snowboarders.

Junior results:

Under 18

Men’s ski – Finn Jacobsen, Mt Hotham

Women’s ski – Lucinda Laird, Mt Hotham

Men’s snowboard – James Garth, Mt Hotham

Women’s snowboard – Neve White, Mt Hotham

Under 16

Men’s ski – Eli Gregory p- Mt Hotham

Under 14

Men’s ski – Harlem Pec, Mt Buller

Women’s ski – Marley Brian, Mt Hotham

Men’s snowboard – Gus Murray, Mt Buller

Women’s snowboard – Willow Latimer, Mt Hotham

Freeride is now a sanctioned FIS discipline, potentially an Olympic event and the weekend showed Australian freeriding has a strong future. A big thank you to Team Hotham, Mt Hotham Free Ski, Volkl and Mammut for partnering with Mount Hotham Skiing Company to bring the event to life.