What makes Andorra so special?
Andorra has been hosting the Freeride World Tour for several years now and Ordino Arcalís can surprise the uninitiated with its full dedication to freeriding. There are 30km of marked slopes and an extraordinary amount of untouched, yet accessible terrain, boasting 140 off-piste descents for ski touring and freeriding. In short, the venue's a dream for any backcountry fan.
However, for a while there it looked like the comp might not even take place. First it was unusually warm weather, rain down in the valley and insufficient snow. Then it was too much snow with high winds. Once the fresh layer had settled, though, the place was nicely filled in – and so the competitors threw down big.
How do the riders plan their strategy for the competition venue?
4 min
Face Check with Paddy Graham – Andorra
Paddy Graham is joined by fellow freeriders to give a face check of the mountain in Andorra ahead of FWT 2020.
How did the riders prepare for the competition?
In preparation for comp day, join Paddy Graham for a rail jam with freeski royalty Tanner Hall (who has no fewer than 11 X Games medals to his name), a ball-sports triathlon with Jessica Hotter (who scored first place in her second comp) and get to know the leader's-bib-holder Kristofer Turdell, who explains how he went from alpine skiing to freeriding (somewhat normal) and from window cleaner to mine founder (wait, what?!)
Watch Paddy Graham's Face Value - Andorra here:
15 min
Face-Value mit Paddy Graham – Andorra
Paddy Graham verbringt vor dem Wettkampf in Andorra noch etwas Zeit mit Tanner Hill, Kristofer Turell und Jess Hotter.
I missed the comp, where can I watch it?
If you want to catch up on the most important moments and the comp’s highlights, watch our 26-minute recap here:
26 min
Andorra recap
Catch up on all of the incredible action from the latest stop of the Freeride World Tour in Andorra.
Can I see the winning runs somewhere?
With reigning World Champ Arianna Tricomi out due to injury, the women’s skiing field was wide open: Hedvig Wessel comes – much like Candide Thovex – from a background of competitive freestyle skiing. Not the new-school version either, but good old mogul skiing and aerials. So it's no wonder that with her knees like rubber and an unflappable air awareness, she can integrate a variety of airs and flips into any run under any conditions. It's an advantage that will make her hard to beat. Her run in Andorra was no exception: sticking a massive backflip in at the beginning, followed by another three airs in a fast and fluid line that was seen as one of the most progressive in women’s skiing. Second place went to Jackie Paaso, trying to defend her 2019 win, followed by Swiss skier Elisabeth Gerritzen, last year’s Verbier Xtreme winner. Watch Hedvig Wessel’s winning ski run here:
2 min
Hedvig Wessel's winning ski run – Andorra
Check out the Hedvig Wessel's winning ski run from the Andorra stop of Freeride World Tour 2020.
As the last rider in the women's snowboard comp, Michaela Davis-Meehan proved that she could perform under pressure, coming down with a confident, fluid run that included some big airs and grabs. Local rider Núria Castán Barón went for the opposite strategy of choosing a more technical line at the top with many features, and was rewarded with second place, followed by reigning world champion and current tour leader, Marion Haerty. Watch Michaela Davis-Meehan’s winning snowboard run here:
2 min
Michaela Davis-Meehan's winning run – Andorra
Check out Michaela Davis-Meehan's winning snowboard run from the Andorra stop of the Freeride World Tour 2020.
In the men’s ski category, France's Léo Slemett made his comeback with a bang, bringing down a straight line in the most exposed upper part of the venue, followed by a big backflip and a floated 360. US rookie Isaac Freeland surprised with a switch misty off the top ridge, followed by a mute, an old-school daffy and a shifty – bringing some much-needed backcountry freestyle tricks to the comp. Kristoffer Turdell brought down another one of his fast, solid runs with two massive backflips and landed on third, catapulting him into the lead spot of the tour.
Watch Léo Slemett’s winning ski run here:
1 min
Leo Slemett's winning run ski – Andorra
Check out the Leo Slemett's winning ski run from the Andorra stop of the Freeride World Tour 2020.
See the run again, this time from the rider's perspective:
1 min
Leo Slemett's winning run POV – Andorra
Watch the men’s winning ski run from the athlete’s perspective at the Andorra stop of the Freeride World Tour.
And that was the end of the show: Heavy snow started to fall, and the men's snowboard comp had to be cancelled, potentially to be re-staged during the Fieberbrunn comp starting March 7.
Do you also have the full FWT20 Andorra podium results?
FWT Results: Ordino Arcalís, Andorra 2020 – Women's Ski
3. Elisabeth Gerritzen (SUI)
FWT Results: Ordino Arcalís, Andorra 2020 – Men's Ski
3. Kristofer Turdell (SWE)
When's the next Freeride World Tour 2020 competition?
The next FWT20 tour stop takes place in Fieberbrunn, Austria from March 7 to 13. Watch out for the extra-special wildcard riders competing in this year, including former world champion Nadine Wallner and Mr Style himself, reigning world champ Markus Eder. Check back here for the winning runs, the best moments and an insider's look behind the scenes
