"The Cut" Is Set: Freeride World Tour's Best Athletes Heading To Alaska

After a bumpy few weeks that included multiple event cancellations, the Freeride World Tour is looking ahead towards its final two events of the season: the Haines Alaska Pro and Xtreme Verbier.

These competitions serve as the circuit’s finals, meaning only a select number of skiers—the top 13 men and the top 6 women—made what the FWT calls the “cut.” 

This season’s cut was colored by those cancellations. The FWT had hoped to give competitors four opportunities to earn points before the finals, but with two events cancelled due to uncooperative weather and snow, they only had two chances.

That may have played a role in some favorites missing out on a ticket to Alaska and Switzerland. On the men’s side, two-time overall champion Kristofer Turdell didn’t score enough points. Women’s stars Astrid Cheylus and Zuzanna Witych didn’t either. 

Still, the field is stacked. 

Here’s who you’ll be able to watch at the upcoming competitions.

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Who Made the 2026 Freeride World Tour Cut?

Qualified Women

• Agostina Vietti
• Justine Dufour Lapointe
• Sybille Blanjean
• Zoe Delzoppo
• Wynter McBride
• Lou Barin

Qualified Men

• Ben Richards
• Ross Tester
• Max Hitzig
• Joey Leonardo
• Toby Rafford
• WeiTien Ho
• Ugo Troubat
• Marcus Goguen
• Jack Kolesch
• Tiemo Rolshoven
• Abel Moga
• Victor Hale-Woods
• Fynn Powell

The Show Goes On

The next event on the calendar, the Haines Alaska Pro, has a weather window between March 15 and March 22, 2026. It marks the first time the FWT has appeared in Alaska since 2017, folding the fan favorite region back into the schedule. Alaska, of course, is home to some of the world’s most famous freeride terrain, so it only made sense for the FWT to return.

Then, there’s the Xtreme Verbier, the long-running FWT send-off. Held on the imposing Bec des Rosses, the competition asks most of the competitors with steep slopes, huge cliffs, and high-consequence lines. 

Leading into the events, all eyes are on Ben Richards and Agostina Vietti, the men’s and women’s leaders.

Can Richards, who, so far, has had a perfect season, keep up his winning streak? And will Vietti take the overall title as a rookie?

In a few weeks, we’ll find out.

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