"We Are Ready for the Olympic Stage," Freeride Boss Eyes French Alps 2030 Inclusion

Captivating youthful audiences and strategically keeping the Olympic Games relevant remain top priorities within the Olympic movement, evidenced by the inclusion of halfpipe, ski cross, slopestyle, surfing, skateboarding, and big air over recent decades. 

Freeride skiing and snowboarding could be next.

The dynamic snow sports appear to be on the right trajectory, dazzling audiences and commanding greater international exposure. The inaugural FIS Freeride World Championships, now integrated with the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), were contested on the precipitous terrain of Ordino Arcalís in the Pyrenees of Andorra, in early February.

Freeride World Tour chief executive Nicolas Hale-Woods believes that the sport’s marquee event provided a leap closer toward both events becoming Olympic. If they continue to nail it, they could join the French Alps 2030 Olympic Winter Games program.

“It was clearly a first step towards the Olympic stage – you need to demonstrate that you can organize a solid event with a solid qualification system, buy-in from the community, and with strong media coverage, and we ticked all of those boxes,” Hale-Woods tells POWDER.

“When we incorporated FIS three-and-a-half years ago, there were skeptics saying our freeride spirit will be gone and FIS is going to destroy the sport. We’ve demonstrated they were wrong. These riders are true athletes and professionals.

“We are ready for the Olympic stage – we don’t know yet if it’s going to be confirmed in three weeks, but signs are positive,” Hale-Woods adds, in a confident tone.

Final decisions on new disciplines to be included in the French Alps 2030 sports program are expected over the coming weeks, following the IOC Session in Lausanne, Switzerland, June 24-25.

Dialogue surrounding the Olympic inclusion of freeride skiing and snowboarding, for men and women, moves forward with active support from multiple parties, including the International Ski and Snowboard Association (FIS), the French Alps 2030 Olympic organizing committee, and most significantly, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Program Working Group.

If the sporting disciplines are officially proposed by FIS and supported by French Olympic organizers, the IOC Executive Board will issue a final decision.

The IOC, FIS, and French Alps 2030 have been analyzing and assessing potential natural venues through site inspection visits. Formats, qualification pathways, and judging standards still need to be determined.

Liechtenstein’s Alexander Ospelt was elected as the new FIS president on June 11th and is expected to play a leading role, cooperating alongside French Alps 2030 president and 1992 Olympic moguls champion Edgar Grospiron. Austrian IOC member Karl Stolz leads the Olympic Committee’s working group.

The IOC is also expected to finalize whether Ski Mountaineering, including two additional distance races, will continue on the 2030 program following the sport’s Olympic debut in Milan-Cortina 2026. Members will also vote on whether dual moguls will return, and deliver a final verdict regarding the future of snowboard parallel races and Nordic combined as Olympic events. Czech Olympic champion Ester Ledecka continues to plead for the IOC to keep her snowboard discipline.

According to the IOC, recent performance and hard facts are the driving factors in sport and discipline decisions, thereby averting political influence. Sustainability, cost control, and reduced complexity are also measuring sticks. Athlete quotas and suitable venues will also factor in.

The French Alps 2030 final sport program and budget are expected to be finalized in early July.

Excitement Surrounding Olympic Inclusion Ramps Up 

The 2026 Freeride World Tour comprised six tour stops across six countries, including a thrilling competition in Val Thorens, in France’s Les Trois Vallées, a viable Olympic venue. 

The Olympic inclusion of freeriding would certainly create a huge buzz for French Alps 2030 organizers and home nation fans, as France is loaded with athletic talent and worthy Olympic medal contenders. Lou Barin captured the 2026 women’s skiing season title, while veteran rider Victor de La Rue claimed top honors in men’s snowboarding. Three French athletes, including La Rue, stomped to world championship medals in Andorra.

Top freeride skiers envision competing on the Olympic stage.

“The Olympics is the best show in sports, so to have freeride included, I think, will really help legitimize the sport,” said New Zealand’s Ben Richards, the 2026 FIS Freeride World Champion. “Putting more eyes on what we are doing will bring more opportunities for the next generation.”

“Having freeride in the Olympics would create a depth and importance to the sport that wasn’t quite there before,” said Californian Molly Armanino, a veteran rider and 2026 world championship bronze medalist. “Freeride has always been for the soul. To see the passion and free spirit of the sport broadcast on the world stage would create inspiration on another level.”

Freeride’s Global Reach, and Utah 2034

While the current Freeride World Tour’s elite riders hail from countries such as France, Switzerland, the U.S., Canada, Japan, and New Zealand, Hale-Woods emphasizes the true universality of the sport, which is widely considered the original alpine skiing discipline pre-dating chairlifts.

“It’s all about having fun with the freedom to choose your line and the creative aspect that kicks in,” Hale-Woods says, “It’s an adventure every day with similar origins to skateboarding and surfing. It’s more than just a sport; it’s a lifestyle.

“Today, we have 318 competitions in the world with 11,000 licensed riders from 72 nationalities. Over the last five years, we’ve had an average of 23,000 descents in competition per year. Easy access, wherever there is snow, is one of our strengths.

“Freeriding is also very popular today in small countries that you wouldn’t think of about skiing, like Morocco, Greece, Lebanon, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Georgia, basically anywhere there is snow,” says the Swiss-French freeride boss from Verbier.

The Freeride World Tour launched in 2008. Hale-Woods says the competitive realm of freeriding has fused development and throttled the sport to new limits.

“The best freeriders in the world told me that competing has really made them step it up, and there is this shared experience among the field of riders who are not just competitors, but also friends,” said the FWT chief. “This is what pushes the level, and seeing the new generations coming up is exciting.”

While French Alps 2030 is the immediate goal for the sport to showcase the Olympic Rings, the Utah 2034 Winter Games are also part of the grand vision.

“They’re also willing to integrate freeride on their program, which is a very good sign, Hale-Woods informs, about Utah 2034. “It’s another huge market, the first market in terms of number of riders and events.

“Riders understand that they will benefit from participation in the Games – first of all, they’ll be recognized as true athletes. They’ll access more support from their communities, towns, regions, and National Ski Associations, and that will give them greater exposure and means to develop their careers. 

“Plus, the incredible experience of being an Olympian.”

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