Two Changes, Including Mandatory Airbags, Announced for FWT Junior

Ahead of the 2027 competition season, the Freeride World Tour Junior (FWT Junior) has made several notable updates to their rulebook.

Young athletes can compete in the FWT Junior series until age 19, or progress to the FWT Qualifier Series at 18. Events in the FWT Qualifier Series have historically been rated using the “Star Levels” system, which categorizes an event based on competition difficulty, point value, and registration requirements. Events with more stars hold more weight in competition points, and participation is based on seeding.

Previously, the FWT Junior only held 1*, 2*, and 3* events. Additionally, all U-14 category competitions were categorized as a 1* event due to the non-competitive nature for younger riders.

For 2027, the FWT Junior has officially added 4* events to the series.

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Registration for 4* FWT Junior events is based strictly on seeding via an individual athlete’s best three competition results from the previous 52 weeks. The seeding lists comprise Region 1: FWT Junior Seeding List and Region 2: IFSA Junior Seeding List, although the changes apply only to Region 1 riders.

Unseeded riders have the chance to compete in 1* and 2* events on the FWT Junior, whereas rider registration for FWT Junior 3* and 4* events is determined by the seeding list. In other words, junior riders now have to earn their spot at the highest level of competition.

Along with the addition of 4* events to the FWT Junior, FIS is also requiring that competitors in 4* FWT Junior events wear avalanche airbags. Airbags are mandatory for FWT Pro, FWT Challenger, and FWT Qualifier 3* and 4* events.

Over the 2026 season, the FWT Junior had eighteen planned 3* competitions around the world. Certain competitions on the Junior circuit, such as those in Verbier, Fieberbrunn, and Baqueria Beret, are held at the same locations as notable FWT Pro competitions.

Although FIS and the FWT have not released the 2027 FWT Junior competition calendar for the Northern Hemisphere, it wouldn’t be altogether surprising if some of the more challenging stops were turned into 4* competitions. Given the terrain and snowpack in these locations, the airbag requirement at higher competition levels is par for the course.

The 2027 FWT Junior southern hemisphere season begins on July 29 with the 2027 Mount Hotham Junior 2*. Currently, there are no 4* competitions planned for the southern hemisphere season.

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