All Eyes on Vogel
0
Freeride Battle is an up-hill-and-down-dale type of skiing that looks somewhat intimidating. Contestants ski or snowboard down slopes off the beaten track and try to stay alive. The organisers of the event do not have a lot of say in the matter; they mark the start and finish and sometimes also limit the track from left or right for safety but that is as far as it goes. It is rather up to every contestant to select his or her best line of skiing and showcase as many talents as possible in as many jumps and other tricks over natural hurdles as the time allotted or terrain would allow. They do not get a trail run, though, but can simply observe the course from a distance before the kick-off. When their number is called, they rush down the slope performing various stunts most of us would never even dream of - this is certainly a spectator's paradise during which one can admire a variety of skiing styles and resourcefulness of contestants who have to properly assess the terrain and choose the right line of skiing while being physically and mentally prepared to face the challenges of the course - a stroke of good luck is seriously welcomed.
The panel of judges evaluate each contestant's run according to the following criteria: control and skiing technique, adaptation to snow and slope conditions, freeride philosophy on and off the track and solidarity, the difficulty of the terrain, the ride itself with all the tricks and jumps performed and also the time needed for completing the course. The nature of this sport demands that the final round be taken in two stages over the course of at least two days; the first day is intended for qualifications and the other for the final round - if there are two, the better counts. The tracks are varied, ranging from low-lying to high-lying, which means that sometimes a couple of hundred or a couple of thousand meters have to be completed - Vogel's race in comparison is considered short and easy.
The organisers of this year's Quicksilver Freeride Battle at Vogel were not in favour of the weather gods. Well, after all it is an outdoor sport and one just cannot compete with nature. The final results were the results of the qualification round because the final round was cancelled on account of bad weather. A 25-year-old Slovene Petra Brajnik won her second straight snowboard win in women's competition, while a 24-year-old Finn Niklas Hollsten took the crown in men's. There are only a handful of snowboarders every year that compete in this event but many skiers. In women's ski competition a 31-year-old Swede Sara Orrensjö stole the show, while in men's a 20-year-old Slovene Filip Flisar from Maribor was second to none. The event concluded in a festive mood with two music concerts and a party.
The advantages of ski touring are numerous: for example, there are no pensioners dragging along the slope before you, no children making sharp sudden turns, you can make fantastic jumps and, above all, there is no one else but you and the snow-covered mountain; that in a nutshell is how Freeride Battle looks like and it certainly is no ordinary picnic or a walk in the park. If you are less prone to adrenaline-driven escapades, you might consider simply observing the ride and let the skiing and snowboarding to others - it might be far less painful.