The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
It’s going to be a showcase showdown
By Than Acuff
As many as 170 skiers and snowboarders are coming to Crested Butte Mountain Resort this weekend for three days of IFSA freeride qualifier events kicking off with a 2* qualifier on Friday, March 7 and culminating with a 4* event Saturday and the finals on Sunday, March 9.
Crested Butte has a long and storied history with adult freeride comps, formerly known as Extreme, dating back to when Crested Butte Mountain Resort hosted the first U.S. Extreme Skiing Championships in 1992 and continuing into the event this year. Venues over the years have included skiing off the peak, Headwall, Spellbound/Phoenix, High Life and a couple of years when they hosted the event in Big Hourglass, an area between Phoenix and Third Bowl that is closed to the public.
This year the adult freeriders will start with the 2* event in Hawks Nest on Friday, March 7 with the big guns sending it on the Headwall in the 4* competition on Saturday, March 8. Skiers and snowboarders must qualify for the 4* event based on their results from previous competitions, so things are expected to light up on Saturday.
While the event draws athletes from throughout the country, there will be a handful of skiers and snowboarders with Crested Butte roots in the mix. Clara Lantz, Leora Schwartzbach, Abel Sosa, Tor Hudson, Rowen Downum, Hannah November and Ben Egan will all be throwing down in the 2* event Friday. Alex Reidman, Asher Weinberg and current Western Colorado University freshman Jack Dolan will be dropping in on the 4* event Saturday.
