Ben Richards, a skier from Wānaka, has been crowned the men’s champion on the Freeride World Tour after winning the finals in Verbier, Switzerland.
The 26-year-old took the top spot with an excellent final run on the steep Bec des Rosses mountain face. His score of 96 points moved him ahead of American skier Toby Rafford, who had been leading the tour before the final event. Germany’s Tiemo Rolshoven finished in third place.
Richards impressed the judges by performing a perfect 360 spin and skiing smoothly through several very difficult parts of the course. He said his run was not completely perfect because he had to change his plan in the middle. Even so, he said the snowy conditions were so good that he really enjoyed the experience.
The final event took place after two earlier tour stops had been cancelled because of bad weather. In Verbier, however, the conditions were excellent, with about 50 centimetres of fresh snow. That gave the skiers a better chance to show their best skills.
Richards’ victory is a huge achievement for New Zealand skiing. As well as winning the tour title, he now also holds the world championship title. That means he has reached the very top of his sport.
