From 2013, there will be a new way into the Freeride World Tour for ambitious freeriders: the OPEN FACES Series. The newly launched contest series combines many already renowned Freeride World Tour qualifier events in Austria, e.g. X-Over Ride on the Kitzsteinhorn, into an attractive contest series for freeriders in Tyrol and Salzburg for the first time and crowns the overall winner as Austrian freeride champion.The prize for the champion of the Open Faces Tour is very attractive: a wildcard for the only stop of the Freeride World Tour in Austria: the Freeride World Tour stop in Fieberbrunn in the Pillersee Valley. The Axamer Lizum will kick things off: the ski resort on the outskirts of Innsbruck is hosting a 2-star FWQ freeride competition for the first time this year, marking the start of the Open Faces series.
One week later, a 2-star FWQ freeride competition will take place in Fieberbrunn, in addition to the big FWT main event in March. A new qualifier event of the Freeride World Tour will take place for the first time as a 1-star FWQ competition at Hochkönig in Salzburgerland. The expected competition day is January 26, 2013. In Kappl in the Paznaun Valley, not far from the alpine ballerina Ischgl, a 2-star FWQ freeride competition will also take place on February 2. With a new 3-star FWQ freeride competition, the Big Mountain Stubai, another freeride highlight is taking place in Tyrol. On February 23rd, the Stubai Glacier will bring many top-class freeriders to Austria's largest glacier ski area with the Open Faces Big Mountain Stubai. It will be interesting to see which face the riders will be competing against.
The grand finale of the Open Faces Freeride Series 2013 is the already established X-Over Ride on the Kitzsteinhorn from March 22 to 23. The winner of the Open Faces Freeride Series and thus the Austrian Freeride Champion will be crowned on the Kitzsteinhorn. This will decide who wins the wildcard for the Feeride World Tour stop in Fieberbunn and will be able to compete with the best riders on the scene.
Freeride World Tour rider Matthias Haunholder about OPEN FACES:
"The newly launched OPEN FACES Freeride Series once again confirms the freeride boom in Austria. I think it's a great opportunity for all freeriders who want to realize their dream of a starting place at the FWT. Especially for all Austrian freeriders, this is the first chance to win the Austrian championship title. The organization crew is very experienced in the implementation of freeride events. I am therefore sure that this Freeride Series will be a complete success. If it works out, then I will certainly be at the start of one or two OPEN FACES contests. Registration for the FWQ season licenses and the first stop in the Axamer Lizum should have been open since 04.12.12, but due to technical teething problems with the FWT organizers' registration/payment system, this is now expected to be possible from 06.12.12.
Open Faces Freeride Series 2013:
January 12, 2013 OPEN FACES** Axamer Lizum (**FWQ)
January 19, 2013 OPEN FACES** Fieberbrunn (**FWQ)
January 26, 2013 OPEN FACES* Hochkönig (*FWQ)
02. February 2013 OPEN FACES** Kappl (**FWQ)
February 23, 2013 OPEN FACES*** Big Mountain Stubai Glacier (***FWQ)
March 22, 2013 X OVER RIDE* Kitzsteinhorn (*FWQ)
March 23, 2013 X OVER RIDE*** Big Mountain Kitzsteinhorn (***FWQ)