ChrisC
Well-known member
This is a positive addition! Freeride Skiing/Snowboarding! Long overdue, but the Olympics, and especially FIS, are a bit slow. Even better for viewing than Ski Mountaineering 
It will be interesting to see where they locate this event in the future. For 2030 Alps France and 2034 SLC, there are good choices.
However, I do not know where they would have hosted this: Beijing (absolutely zero options), South Korea (meh). Or East Coast USA/Canada?
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially confirmed on July 7, 2026, that freeride skiing and snowboarding will make their Olympic debut at the 2030 Winter Games in the Alps. The program will feature four distinct medal events: men's ski, women's ski, men's snowboard, and women's snowboard.
This historic milestone marks the first time an Olympic snowsports discipline will take place entirely on natural, ungroomed terrain. Athletes will be judged on creative line choice, fluid control, technique, and style as they navigate natural features such as cliffs, chutes, and powder fields, rather than on time or a set course.
The inclusion is the result of a multi-year integration plan that began when the Freeride World Tour (FWT) was acquired by the International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) in 2022, officially designating freeride as a sport in 2024
www.nytimes.com
It will be interesting to see where they locate this event in the future. For 2030 Alps France and 2034 SLC, there are good choices.
- In France, there are Olympic villages and events in Briançon and La Plagne, and the Freeride World Tour has recently stopped in Val Thorens; this could be an obvious choice. However, there are options all over - by given the wealth mentality, maybe Val Thorens or Les Arcs are the best candidates since they don't have any events scheduled. Neither do Val d'Isere/Tignes, but they are not hosting anything, while La Plagne, Courchevel, Méribel, Serre-Chevalier, and Montgenevre have events.
- In Utah, I assume both Little & Big Cottonwood are off-limits. Snowbasin has the terrain and infrastructure. Perhaps a better fit than Park City.
However, I do not know where they would have hosted this: Beijing (absolutely zero options), South Korea (meh). Or East Coast USA/Canada?
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially confirmed on July 7, 2026, that freeride skiing and snowboarding will make their Olympic debut at the 2030 Winter Games in the Alps. The program will feature four distinct medal events: men's ski, women's ski, men's snowboard, and women's snowboard.
This historic milestone marks the first time an Olympic snowsports discipline will take place entirely on natural, ungroomed terrain. Athletes will be judged on creative line choice, fluid control, technique, and style as they navigate natural features such as cliffs, chutes, and powder fields, rather than on time or a set course.
The inclusion is the result of a multi-year integration plan that began when the Freeride World Tour (FWT) was acquired by the International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) in 2022, officially designating freeride as a sport in 2024
What to know about freeriding, the newest Winter Olympic sport
Freeriding, in which athletes choose their own paths down an ungroomed mountain, is set for its Olympic debut in 2030. Here's what to know.
www.nytimes.com
