2011 Salomon Extreme Freeride Championships

Dates for the 2011 Salomon Extreme Freeride Championships in Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico have been announced. The 2011 event will take place on March 3 - 5. We look forward to seeing you!

2011 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

Download the Adult Registration (PDF) or the Minor Registration (PDF).

GENERAL INFO

Taos Ski Valley is proud to host the 2011 Salomon Extreme Freeride Championships, New Mexico's most prestigious skiing event. This big-mountain competition will be held from March 3 - 5, 2011 on Taos' famed steep terrain, with venues including the ragged chutes and cliffs of the West Basin and the incomparable Kachina Peak.

As was the case in previous incarnations of this event, competitors will move through a variety of qualifying days, with top finishers advancing to the next round to ski more difficult venues. Competitors are judged on degree of difficulty of line, aggression, fluidity, control, and style by a panel of five judges. The field is progressively cut until only the top athletes remain to compete on the final day.

With more than 100 skiers and snowboarders chasing a $12,000 purse, there's no doubt that next year's installment of the Salomon Extreme Freeride Championships will be one of the most competitive ever.

Dates:

March 3 - 5, 2011

Location:

Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico
Showcasing Taos' legendary terrain.
153 miles north of Albuquerque. MAP IT

Competitors:

Men and Women Competitive Freeride Skiers and Snowboarders
Registration limited to approximately 130 competitors.
Divisions include Men, Women, Masters and Juniors.

Prize Purse:

$12,000 cash

Registration:

Download the Adult Registration (PDF)
Download the Minor Registration (PDF)

Venues:

Representing some of the best double-diamond terrain in the country, the venues for this event showcase Taos' toughest terrain. Kachina Peak and the West Basin Ridge are littered with tight lines, cliffs and rocks. Venues will be determined by the ski patrol, chief of race and event staff and are subject to change depending upon snow and weather conditions. Download a Taos Ski Valley trail map.

Judging:

Taos will not be an IFSA competition this season. Instead it will employ the judging standards that slightly differ from similar types of big-mountain competitions sanctioned by the IFSA. Our criteria is sanctioned by the Freeride World Tour, and is used at all FWT events as well as FWT qualifying events. Please review our judging criteria to completely understand how your run will be scored. Should you have any questions before, during or after the competition, the event organizers will be happy to address them.

Questions:

Alejandro Blake, Events Coordinator
Phone 575-776-2291 ext. 1436
Email amb@skitaos.org

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: 2011

Check back soon for a complete schedule of events for 2011.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: 2010

Wednesday, March 10
Mandatory competitors meeting, 6:00 PM
Tenderfoot Katie's Cafeteria located in the TSV Resort Center

Thursday, March 11
On-Hill Action Day One: West Basin Ridge

Friday, March 12
On-Hill Action Day Two: West Basin Ridge
Aprés Ski: Red Bull Rail Jam, watch top athletes perform
insane ski and snowboard tricks over the Taos trail map sign at the base of Lift #1, 5:00 PM
DJ Oliver Knight at the Martini Tree Bar, 6:00 PM

Saturday, March 13
On-Hill Action Finals: Kachina Peak
Aprés Ski: Awards presented at the Martini Tree Bar, 5:30 PM
Awards Party with Latin flavored Reggae Afro-beat and Funk band the B-Side Players, 7:00 PM

2010 Final Results : Senior Women

2010 Final Results : Senior Men

2010 Final Results : Junior Women

2010 Final Results : Junior Men

2010 Final Results : Snowboard Women

2010 Final Results : Snowboard Men

2010 Final Results : Masters Men

Press Release: October 22, 2010

2011 Salomon Extreme Freeride Championships at Taos: Dates Announced

Taos venue headlines Freeride World Tour qualifying in North America

The 2011 Salomon Extreme Freeride Championships at Taos will be held from March 3 - 5. This premiere big-mountain event is New Mexico's largest and most prestigious ski and snowboard competition. Featuring athletes from around the world, 2011 marks the 7th installment of this venerable competition.

Again for 2011, the Salomon Extreme Freeride Championships at Taos is proud to be a Freeride World Qualifier (FWQ) event. Part of an elite group of venues, from Italy and Norway to Austria and Slovakia, Taos' FWQ status allows athletes to gain points and become eligible to compete in the Freeride World Tour's (FWT) six showcase events: The Nissan Russian Adventure (Sochi, Russia), Nissan Tram Face (Squaw Valley, USA), Nissan Freeride de Chamonix (Chamonix, France) and Nissan Xtreme (Verbier, Switzerland).

For 2011, Taos will be ranked as a 4-star FWQ event, and will be one of the most important stops for the lady athletes as they work towards gaining a spot at the FWT finals in Verbier, Switzerland.

"This is truly one of the most important events for skiers and snowboarders in North America," says Taos' Alejandro Blake. "We have athletes from as Japan and France participating, not to mention a stacked local contingent."

"Our team at Taos is excited to host this event again in 2011," adds Blake.

"This is the largest and most prestigious skiing event in New Mexico," says Chief of Race, Tom Winter. "Our partnership with the Freeride World Tour has allowed us to build upon the first six years of hard work to create something special for the athletes and the spectators. We look forward to continuing the relationship with the FWT and to increasing both the $12,000 purse we have here as well as the global visibility and significance of the event."

To learn more about the Salomon Extreme Freeride Championships, to make reservations or to see results from past year competitions, please visit www.skitaos.org/freeride. To learn more about the Freeride World Tour, check out www.freerideworldtour.com. Stay tuned for special See and Ski Deals that will allow spectators to take advantage of discounted accommodations and skiing during the March 3 - 5 timeframe of the event.