 Verbier, one of the world's most renowned off-piece destinations and for the last two and a half decades it has played host to the legendary final of the Freeride World Tour. The intimidatingly steep and jagged 600 metre rock face of the Bec de Ross has challenged the world's best to conquer it. It's a unique event because there's no face like that. It's the biggest burliest face in the world that you'll ever have a Freeride comp on. The whole atmosphere is pretty magical itself. Just like so nervous up being up there and it's wind and it's cold because you did that two-hour hike you've been stressed for the whole morning probably didn't sleep the night before. Each year it was always the same terror. I always have the same terror when I go there. One misstep during a run can be the difference between walking away or flying away in a helicopter so it's not that fun. And suddenly we're looking up and it comes just a big snow cloud through the rocks. We just, whoa, have a lunch! It's super steep. There are so many lines and big cliffs. This is Freeriding. The Bec de Ross for me is scary, amazing and beautiful. This is what we have been working for the whole season. Qualifying for the grand finale and burbier skiing the Bec de Ross which is a serious face. The Bec de Ross is unique in Freeriding. It has a huge face starting at 3,223 metres and finishing at 2,600 metres meaning a huge vertical drop of 600 metres that leaves even the fittest athletes exhausted by the time they cross the finish line. The Bec is seriously steep, averaging 45 degrees and maxing out at 55 degrees. The face is littered with rocks, cliffs and dead-end shoots making the descent a confusing and dangerous maze of options for the riders. Add to this that there's no practice run down the face and that line choice is based only on observation which is even harder from 1.5 kilometres away. The biggest challenges of the Bec is the top is just unbelievably steep. You're dragging your arms that's so steep. And then there's no landmarks, there's no trees, it's just all rock on a big open face. So to find your way down that and find your way with speed and fluidity is an incredible mental challenge. It takes so much experience to be able to figure out how to get down it safely. To help them figure out their line choice, riders break the face down into a series of zones and features. The first zone is the central couloir which features two main lines one on the right, down the middle, which culminates in the Hollywood Cliff and another variation which ends in the Gilles-Voireaux Cliff both of which appeal to riders looking to take a technical and spectacular line. The next main zone of the Bec is the dog-leg couloir appealing to riders looking for a faster, more fluid line with options for drops further options branch off to the riders right-hand side. The third zone, the so-called heart zone, demands plenty of concentration and focus. The face also has numerous cliffs, features and entry points all of which a rider can weave into their run and use to help navigate their way safely down the face. It's a fine mix for these athletes to push themselves to their limits but not too much because consequences exist. If you push too much, the consequences can be quite severe. So, I mean, they train all year and only the best come here to Verbier. As the Verbier Extreme developed, so did the sport of free riding bringing a new level of professionalism to the way it was judged. Unlike other Alpine sports, free riding is not a race and is not about timing. Instead, riders are judged by a group of highly trained individuals all of whom have expertise in free riding themselves and mark the run from 1 to 100 using several criteria. One criteria the judges look for is line choice. Whether the rider took a challenging technical line and made use of all of the terrain or if they just charged straight down to the finish. Fluidity of the run is also key. The next criteria is air and style. Here, the judges are looking at the number and critically the size of the jumps plus the rider's control in the air. The judges also asked, was the jump stylish and did the rider make a smooth landing or did they discover a new terrain feature on the mountain? Control is the strictest criteria because it directly affects rider safety. A controlled run down the mountain scores highly whereas a wild seat of your pants run littered with mistakes is heavily docked. Technique is the last of the criteria. Rewarding riders who make confident turns down the face and avoid getting flushed down the hill. It was 1994. The Verbi Extreme concept started with the film production on the Beg de Ross of a surfing and snowboarding movie for the Swiss surfing team. We set a long lens camera and rode the Beg de Ross and spontaneously dozens of spectators just stopped there and watched. First edition of the Verbi Extreme in 1996 was particular because we had no experience of organising an event. We didn't know if it was going to work and the snow conditions were really quite under average. So we asked Dedéheim and Jérôme Rubi to come and test the face two weeks before the event and I remember them hopping in the helicopter, riding this face in sugary, really bad snow and arriving down in the finish area and saying, fine, it's going to work. And it was really good because it gave us this confidence to continue and believe in the project. That year was the French rider Jérôme Rubi in hard boots and riding with a classic alpine style who laid down a fearless line to take third. Going straight down from the start gate and then skimming the borders of the close section he was probably the first person ever to set foot on that part of the mountain. But it was the West Coast surf style of California's Steve Klassen that would win the day. He thrilled the judges and the watching crowds with a smooth, stylish line that seemed to defy the gradient of the back. With that inspired run in front of a huge crowd Steve Klassen took first place and with that, big mountain riding started to come of age. Yeah Klassen's full legend has been doing this since I was like, you know, four years old riding down this mountain like one of the first guys to ride down it holds the most wins on the back, I think it's five wins and he's ridden it numerous times, I don't know the most psyched to ride this face out of anybody. The reaction of the crowd on this first day was unbelievable and that made us all feel that there was something special there and from core media to mass media those pictures were on the eight o'clock news people felt that it was very special. The 2003 edition followed a winter of poor snow conditions which left the back almost un-riderable with safety paramount it was put to the vote whether or not to run the contest and one rider still wanted to compete. Steve Klassen was the only rider to vote against that decision he wanted to ride the Bec des Horses in full competition mode that year. We didn't have the competition the back was in terrible conditions and he jumped the Hollywood cliff across it took him like 100 meters to break he actually didn't finish breaking he had to point it to the next cliff made it, went for another 720 off the of a hip further down and he was like wow Steve we said there was no competition but just a show and we pulled that run he's amazing. At this time it wasn't just men riding the Bec right from the start women had also been competing with riders like Julie Zell, Laurie Gibb and Eva Sandelgard dominating the first few events. I remember so clearly when I came the first year to Verbier and Bec des Horses I was really scared of that Bec des Horses face just rocks and stones all over I remember that I clearly wanted to go home but then I mean it was too late I was there and I had to do it. Eva Sandelgard continued to lay down impressive runs in the years that followed winning in 1998, 99 and 2000. 2002 marked a changing of the guard as a new generation of young riders like Ruth Lacyback and Geraldine Fashnak emerged onto the scene. All that I had wanted in my life was to be invited once to take part in the Verbier Extreme to ride the Bec des Horses with the world's best snowboarders. After her first win Fashnak continued to compete every year in the Verbier Extreme enjoying great rivalries along the way with American Julie Larson and her childhood friend Ruth Lacyback who would also make her name on the Bec winning five Verbier Extreme titles Fashnak would go on to win once more on the Bec in 2009 before retiring from the competition in 2010 to focus on her own expeditions and on coaching the next generation of female free riders. In 2004 skiers were finally invited to compete at the Verbier Extreme no more for running or demonstrations it was time to show the world what big mountain skiers could do on this legendary face. This year in the ninth edition of the event and for the first time ever in the contest 10 skiers will also be descending in the daunting face of the Bec. 2005 was also the year that Seb Michaud won on the Bec. A convert from mogul skiing Michaud put his acrobatic skills to breathtaking use inspiring generations of skiers to come. Ever the showman Seb Michaud came back in 2006 to win for one of the most impressive drops ever seen on this mountain. To my eyes the most memorable sequence of Seb Michaud was the year he jumped at 25m long backflip down the Bec I was already on the jump I've been concentrating only on the jump the whole time and when I saw that I said ok cool no worries the rocks don't bother me and I sent him. 2008 marked the start of the free ride world tour with the verbier extreme becoming the final of this four stop tour with the event now being beamed live to a global audience there was even more pressure on the organisers to pick the perfect conditions to run the event. During the whole winter we monitor the face we go in the face we cut the snow to see how the layers are stable so you have a launch danger but conditions change fast in the mountains and despite all of the precautions even the best laid plans come undone and so in 2008 with the final of the new free ride world tour only days away mother nature called the shots once again we were on the mountain with the head guide Claude Alain on the Thursday we knew it was sketchy but we had the hopes that this last layer of snow would consolidate with the changes temperatures and Claude Alain just moved a little stone out of the way very high on the mountain and that triggered the avalanche and I look up and it literally was like a billowing wave I just see this massive amount of snow coming down on us and I realise that I think I'm going to be alright and I kind of look to my left and I look where Kai is and Kai is right in the middle of it and I was just like oh no Kai oh look at the people look at the people I got super scared and turned around, skied away but I traversing out from that avalanche and then in the next over came even bigger avalanche from that too and I come racing down towards that and all of a sudden just right around this little rock and I see him and I was just oh my god I can't believe he's there I was almost guaranteed that he was going to be 20 feet deep and it was going to be a body recovery situation I was just so happy to see him we just hugged and hugged two best friends who always stayed together even sharing their hotel room in Verbier became the greatest rivals of the beck Kai's Akrickson and Aurelian Ducro I was so happy when they announced me and Aurelian up on the podium to win her together it was a great feeling it was perfect it was a big moment for me because it was my first big victory and also because I shared it with Kai their rivalry over the next few years was instrumental in pushing the boundaries of skiing on the beck as they tried to outdo each other with bigger cliffs and faster lines both riders would raise their game alternating wins and podium places then in 2010 with epic snow conditions on the beck and both skiers at the peak of their powers the two men would face off one last time in a classic showdown with both of them having skied the same line and the same cliffs with near identical speed and fluidity it was once again nearly impossible to separate the two men after a long and anxious wait the result was announced 2010 was also a key year for progression in snowboarding as French rider Xavier Delarue took a line at the Verbier extreme that would redefine big mountain snowboarding on the beck forever Delarue had no obligation to complete after the final had been cancelled as the tour leader he would now automatically be crowned tour champion who was deemed his core as to whether he wanted to gamble everything on a rerun of the event or take the title by default I'd noticed this line whilst I was skiing with my daughter I was skiing in front of the beck when I looked at it from a different angle and I said to myself there's a new line there for sure it would need to be good conditions but I was really motivated to open up a new line on the beck Xavier could have said that's it we don't rerun and he was world champion but no he said I want to rerun and he did that line and won the world tour the growth of the freeride world tour saw a new qualifying series spring up with the top riders each year graduating onto the main tour this system would produce a new generation of freeriders that were highly skilled and highly competitive on the beck none more so than sweden's reine bar cred coming into the freeride world tour in 2009 before that season I was just super nervous I go out of that start gate and get 10 meters fall got hung upside down in a bush first thought was maybe the judges couldn't see that but realised I was still hanging there so I definitely blew my confidence on that I felt like I met a fool out of myself and just thinking I have no business being here after that initial failure in 2009 bar cred skiing went from strength to strength and by 2011 he was competing for the world tour title in the final on the beck de ros in 2012 bar cred came into the verbiex stream with only an outside chance of winning the tour title and the USA's drew tabke were both in much stronger positions to win opting once again for the dog leg bar cred dropped into the face and straight away sent it on a huge cliff before laying down a super fast clean run to the bottom in a near perfect display of freeriding I was sitting in the hot seat at the bottom speed number three was 20 plus riders behind me and every single one of them have the ability to beat me that was an emotional rollercoaster that whole day sitting down there when it was all done and I had won I couldn't believe it that was just a mess it's just crazy all worked out today it was a long shot but it worked reine bar cred made it winning both the extreme verbiex and the freeride world tour in 2012 and he did it again in 2017 it was reine bar cred who threaded a stunningly fast line through some of the biggest features on the face with his renowned control and mastery of landings and yet despite this being his 12th year on tour he's far from retiring instead he's very much in contention for the win here in verbiex and it's 25th anniversary in 2017 another rider impressed on the back it was Leo Slemmet who stomped a huge 360 at the top of the run and showed an impressive line who saw him claim second place in verbiex and secure the 2017 world title sadly there is also a dark side of the sport the freeride world tour community suffered two painful losses at the end of the 2016 winter Estelle Ballet and Matilda Rappaport tragically passed away while practising their biggest passion the two time world champion Estelle Ballet always inspired her peers with her grace style and positive attitude she died in an avalanche in the valley region of switzerland while shooting for a film only a few months later a second shockwave rocked the freeride community swedish skier Matilda Rappaport passed away in an avalanche while shooting in Chile Matilda was considered one of the best freeride skiers of her generation but it was her calm, open and friendly character that saw her become a role model for so many she won the verbiex stream in 2013 both are sorely missed in 2017 every single rider rode for Estelle Ballet and Matilda Rappaport Sami Lubke is another rider who's written his name into the Bec de Rosses history winning the freeride world tour three times in a row Lubke dominated the extreme verbiex in 2016-17 and 2018 and a second place in 2019 using the bec as his canvas Lubke drew huge lines that saw him develop into one of the world's most well rounded and stylish freeriders it's definitely everybody's dream to stand on top of podium here in verbiex it's the oldest extreme contest running and it's where it all started winner in 2019 was American Jonathan Penfield he set the category on fire with the dazzling show of big mountain snowboarding he linked together a series of huge airs including a backside three I'm really stoked to have laid down a run I'm happy with and have taken first place exceptional talent Victor Dilarou claimed his made and freeride world tour victory in his rookie year with a third place in verbiex following in the footsteps of his older brother Xavier impressed the judges with a mix of big airs and fluid snowboarding there is undoubtedly a dynasty in the making for the Dilarou with the 2019 freeride world tour title already secured French snowboarder Marion Herty came to verbiex hungry to take home the extreme crown and she put down the run of her life I'm feeling the love for my sport right now the love for snowboarding this board, this thing right here is what I live for Ariana Tricomi entered the extreme verbiex in 2016 with lots of crashes and a fifth place at the back in the following year she showed consistency and claimed a solid fourth in 2018 the Italian nailed her line for her first extreme verbiex victory stylish airs and decisive big mountain riding at the third time of asking the Italian style queen looked at ease on the bec de Ross Tricomi became the 2018 extreme verbiex winner and the new world champion of the freeride world tour this is the most unbelievably successful day in my freeride career if you want to call it that to win the overall title of the bec one year later in 2019 it was the local girl Elizabeth Gerritsen who blasted through the technical top section of the bec de Ross and followed that with big confident airs and a fast strong line to take the extreme verbiex title on home snow she was joined on the podium by defending champion Ariana Tricomi in second and Hazel Bienbaum in third extreme verbiex and this is my first victory on the freeride world tour in my home town with all my family and my friends on site this was pretty much my childhood dream I am so happy world champion Christopher Turdell could not ride the face in 2018 but in 2019 Turdell returned with a decent third place on the bec he showed his signature high speed drops and fast silky turns not too bad I would say I am super happy Marcus Ida had a choice he could play it safe to secure his world title or he could risk it all with a big line in search of glory Ida rolled the dice smooth skiing with a solid 360 and an impressive backflip with sixth place in verbiex he became the 2019 freeride world tour champion finally it was Vardek Gorak who took the verbiex crown in 2019 he celebrated his first win of the extreme verbiex I still don't realise what is happening to me right now not at all actually it's simply magical a childhood dream that rarely happens so I think I am going to cry soon here simply magic everybody rode like crazy today we had an incredible show down here congratulations to everyone and I hope we'll all have a good time next year now it's 2020 and we've seen the evolution of skiing going down in extreme verbiex over the years we went from really extreme skiing billy goading, stepping on rocks like getting to the Narlits area to start riding a little bit faster a little bit more flow and control but still in the Narlits areas people start sticking their really big tricks on that mountain long progressive curve without it free riding wouldn't be where it is today