Athletes came out to win this weekend on the classic North Baldy venue at the 2015 Subaru Freeride Series (SFS) final day of competition. A day of big tricks, huge hits and extreme competition marked the first stop of 2015 SFS where athletes competed for points to be crowned the Freeskiing World Tour and Masters of Snowboarding champions at the end of the season.

After Friday’s competition was cut short due to 120 mph gusts and Saturday was announced as a weather day, athletes were excited to come out to a beautiful sunny day with a high of 40 degrees. Several hundred spectators enjoyed the warm weather as athletes took to the venue that was boney, technical, and full of features for athletes to explore. Action began with men’s ski and snowboard semis, which due to time constraints, became final results. It was Grant Howard who won over the judges and crowd finishing first in men’s ski. “Grant Howard had a super fluid, playful run with three big 360s-just beautiful riding,” said head judge Eric Schmitz.

In men’s snowboarding semis/finals, it was Snowbird local Harrison Fitch, 19, and Jonathan Penfield who took the show. Fitch did a never-before-in-competition front side rodeo-7 that blew the crowd away. But it was Penfield with his super fluid run and double drop at the bottom that took the win.

“I’ve competed in every snowboard competition MSI has put on,” said Penfield. “By combining the Masters of Snowboarding with the Freeskiing World Tour, we get to ride alongside skiers and get inspired by each other’s style.”

Since women ski and snowboard competed on Friday, their finals were based on a combined score of the two days. The top three women maintained the points to podium, but it was Freeride Series veteran Crystal Wright who had the “winning run of the day,” according to Schmitz, with a huge, bold straightline air at the bottom that earned a major Sickbird nomination. Ashley Bembenek from Crested Butte, skied a fast, solid line to maintain her first place semi results for the win.

“I grew up ski racing with the ladies who took the top four places today,” Bembenek said. “It’s great to return to our stomping grounds here at Snowbird for the first comp of the season.”

In women’s snowboarding, Audrey Hebert, took the win as the sun was setting with the biggest move in the middle of the venue and a solid, fluid whole run.

The Backcountry.com Sickbird award winners, Connery Lundin (skier) and Harrison Fitch (snowboarder) both went huge. Lundin did a massive flat-3 with a Japan grab and stomped it. Fitch won the crowd with the front side rodeo-7.

Little Cottonwood Canyon local, Grant Howard, also earned The North Face Young Gun Award. The award is granted to the most impressive up and coming athlete under 20 years old who exemplifies sportsmanship and passion for the mountains.

The Subaru Freeride Series continues to Telluride, CO (March 4-8), Alyeska, AK (March 16-22) and Big Sky, MT (March 25-29). For the event schedule and details, please visit www.SubaruFreerideSeries.com. Join Freeride Series on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and by using #FreerideSeries #SFS15. With the strong heritage, the Freeskiing World Tour and Masters of Snowboarding Facebook pages will provide sport specific news regarding SFS.

SFS is sponsored by Subaru, The North Face, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Sony’s Action Cam, Clif Bar, Snowboard Magazine and Backcountry.com. The Freeride Series is an MSI production.

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Men’s division podium

Women’s division podium