SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (Jan. 4, 2013) – The 2013 Junior Freeride Tour (JFT) is excited to announce the addition of boys and girls junior snowboarding alongside the junior freeskiers at all JFT events: Crystal Mountain, Washington (January 25-27), Crested Butte, Colorado (February 15-17), Squaw Valley, California (March 8-10), New Mexico Junior Freeride Championships at Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico (March 29-30) and Junior World Championships by The North Face at Snowbird Ski Resort, Utah (April 3-7). Registration is now open for all events.

“The JFT is the premier breeding ground for the next big names in freeskiing and snowboarding. The tour’s competition format now enables both disciplines of freeriding to compete alongside one another as juniors as well as adults,” stated FWT Americas Tour Director Bryan Barlow. “We are thrilled to announce a junior development tour that gives athletes a pipeline to adult competition on a global scale.”

All four 2013 JFT stops will be classified as a 2-star Freeride World Qualifier (FWQ) event with points contributing to athletes overall ranking on the Freeride World Tour system. The Junior World Championships by The North Face at Snowbird Ski Resort will award 3-star points. FWQ competitions are the only youth freeriding events providing the opportunity for young riders to collect points eligible for the Freeride World Tour system when they graduate to adult competition at the age of 18.

The competition structure for the JFT is well designed and organized for junior competitors. Riders compete one at a time and receive an overall score from a judging panel based on numerous categories including line difficulty, control, fluidity, technique and style. A winning run will feature difficult line choices, such as riding over cliffs, through narrow chutes, off natural features created by rocks, fallen trees, etc. Slopes average up to 50-degrees-much steeper and more difficult than the average 35-degree “black diamond” slope found at the average ski area.

Top ranked junior freeskiers and snowboarders participating in JFT events will qualify to compete at the Junior Freeride World Championships at Snowbird Ski Resort April 3-7, 2013 that will be televised on Universal Networks and webcast live on the following websites:

www.juniorfreeridetour.com
www.freerideworldtour.com

Registration for the 2013 Junior Freeride Tour is now open. A prequalified athlete list based off of results from the 2012 Junior Freeskiing Tour is available on the JFT website.

For athlete, registration or general information visit:
www.jrfreeridetour.com or contact Andrea Logan, JFT athlete relations manager, at: [email protected]/(801) 349-4620.

Follow the JFT on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/jrfreeskiingtour or on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/jrfreeridetour.