The first stop of The Swatch Freeride World Tour by The Northface is a wrap, with Sammy Luebke taking the top spot for the men, followed by Sascha Hamm in second and Ludovic Guillot-Diat in third. The contest was delayed one week after rough weather conditions, but the international field of riders still came out swinging, with Mt. Baker local Luebke stomping an 80.50 for the overall win.
“I identified my line right away on the first day,” said Men’s Snowboard Winner Sammy Luebke. “I considered other lines the last few days but am very glad I stuck with my original choice. The snow was really good with face shots throughout the venue.”
For more details on the competition, check out the press release below:
Courmayeur Mont Blanc, Italy – January 22, 2013 – The first stop of the 2014 SWATCH FREERIDE WORLD TOUR BY THE NORTH FACE® (FWT), concluded today on Cresta Youla. Although challenging visibility prevented the attempt last Friday from being successful, an exciting competition thrilled fans and athletes today at Courmayeur Mont Blanc. The international field of competitors was extremely eager to begin the season and start the quest to become the next FWT champions. Courmayeur Mont Blanc is the only stop on the FWT, which is exclusively a men’s competition.
Conditions in the Alps have been very difficult in the first part of the winter with high avalanche risks and thin snow in many places. Despite the tricky conditions, the FWT organizers together with the local guides found a face for the first stop of the competition season. Sunny skies and soft snow conditions provide the competition date was well worth the wait.
“We are certainly facing very tricky snow conditions in the Alps early this season,” said FWT General Manager Europe Nicolas Hale-Woods. “On top of the safety aspect which is our priority number one, we also have to deal with what the weather has to offer in order to launch an event. We had a small window last Friday and tried to complete the competition without success. So we all waited in Courmayeur Mont Blanc for a better chance to compete and finally ran the event today in great conditions on the sunny side of the Monte Bianco. “
The competition began with men’s snowboarding. American rider Sammy Luebke worked his way to the top of the men’s snowboard podium with a super fast start and a playful run ending with a solid front side 360. Luebke’s run earned the top score of 80.50.
In second place, Sascha Hamm of Great Britain earned a 72.5 with a high velocity run featuring a well-executed high-speed double cliff-drop. Rounding out the snowboard podium in third place, Ludo Guilllot-Diat of France executed a hard charging style, which earned him a score of 70.25.
