Geraldine Fasnacht, extreme sports professional

She has come back to the Freeride World Tour with a bang winning the Freeride de Tignes 2009, a bittersweet victory after an unfortunate injury in Sochi 2008.

While competing in Sochi on February 3, 2008, Geraldine took a hard landing on the slopes of Krasnaya Polyana on packed snow. She immediately felt her knee give way. After an adventure to get down the mountain with the Russian guides and Isabelle de Lalene as her calming spirit, she took the long flight back to Geneva. There, her doctor and scan technician waited until late evening to make an official diagnosis as quickly as possible. Though this treatment was ‘fabulous’, the diagnosis was not so encouraging: torn ligaments, meniscus and cartilage. She had a knee operation February 25.

“This is my first major injury. I didn’t want to push myself to hard to come back quickly. I have listened to my entourage of doctors and therapists who have worked with me and know my body. It is not about coming back for one season, I want to continue to ride for the next 30 years.”

A professional base jumper as well, Geraldine started jumping again in September with a knee brace after months of physical therapy. She began snowboarding in November, but only started really jumping cliffs at the beginning of this year.

“I have gotten to the point now that I can jump, go for it, without questioning the state of my knee. One week before Tignes, I saw my kinesiologist and my physical therapist who both said that I was ready, that my knee was strong enough. They said I could go for it.”

And that she did, after months of rehabilitation, she came back to competition to win the Nissan Freeride de Tignes: “I was so happy to ride the Grand Balme in Tignes; it is an awesome face of 800 vertical meters. I was really motivated and confident. I chose a line that I truly wanted, so I went for it with no questions. I don’t know what to say other than it was just my day. This mountain is like the Bec des Rosses in Verbier; it suits my style of riding.”

Speaking of Verbier, Geraldine will be there competing in the Nissan Xtreme – Verbier, on her home mountain soon.“The conditions are good right now, and the spectators are always encouraging. There are champagne corks popping everywhere, people cheering. It is one big party! For a rider, to compete is amazing and especially for me as it is my home.”

We wish the best to Geraldine in Verbier, where her home crowd will definitely be cheering her on!