Sacha Balicco

Sacha Balicco spent eight years competing in slopestyle and big air before Covid-era resort closures pushed him onto a splitboard and into the backcountry. Freeride quickly became his new direction.

The Grenoble rider, based out of Les 7 Laux, brought that freestyle vocabulary to his 2026 rookie season, creating lines that remained playful and creative even as the terrain became more serious.

Away from competition, Balicco fills the rest of the year with biking, running, trekking and surfing. At 28, his route to the FWT came later than most, but the range of experience behind his snowboarding is exactly what makes his style distinctive.