How to become a freeride judge?

When it comes to freeriding, everyone has a different style of riding and expresses themselves differently depending on the terrain. The role of a judge is consider each athlete’s individual style of riding and, judge who performed better on any given day.

Whether a rider’s strength is steep terrain, big airs, technical tricks, or speed; it is the judge’s job to decide who rode best depending on the following 5 criteria:

• Line
• Fluidity
• Control
• Air & Style 
• Technique

To evaluate a run, judges use a point system of 0 to 100. The goal of this rider-approved system is to have a unified judging system for all FWT, FWQ, and FJT competitions that takes into account all styles of riding. 

So how do you become a judge on the Freeride World Tour? 

• First, read the Judges' Handbook. You can click links in the blue bubbles to watch short video examples throughout the document.
• Then watch the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMGwmxI05VE
• Finally, try and judge the few runs at the end of the video. Use the judging sheet  (print and take notes)
• Then scan or take a good-quality picture of your filled-in judging sheet and return it to cyril@freerideworldtour.com. Cyril will correct and comment on the sheet and will come back to you with the next steps.

Who are the judges for the FWT22? 

Laurent Besse

From former professional snowboarder to Head FWT Judge, “Lolo” briefs the athletes during face check and competition rules, the field, etc. Working alongside top freeriders, Laurent developed the evaluation system based on 5 criteria that all judges now follow. 

Rachel Croft

Rachel Croft is an American skier who made her mark by winning the FWQ 2017. The following year she finished third place in Fieberbrunn during the FWT18. It is also worth noting that she is the first female judge on the Tour. Her experience as a pro rider led her to become a judge.

Bertrand Denervaud

Bertrand Dénervaud, also known as "Berti", is a former snowboarding professional who distinguished himself in all disciplines of the sport, particularly in half-pipe between 1992 and 2002. He has more than 50 podiums finishes to his name and qualified for the Olympic Games in Nagano. Berti, together with Lolo Besse, developed and created the current FWT judging system.

Laurent Gautier

Laurent Gauthier is a pro skier from Quebec. In 2013, he finished third on the podium at the Xtreme Verbier. Splitting his time between Whistler and Chamonix, he is now part of the judges panel. 

With days until the first riders drop in in Baqueira Beret, be sure to save the dates, bookmark www.freerideworldtour.com and follow @freerideworldtour. With live broadcasts (plus full replays) from every stop, up-to-the-minute competition updates and exclusive behind-the-scenes coverage, you won’t want to miss a moment of the greatest Freeride show on earth.