Meet the 2023 Challengers Region 1 Judges

The Region 1 Challengers have started off strong in Nendaz last weekend. As judging is one of the most important part of the competiton, the judging for Challengers Region 1 is done by a panel of experienced freeride judges who are trained to evaluate the competitors based on a set of criteria that includes technical difficulty, style, control, and overall impression. The judges have been freshly selected and here they are! 

Dorian Konrad:

My name is Dorian Konrad but you can call me Dodo. I am a 28 year old passionate skier based in Innsbruck, Austria.

With my racing background and fascination for mountains I started my freeriding career already at some junior contests. After several years of competing and some podiums at the Qualifiers I decided to focus on my studies. But with being so close the contests scene and still doing some filming projects beside my studies I started my judging career. First Judging 1* and 2* Events and competing at 3* and 4* Events at the same time, later judging all contests mostly for the Open Faces Events in Austria. 

I have been judging for approximately 5 years now and looking forward to many more. The reason being a judge is not just the competition on its own, for me it’s all about being on the mountain with nice people, good friends and all the lovely people you get to know at the contests. It’s a pleasure to be part of this crazy and super fascinating freeride scene before, during and after the competition. Judging can be super tricky and stressful sometimes, but for me it’s definitely a passion and my goal is to bring in al my experience as judge as well as a former contest rider to every competition.

Siobhan Challis:

Snowboarding has been my happy place since it found me at 15.  Before that,  I was a pretty good little skier and I competed in races across Austria and Europe. Once I switched to Snowboarding I competed in Freestyle comps and switched to Freeride in my early twenties. Since then I’ve completed the Austrian Olympic Trainer Certificate as well as the highest Snowboard education in Austria. In addition, I’ve also done an education as a coach in New Zealand and have been working there as a high-performance coach for the past couple of seasons. My career on the qualifiers was one with many highs and lows but overall a very happy one - my best result was winning Kicking Horse in 2019 and competing with 22 other snowboard women :), next to podiuming or winning a couple of other competitions like the X-Over Ride on Kitzsteinhorn, Kappl and LesArcs. 

In 2017 I had the opportunity to judge my first comps in Fieberbrunn and Jasna after an accident that gave me the chance to learn how to judge! I’ve judged ever since, while competing I judged 1* and 2* and as soon as I quit competing I got into judging higher-level competitions.

Freeriding is my passion, it has been since I first learned how to ski as a little toddler. Whenever I had the chance to venture out into the backcountry I did, first with my mum and ski race crew and later on with mates that enjoyed freeride as much as I do. After having a very severe accident freeriding, judging seemed like the closest I could get to still being a part of the future of freeride. I love seeing new talent, watching riders grow from year to year and witnessing the progress first-hand. It is an absolute privilege for me. One might think that I've stopped riding, it’s the opposite though. I still ride a lot. Being a judge gives me the opportunity to help progress people’s riding with constructive feedback, to travel and to ride in breathtaking places with an incredible wholesome crew of judges, organisers and riders. Also, to personally grow and stay coachable as a judge and rider. 

We Freeriders all have our own unique take on freeriding, picking lines and executing those. I appreciate runs that make me want to go out there myself but also ones that are just mad, to be honest. We know it’s calculated risk riders take, and seeing someone that pushes their capability by finding the perfect mix of line choices for their style is magnificent. 

While judging, it’s the cherry on top when we can feel/see riders making the most of it and having a hell of a good time completing their runs.

Jordan Bricheux: 

I'm Jordan, I'm 30 years old, I come from Chamonix and I ski since I'm young. 

8 years on freeride competitions mostly on 4* events and one year on the FWT. 

Started judging in 2019, invested in judging to make my possible to do correct decisions on those events, and keep one foot in this nice community. 

What I love to see on a freeride comp is a complete run : steep riding, huge cliffs, good technique on transitions and a touch of freestyle. So every skills of riding are in the run.