The Freeride World Tour Finals officially kicked off in the most high-stakes arena on the planet: the steep, spine-chilling faces of Haines, Alaska. After an eight-year hiatus from this specific venue, the Tour returned to find a massive 740-meter vertical drop draped in 20 cm of fresh powder. For the riders who made the cut, this wasn’t just another competition; it was a heavy test of survival and style in the world’s most technical big mountain terrain.

The YETI Alaska Haines Pro proved why this location is the “dream stop” for freeriders. The face was a technical maze of vertical flutes and massive cliff bands that demanded absolute focus from every athlete. Competing on a sustained pitch of 45 degrees, there was zero room for error. The legendary Alaskan terrain lived up to its reputation, as the technical descent took its toll on many, with only half of the ski women and half of the ski men making it to the finish corral without a crash.

The Ski Men’s field delivered one of the closest finishes in history, with only 1.67 points separating the entire podium. In the end, it was American Toby Rafford who left the crowd speechless, securing his first-ever FWT victory.

The Ski Women faced an all-or-nothing day on the face, but Sybille Blanjean (SUI) proved that control is king.

In the Snowboard Men’s category, the legend of Victor de Le Rue (FRA) continued to grow. A four-time world champion, de Le Rue used his bag of tricks and experience to dismantle the Alaskan face.

Women’s Snowboard saw rookie Mia Jones, part of the Teton Gravity Research family, dominate steep lines.

As the snow settles in Haines, the focus shifts to the final showdown: the Bec des Rosses in Verbier, Switzerland. With the points from Alaska shaking up the leaderboard, the title races are wider open than ever. Toby Rafford and Sybille Blanjean are carrying the momentum (and the Golden Bibs) into the Alps, but with the steep, technical face of the Bec waiting, anything can happen.

Haines reminded us why Alaska is the ultimate proving ground, but Verbier will decide who enters the history books. Stay tuned to TGR as we follow the crew to Switzerland to see who survives the final drop of the 2026 season.