The 2026 FWT Val Thorens Pro Preview

Blink, and you’ll miss it.

After an impressive season-opener in Baqueira Beret, Spain, the Freeride World Tour is already back on the road with the Val Thorens Pro fast approaching. The French event is scheduled to go down between January 24 and January 29, 2026, depending on the conditions.

Here’s everything you need to know before it gets underway.

The 2026 POWDER Photo Annual is here! Look for a print copy on a newsstand near you, or click here to have a copy shipped directly to your front door.

How To Watch The Val Thorens Pro

The Freeride World Tour will stream for free on the tour's website. 

Top Four Picks To Win The Val Thorens Pro

At POWDER, we aren’t gamblers. Still, we appreciate a good guessing game now and then. So, for this stop of the Freeride World Tour (and the rest of the events this season), we’ve decided to take a shot at guessing the winners. This is who we’re expecting to show up in a big way.

Ski Women

Justine Dufour-Lapointe: Fresh off an overall victory last winter and a first-place finish earlier this month, Justine Dufour-Lapointe seems poised, as ever, to clean up in Val Thorens. She has the ideal mix of technical chops and freestyle skills—two factors the judges greatly appreciate on the Freeride World Tour.

Astrid Cheylus: Astrid Cheylus is one of the strongest recent additions to the Freeride World Tour. She joined the circuit in 2024, finishing second overall that year with a slew of podium finishes. In Baqueira Beret, she was fast and fluid, but came up slightly short on a backflip. In Val Thorens, she’ll have an opportunity to reaffirm her track record—last winter, she won the competition there.

Check out Justine Dufour-Lapointe's winning run from Baqueira-Beret below. Tap or click to play. Keep reading for more.

Ski Men

Marcus Goguen: Coming into this season, Marcus Goguen, with his newly minted Red Bull helmet and overall title from 2025, was the one to beat. He’s consistent and powerful, with a deep bag of tricks to match. Yet, in Baqueira Beret, some bobbles kept him off the podium. If history is anything to go by, though, it won’t be long before Goguen lands in third, second, or first.

Kelly Hilleke: Perhaps the most promising rookie on the men’s side, Kelly Hilleke, too, had a bumpier outing in Baqueira Beret. He flipped above an exposed part of the venue, appeared to catch an edge, and crashed. The stroke of bad luck could mean that Hilleke, a talented up-and-comer, will have greater motivation to lace a showstopping run in Val Thorens.  

Freeride World Tour 2026 Roster

Roster may be subject to change.

Ski Women

• Justine Dufour-Lapointe (CAN) - Reigning FWT Champion
• Jenna Keller (SUI)
• Astrid Cheylus (FRA)
• Lena Kohler (GER)
• Molly Armanino (USA)
• Zuzanna Witych (POL)
• Lou Barin (FRA) - Rookie
• Zoé Delzoppo (FRA) - Rookie
• Wynter McBride (USA) - Rookie
• Agostina Vietti (ARG) - Rookie

Ski Men

• Marcus Goguen (CAN) - Reigning FWT Champion
• Martin Bender (SUI)
• Toby Rafford (USA)
• Valentin Rainer (AUT) - 2023 FWT Champion
• Ben Richards (NZL)
• Ross Tester (USA)
• WeiTien Ho (CAN)
• Virgile Didier (FRA)
• Tiemo Rolshoven (GER)
• Abel Moga (SPA)
• Oscar Mandin (FRA)
• Carl Regner Eriksson (SWE)
• Kristofer Turdell (SWE) - 2018 & 2021 FWT Champion
• Victor Hale-Woods (SUI) - Rookie
• Paul de Pourtalès (SUI) - Rookie
• Ugo Troubat (FRA) - Rookie
• Fynn Powell (NZL) - Rookie
• Kelly Hilleke (USA) - Rookie
• Joey Leonardo (USA) - Rookie
• Lochlan Harvey (CAN) - Rookie
• Jack Kolesch (CAN) - Rookie
• Leo Slemmet (FRA) - Event wildcard

Baqueira Beret Recap

Mixed snow seemed to prevent most skiers from pulling out all the stops in Baqueira Beret. Still, the field proved that they’re among the best freeriders on the planet, executing controlled and fluid lines despite the lack of powder.

As already noted, Dufour-Lapointe put down a trademark run, winning the women’s field. On the podium, she was joined by two rookies: Zoe Delzoppo and Lou Barin. Barin previously competed in slopestyle at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. In Baqueira Beret, she issued a reminder of her freestyle chops, beginning her run with a clean 360.

The men looked much the same, with most choosing smart lines. There were some knock your ski socks off moments, though. Abel Moga crashed on a huge frontflip. Then, Toby Rafford, who took second, floated through a techy part of the venue, finishing his line with a huge 360. That earned him a nod from Aymar Navarro, the former Freeride World Tour competitor who attempted a similar line in 2022.

Tap or click below to watch Rafford's run at Baqueira Beret.

Tour Chatter

In Baqueira Beret, it was a big day for Armada, the ski brand renewing its focus on freeride. First, there was Toby Rafford, a recent addition to the team, standing on the podium with Armada skis.

But eagle-eyed viewers likely noticed that Ben Richards, who previously announced that he had left Line, was riding a mysterious new pair of Armada skis.

Soon afterward, Armada confirmed that Richards had, indeed, joined the team. They also revealed what those skis were—members of the fresh Antimatter line designed alongside Max Palm.

It wasn’t the first time that an Armada recruit had introduced themselves before the brand could do it for them. Last winter, Rafford pulled the same stunt.