Freeride Junior World Championships Returns To Kappl, Austria, January
The 13th edition of the YETI Freeride Junior World Championships is set to return to Kappl, Austria, from January 11-16, 2025. As the pinnacle event for young freeriders, the FJWC will welcome 64 elite junior athletes from 17 countries, who will face off in the expansive powder fields of the Tyrolean Alps, showcasing their skills and determination in an awe-inspiring alpine setting. This year’s competition will take place, as usual, at the legendary Quellspitze venue, at an altitude of 2,690 meters, with a 350-meter vertical drop and gradients reaching up to 60°. The event is scheduled within a weather window from January 13 to 16, 2025.
Celebrating its 10th appearance in Europe and 7th in the Tyrolean Alps, the FJWC has become synonymous with exceptional talent and thrilling action, serving as a proving ground for the world’s most promising young freeriders. The event’s high-stakes environment offers these athletes a chance to perform on an international stage, with past competitors, like Marcus Goguen and Astrid Cheylus, using it as a springboard to success on the Freeride World Tour.
Kappl’s pristine terrain provides the perfect canvas for junior freeriders to express their creativity and courage, and the 2025 edition promises intense competition as riders vie for top honors.
SKI MEN
28 riders will participate in the ski men’s category, with the defending champion Lukas Bennett not returning, paving the way for new talents to rise.
Region 1
Luca Trandafir (ROM)
Joe Cookson (NZL)
Hamish Henderson (NZL)
Finn Jacobsen (AUS)
Louis Ott (SUI)
Noah Peizerat (FRA)
Gabriel Engen (NOR)
Mika Rolshoven (GER)
Arthur Rolland (FRA)
Ilia Japaridze (GEO)
Julian Unterbrunner (AUT)
Markus Fagerås (NOR)
Gabin Burtin (FRA)
Leo Flett (SUI)
Finn Slater (GBR)
Region 2
Canyon Cherney (USA)
Zebedee Schreiber (USA)
Hayes Livernois (USA)
Townsend Reed (USA)
Jack Dolan (USA)
Jack Kilmain (USA)
Henry Schrichte (USA)
Austin Pickett (USA)
Sam Ogryzlo (CAN)
SKI WOMEN
The ski women category includes 14 riders, bringing together a blend of freeride specialists, with the defending champion Jana Hausl, ready to defend her title in this thrilling category.
Region 1
Eva Small (NZL)
Jana Hausl (AUT)
Elfy Rouiller (SUI)
Emma Opsann (NOR)
Abril Cuevas Muñoz (ESP)
Luna Rambaud (FRA)
Victoria Troubat (FRA)
Amy Benson (NZL)
Region 2
Indy Boyer (USA)
Hannah Baldwin (USA)
Ingrid Gerdes (USA)
Lynsey Nagle (USA)
Kayla Constantini (CAN)
SNOWBOARD MEN
13 riders make up this category, including the two-time Junior World Champion Kea Chretien, who returns to maintain his reign.
Region 1
Higashino Kakeru (JPN)
Keani Wilson (NZL)
Kea Chretien (FRA)
Pol Sabidó Juvé (ESP)
Louis Hodgetts (GBR)
Casper Kantermo (SWE)
Martxelo Urruzola (ESP)
Theodor Salen (NOR)
Region 2
Cass Jones (USA)
Kaleb Gibbs (USA)
Bradley Lamoreaux (USA)
Tyler Thomson (USA)
Jérémie Allaire (CAN)
SNOWBOARD WOMEN
The snowboard women’s category includes 9 riders, with defending champion Teagan Rilee Turner back to vie for another title.
Region 1
Kizuna Takahashi (JPN)
Brooke Hansen (NZL)
Amélie Martin (FRA)
Jacquelina De Jong (NED)
Eléonore Ansanay Alex (FRA)
Region 2
Teagan Rilee Turner (USA)
Julia Bouligny (USA)
Emma Hyon (USA)
Maya Wetzel (USA)
Keep an eye on these gifted young guns this season at www.freerideworldtour.com.
In the meantime, stay tuned to the FWT social media channels and subscribe to the FWT newsletter to keep pace with the latest news as it drops.
