Georgia Hosts Freeski And Snowboard Slopestyle World Cup Test Events Ahead Of 2023 World Championships

Georgia’s mountain resort of Bakuriani hosted weather-affected test events of the Slopestyle World Cup this weekend as the Caucasus nation gears up to host the FIS Freestyle, Snowboard and Freeski World Championships next year for the first time in its history.

With qualifications cancelled on Thursday and Friday, due to high winds, Freeski Slopestyle finals took place directly on Saturday. The event managed to go ahead after a major effort from the Georgian Ski Federation and a host of young volunteers to overcome the bad weather.

After a minute’s silence for the victims of the war in Ukraine, Canada’s Megan Oldham and Switzerland’s Andri Ragettli battled through for the wins. In the Snowboard Slopestyle, the weather also saw qualification cancelled, however despite this, Germany’s Leon Vockensperger and Canada’s Laurie Blouin went on to win the event in Sunday’s finals.

The test events of Slopestyle World Cup are the first to take place since the conclusion of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. After just missing out on a medal in Beijing, Switzerland’s Andri Ragettli returns to action in the men’s Freeski slopestyle, alongside Swiss compatriot and former Olympic champion Sarah Höfflin.

Canada’s Laurie Blouin and Jasmine Baird, both finalists in Beijing, featured in the women’s snowboarding event. Meanwhile, Georgian snowboarder Jaba Skhvediani and freeskiers Nika Eloshvili and Luka Chopikashvili finished in 14th, 8th and 9th position, as they competed in World Cup competition on home soil for the first time.

The competitions served as test events for next year’s championships in Bakuriani, which Georgia has invested heavily to prepare for since being elected as host nation in 2018. During the pandemic-disrupted 2020-21 World Cup season, Bakuriani and Gudauri made their debuts as host venues, while Bakuriani also saw Europa Cup action last month for the first time.

Speaking after the event, FIS Secretary-General Michel Vion said 'I was impressed by the event, it was a good course with good preparation, despite the weather on the previous day, and a very good competition'

“Given the unpredictable snow conditions and days of hard work of OC, the slopes looked amazing. Teams that arrived for the first ever Slopestyle World Cup in history of Bakuriani had good training days and were stoked to hit the course for finals. Despite bad weather conditions, LOC received positive feedbacks from FIS and it was a spectacular event” said Levan Metreveli, Freestyle Committee Chairman at the Georgian Ski Federation.

Following the event, an Organising Committee session was also held to identify and plan for the remaining infrastructure developments needed ahead of hosting the Ski and Snowboarding Freestyle World Championships next year, as well as consider the event’s legacy by looking to host further world-class events in 2024. These include the provision of equipment and the creation of artificial lakes.

Georgia’s appearance on the international ski and snowboarding calendar is expected to play a vital role in the development of Georgia’s wider tourism industry. Since the turn of the century, visitors’ numbers in Georgia have risen dramatically from 100,000 to more than 9 million before the pandemic.

Nestled in the Caucasus mountains between Europe and Asia, Georgia’s snow-capped slopes are home to a growing number of designer lodges, off-piste experiences and leisure facilities. In October 2020 alone, four new ski lifts were built in Bakuriani.

“Hosting world-leading winter sport events like this are crucial for Georgia’s growth and couldn’t be done without the commitment of the Government and GSF. The development of winter sports brings us closer to Europe as it is the most European of sports, which as a naturally mountainous place, creates greater affiliation between Georgia and the continent’ said George Ramishvili, Chairman of Silknet, the GSF’s general sponsor.