France just hosted a Freeride World Tour (FWT) event for the first time since 2017.
Marcus Goguen took advantage, earning bronze in Val Thorens with a huge backflip off a cornice, a seamless 360 and a well-timed shifty that added up to 88.67 points. Austria's Valentin Rainer skied fluidly to silver (89.67).
Yet the day belonged to Martin Bender. The Swiss athlete claimed his inaugural FWT gold (91.67) with a dynamic run that featured opposite-direction 360s, a massive air over a rock bench, and a perfectly executed double drop.
"Winning my first FWT competition feels unreal—perfect powder, an amazing face, and great friends made it unforgettable," said Bender in a press release. "This win was a huge surprise, and it’ll take time to sink in."
Astrid Cheylus triumphed on home snow among ladies' skiers (93.67), besting two-time Canadian Olympic medallist Justine Dufour-Lapointe (90.67) and Lena Kohler of Germany (84.33).
Over on the snowboard side, four-time FWT champ Marion Haerty reintroduced herself to the field with a dominant breakthrough (95.00). Haerty's French compatriot Noémie Equy placed second (88.33), leaving Spain's Núria Castán Barón in third (83.00).
"The new generation is here—Noémie and Anna are incredible riders, and I’m stoked to share this podium with Noémie," Haerty told reporters. "Today was all about fun—passion drives me."
Enzo Nilo rode to the top of the men's snowboard podium (90.67), followed by Rémi Benamo (85.67) and Michael Mawn (83.00).
Click here for more results from Val Thorens.
