And... Just like that! Freeride skiing will be an official Winter Olympic event at the Alpes 2030 Olympics, hosted by France.
On July 7, 2026 the International Olympic Committee confirmed that Freeride skiing and snowboarding will be added to the 2030 Olympic Games. These games will be the first Winter Olympics to achieve gender parity, with 50% female and male participants. There will be 44 athletes split between men and women and skiing and snowboarding.
Over the last few seasons, ZipFit athletes have found great success on the Freeride World Tour, which has functioned as the proxy for Olympic style competition. ZipFit skiers Ben Richards 🇳🇿 and Toby Rafford 🇺🇸 took first and second overall in the 2026 Freeride World Tour. In 2025, ZipFit athletes Martin Bender 🇨🇭 and Toby Rafford 🇺🇸 placed second and third respectively.
In February of this year, FIS hosted the first ever Freeride World Championships in Andorra. This competition was a stepping stone towards gaining a berth at the 2030 Winter Olympics. ZipFit athlete Ben Richards 🇳🇿 won the Men's ski competition and ZipFit athlete Molly Armanino 🇺🇸 placed third in the Women's ski finals.
Freeride skiing is extreme on so many fronts. The strength training, mental conditioning, and technical skiing ability required to pull off a run like this is unfathomable. We look forward to the continued growth of competitive big mountain skiing and we're proud to support these athletes.