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Even with experienced guides, snow safety checks, and thoughtful planning, things can still go wrong during freeride competitions; mountains do as they please.
During a Freeride World Qualifier four-star event at Serre Chevalier, France, German snowboarder Leonardo Schweizer triggered a large avalanche mid-run—the kind of moment that makes your stomach drop whether you’re watching from the venue, a livestream, or your phone later that night. Schweizer did everything right when things went wrong. As the slope fractured and the slide accelerated, he stayed composed, deployed his avalanche airbag, and remained on the surface of the debris. He was carried by the avalanche but came out the other side uninjured—shaken, no doubt, but alive.
Related: Fear and Loathing On The Freeride World Tour: The Val Thorens Pro
Later, Schweizer addressed the incident himself on Instagram, keeping it honest and blunt, the way people do when the margin between outcome A and outcome B was razor thin:
“Stoked to be alive Today I competed in a four star qualifier event from the free ride world tour, and I got into an avalanche. Wasn’t my best run in the beginning, but it turned out way worse than I could ever expect. I was on top of the avalanche because of my Airbag so buy yourself an airbag. Thank you to the people who helped me. I’m completely fine and alive. ”
Anyone who has spent time in avalanche terrain knows how quickly a competition run can turn into a survival scenario. Veteran freerider JT Holmes Jr. weighed in with a comment that cut through the noise:
“Good job staying on top even before the bag floated you. And good job being prepared with the airbag. I am sure the FWT had good mountain guides assessing the venue and deemed it safe. It goes to show that even when using our best judgment, slopes can fail unexpectedly. Good learning experience.”
That’s the uncomfortable truth of freeride competition—and backcountry skiing in general. These venues are assessed by experienced guides. Decisions are made carefully. Snowpacks are analyzed. And still, sometimes, the mountain says, “F*** you.”
No injuries were reported, and the incident did not escalate beyond Schweizer’s slide. These are the moments that show everyone why airbags, education, preparation, and humility matter—not just in the backcountry, but even inside the controlled chaos of a competition line.
Schweizer walked away. But not everyone does.
The post Large Avalanche Tears Down Freeride World Qualifier Competition Face During Snowboarder’s Run in Serre Chevalier, France appeared first on SnowBrains.
Ссылка на источник: https://snowbrains.com/large-avalanche-tears-down-freeride-world-qualifier-competition-face-during-snowboarders-run-in-serre-chevalier-france/