The 2026 season of The Freeride World Tour Qualifier got underway on New Zealand snow today, with The Remarkables Ski Area once again providing the venue for The North Face Frontier 4-star event. 70 elite skiers and snowboarders lit up the iconic Alta Chutes, charging the steep, exposed terrain in pursuit of podium places as well as crucial points which could see them advance to the elite FWT Challenger roster.
A feature on the international freeride calendar since 2009, The North Face Frontier is renowned for attracting a competitive global field alongside a fierce contingent of NZ athletes gunning for victory on home snow. Today’s podium featured a dynamic mix of seasoned campaigners and rising stars from both hemispheres.
Freeride competition is all about making creative use of nature’s playground, but with snow coverage on the lean side, today’s challenge was to find the right balance between risk and reward in the somewhat rocky terrain. Creativity, control, and commitment were the name of the game, and the judges awarded top scores where style, technique, and line choice came together in one fluid run.
Competition opened with the women’s snowboard category. With the conditions still icy to start, Japan’s Hana Kinoshita stood out as the clear winner thanks to her strong technique and control. Keeping the run fluid as she linked turns down the face, Kinoshita also scored highly for air and style.
“It was pretty icy and a bit nerve-wracking, but mostly I was excited and I wanted to have fun,” explained Kinoshita. “I felt like I could have pushed myself a little more, but mostly I’m pretty satisfied with my run.”
2024 winner Jaimie Figueira (CAN) also showed good speed and control in her run to finish in second place, followed by Sweden’s Johanna Lindqvist, another familiar Frontier face, in third.
The North Face athlete Vaughan Hardwick (AUS) was the standout rider in men’s snowboard, scoring 97.33 points and the win. After crashing in last year’s edition of the Frontier, Hardwick was keen to stay on his feet this time around but was also determined to hit the Pipeline feature, knowing that would be the place to go for points.
Coming fast out of the gate and through the rock section up the top of the course he landed a huge double, managing to hold his heel edge coming out of the chute before finishing with a 360 at the bottom of the course.
“The run went to plan and I did everything I wanted to do, making sure I got Pipeline in this time,” explained Hardwick. “It was very icy up the top which made it hard to close down speed but the snow was softer further down so I could slow down a bit. It was pretty challenging but fun as always.”
In a repeat of his 2024 result, second place went to New Zealand’s Mitchell Davern with one of the most stylish runs of the day incorporating a back 3, front 3 combo, and fast, confident riding.
Japan’s Temma Tamai rode his way to a strong third-place finish, setting a fast pace through the top of the course and demonstrating fluid riding through the coulouir before finishing with a backflip at the bottom of the course
Brit Harriet Lucas opened the women’s category and immediately set the bar, earning a score of 88.67 and never relinquishing the hot seat. The only woman to hit the Pipeline chute and landing a big air out of the bottom, Lucas stood out with her solid technique and speed through the course.
“My aim was to get into Pipeline, and when I got it there it was way bigger than I thought it was going to be but I managed to hold all when I landed and skied out. I just tried to ski as smoothly as I could. I’ve never dropped first before so I was feeling the pressure but in the end, I think it helped me. I didn’t have anyone else to compare myself to so I just went for it.”
NZ’s Jessie Violet, winner of the 2024 and 2023 Frontier 4-star events, finished her day in second place, starting her run with an air off the top features, and demonstrating aggressive skiing with a big backflip to finish her run.
Fellow Kiwi, Jess Hotter skied a similar line, starting with an air at the top of the course, slightly slower than Violet through the exposed top section before settling into a fluid, efficient pace and landing two backflips for third place on the podium.
After crashing in last year’s Frontier competition, New Zealander Luke McConnell had been putting some hard work into his skiing and came into his run looking for redemption.
“Last year, I came here and my head was just not in the game. This year, I’m so into it, I’ve been doing lots of gym training, lots of skiing, and I was fired up, ready to go,” explained McConnell. “I made a last-minute call to go into Pipeline and it paid off, I’m so happy with my run”.
The judges shared the Kiwi’s enthusiasm, awarding him first place for his unique line and fast, well-controlled skiing. Starting with a 360 at the top of the course, McConnell headed skier’s left to hit a double drop before making his way to the Pipeline chute, risking a big air with a massive amount of exposure below it, before stomping another double to finish his run.
Australian Coen Bennie Faull was also quick on his feet and showed exceptional ski technique, finishing a very close second just over a point behind McConnell. Starting his run with an air at the top of the course, Bennie Faull was fast and fluid through the rocky section up top before taking air into the main couloir. He opted for the more challenging line on the skier’s left of Pipeline, turning it into a big double and landing clean.
Ben Leifer (USA) landed the biggest move of the day with an enormous double in the middle of the couloir, and finished in third, just one point behind second place.
Competition returns to the Alta Chutes tomorrow as The Remarkables plays host to the 2-star FWT Qualifier event. With a maximum-capacity field of 120 athletes, expect more bold performances, breakthrough moments, and a showcase of world-class talent.
4 days ago