The top freeride athletes from around the world will once again be making a stop in Golden, as the Freeride World Tour (FWT) announced Kicking Horse as their third stop on the 2022 tour.

Scheduled for Feb. 12-17, it will be the only North American stop on the tour, with competitions in Spain, Andorra, Switzerland and Austria all on the schedule as well.

It鈥檒l be the fifth time that the tour has come through town, and the first time in two years, after the tour opted to not come to Canada or the USA due to COVID last season. Kicking Horse was originally on the 2021 schedule, before increasing case rates saw the stop moved to a European location.

鈥淭he playful terrain packed with natural features makes Kicking Horse Golden BC the ideal destination for riders looking to get creative and advance to the new finals format of the Tour,鈥� reads the FWT website.

A new format for competition means that Kicking Horse will be the last stop for athletes to earn their place for the FWT22 finals, adding to the excitement of the event.

After Kicking Horse, a cut will be made to the field based on riders鈥� top two results, with the top 26 riders (12 ski men, 5 ski women, 5 snowboard men, 4 snowboard women) qualifying for the final two events of the year.

The FWT organisers ensure that the health of all people involved in the events is the number one priority and are committed to taking all necessary measures to ensure the safe and successful completion of the FWT22 events, according to their website.

The tour kicks off on Jan. 22. The roster for the tour has not yet been announced.