Third Stop of Skiing's Biggest Freeride Circuit Canceled

The third stop of the Freeride World Tour, the Georgia Pro, has been canceled due to unstable snow conditions, organizers said.

The competition in Georgia was added to the FWT roster in 2024, showcasing the lesser-known but impressive slopes of the country in the Caucasus. 

“Following extensive evaluation by FWT officials, mountain safety experts, and local professionals, current conditions do not meet the standards required to ensure athlete and staff safety,” FWT organizers said in a news release. 

“Multiple venue and scheduling options were carefully assessed before reaching this decision, and the structural instability observed would not sufficiently improve within the available window. As always, safety and fair competition remain our top priorities.”

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Every stop of the FWT comes with a multi-day weather window, allowing organizers to pick the best day for the competition. Snow stability and visibility are two factors that go into those decisions. Sometimes, when those factors don’t align, they decide that cancelling an event entirely is the safest option.

“We sincerely thank the Local Organizing Committee, the local community, and our fans for their professionalism, understanding, and continued support. We look forward to returning to Georgia next season,” organizers said.

Organizers said the hope now is that the FWT can re-stage the Georgia Pro during the weather window for the next event, the Fieberbrunn Pro. In the past, the FWT has re-staged events at resorts other than the one that was originally planned. The 2018 Hakuba event was held at Kicking Horse, British Columbia.

The Georgia Pro cancellation follows the news that Kelly Hilleke, a rookie and a top contender in the men’s field, wouldn’t finish the 2026 season after tearing his ACL and meniscus.

The weather window for the next FWT stop, the Fieberbrunn Pro, is scheduled to start on March 4 and last through March 9. 

As of now, Ben Richards and Agostina Vietti lead the men’s and women’s ski rankings, respectively. Richards has logged a perfect season so far, winning the two FWT competitions and the inaugural Freeride World Championships.