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LAURENT BESSE
A former professional snowboarder, "Lolo" is both head judge and race commissioner on the Freeride World Tour. Surrounded by some of the world's best freeriders, including skier Hugo Arrisson and snowboarder Tom Burt, over the years he has developed a scoring system based on 5 criteria. CROSSCALL deciphers them for you, just a few days before the grand final in Verbier.
1. SELECT LINE
The judges are attentive to the line chosen by the rider. Was it obvious or artistic? Was it technical or unusual? Did the rider ride sideways or over jumps?
2. FLUIDITY
The rider must know where he is and not show any signs of hesitation, otherwise he'll be punished. In freeride, there are no stopwatches, but fluidity is closely linked to speed. The judges assess the rider's speed in relation to the technical nature of the spot. They assess whether the obstacles were cleared at maximum speed, or whether it was possible to go even faster. For example, did the rider pause before jumping a rocky bar, or did he continue straight on?
3. CONTROL
Competition is fierce and athletes push their limits. But on the Freeride World Tour, safety is the watchword. Any reckless risk-taking is heavily penalized. For Laurent Besse, control is inseparable from technique: " If the run is controlled, we consider that there is technique behind it ".
4. TECHNICAL
It goes hand in hand with control. Without technique, the rider has no control, puts himself in danger and loses points.
5. "AIR & STYLE
" It's the criterion that everyone looks at," says Laurent Besse. The judges appreciate the "show" and the perfectly executed aerial figures. They look at the control, style in the air, height, take-off and landing of each trick.
Photo credit - Dom DAHER / Jeremy BERNARD.
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