The 2030 Olympics in the French Alps may debut an exciting new sport.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will soon confirm the program for the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps. Many sports are vying for inclusion, including the thrilling sport of freeriding, which has never been part of the Olympic Games.
In freeriding, athletes descend natural, ungroomed terrain without a set course, focusing on speed and style. Freeriders utilize natural features like steep chutes, cliffs, and deep powder, impressing judges with tricks and fluid riding. Both skiers and snowboarders compete in the freeriding discipline, and judges score based on line choice, control, fluidity, air, style, and technique. Most freeriders compete on the Freeride World Tour (FWT), the worldwide circuit of professional freeriding.
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), which manages, regulates, and promotes skiing and snowboarding in the Olympics, purchased the FWT in December 2022 in a landmark move that further united disciplines across the sport. Less than two years later, in June 2024, FIS recognized freeriding as an official discipline, increasing the sport’s exposure and further paving the way for Olympic inclusion. Skiing and snowboarding disciplines that want Olympic inclusion must be officially recognized by FIS before being recognized by the IOC.
After its recognition as an official discipline in 2024, freeriding moved one step closer to making its Olympic debut. All it needs now is IOC approval.
The sport’s potential inclusion on the Olympics comes as the IOC looks to attract younger audiences. The Games have recently included multiple new sports, such as surfing, skateboarding, ski mountaineering, and sport climbing, because of their appeal to young audiences. The IOC’s reason for including freeriding is no different.
“The IOC has told us that – just like they did with surfing, skateboarding and sports climbing – they are willing to integrate freeriding because it’s appealing to a young audience,” FWT founder Nicholas Hale-Woods said in an Inside the Games article. “Because it’s very telegenic and because one of their media partners, NBC, is saying ‘we’d love freeriding in the grid of the Olympics programme.”
With freeriding on the cusp of its debut, the IOC has already begun exploring options for potential venues. The 2030 Games’ location in the French Alps has given the IOC lots of options for potential competition sites. Montgenèvre (Hautes-Alpes) in the southern Alps is the leading favorite, as slopestyle skiing and snowboarding, as well as ski mountaineering, will be close by. Holding freeriding competition at Montgenèvre will allow organizers to simplify logistics and minimize costs.
In 2026, FIS held its inaugural Freeride World Championships in Andorra, acting as a test run for the Olympics. Despite challenging weather conditions, FWT General Manager Joris Vautier described the event as “extremely positive,” with engaged audiences, quality snow, and victors crowned the first-ever freeride world champions.
The IOC’s decision on freeriding and the rest of the 2030 program is expected to come later this month. Proposed sports are currently under review and will be discussed at the 146th IOC Session on June 24-25. A final decision is expected soon after.
