{"id":1771854,"date":"2026-02-15T11:59:46","date_gmt":"2026-02-15T08:59:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1771854"},"modified":"2026-02-15T11:59:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-15T08:59:46","slug":"nendaz-backcountry-invitational-watch-the-live-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1771854","title":{"rendered":"Nendaz Backcountry Invitational: Watch the live show!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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J\u00e9r\u00f4me Caroli pushes freeride skiing and freeride biking in his movie \u201cCombine\u201d <\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Reaching the Peak | Anni K\u00e4r\u00e4v\u00e4 and Chris McCormick <\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Reaching the Peak | Hunter Hess and Svea Irving <\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Sammy Carlson finds harmony in Alaska <\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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A vision of Japan | Sweven <\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Tune in on Sunday, 15 February at 18:00 Central European time to watch the live show from the Nendaz Backcountry Invitational.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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If you haven\u2019t heard of it before, the Backcountry Invitational is Europe\u2019s\u2014and maybe the world\u2019s\u2014premiere backcountry freestyle event. Each year, a hand-picked crew of riders battle it out on a unique venue that seamlessly blends freeride terrain with backcountry booters. Maybe the most important feature of the BC Invitational is its long weather window, spanning six weeks in January and February. This long time frame allows the event to be held in the best possible conditions\u2014which, if you\u2019ve every tried to stomp a trick into powder snow, you\u2019ll know is a prerequisite for a good BC session.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Instead of a livestream direct from the event itself, this year Nendaz is trying something new with a \u201crelive\u201d concept similar to that of Natural Selection and other events. The skiing itself actually took place last weekend\u2014but together with a commentary team including yours truly from Downdays, you can watch all the action in a more compact and easy-to-digest format.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Tune in at 18:00 CET today to catch all the action from one of the most exciting events on the calendar!<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The sixth edition brought together 16 elite athletes (11 men and 5 women) from around the world \u2014 including professional skiers, Olympians, Freeride World Tour athletes, and emerging talents \u2014 competing in exceptional powder conditions following 10 cm of fresh snowfall and stable snowpack under bluebird skies.<\/p>\n

Elite Performance Meets Community Spirit<\/strong><\/p>\n

Each athlete completed three runs across three rounds in a venue combining freeride terrain with hand-shaped kickers, park features and natural features.<\/p>\n

The competition operates under a hybrid Rider Judge Format:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Athletes reviewed FPV drone footage together after the event.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Riders voted for the best run of each round, generating a community-driven Top 3.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Technical judge Malo Jobin scored all runs using defined performance criteria to establish the final ranking and resolve ties.<\/p>\n

While the performance level is uncompromisingly elite, the atmosphere emphasises shared progression over rivalry.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\n \u201cIt was amazing. Definitely the best competition I\u2019ve ever done. It would be a pleasure to come back next year.\u201d <\/div>\n
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After the official rounds concluded, several athletes chose to hike back up the face for additional free runs purely to enjoy the conditions \u2014 underscoring the event\u2019s philosophy: world-class competition without sacrificing the essence of backcountry camaraderie.<\/p>\n

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High-Alpine Operations and Safety<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Due to the remote 3,000-meter venue and limited daylight hours, the competition was held without public access for safety and logistical reasons.<\/p>\n

To optimise run rotations, a temporary ski lift system was installed, allowing athletes to efficiently return to the summit and complete all rounds within the available sunlight window.<\/p>\n

The event operated under a comprehensive safety protocol, including avalanche control conducted the day before and the morning of the competition. Operations were led by Head of Security Fabien Papilloud, supported by a dedicated medical team and a predefined evacuation plan. The competition concluded without incident.<\/p>\n

International Presence<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Opening the venue as a forerunner was Marion Haerty, four-time Freeride World Tour World Champion in snowboard freeride. Her presence added international stature and demonstrated the crossover potential between ski and snowboard performance in high-alpine terrain.<\/p>\n

A Refined Broadcast Experience<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Unlike previous editions streamed directly from the mountain, the 2026 edition introduces a premium broadcast format designed to elevate storytelling and production quality.<\/p>\n

The three-hour live show will feature:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Cinematic edited segments produced by Krew Productions<\/p>\n

\u2022 Full run replays from FPV drones and multiple camera angles<\/p>\n

\u2022 Live commentary in English from international commentators<\/p>\n

\u2022 Special guests<\/p>\n

\u2022 Official ranking reveal<\/p>\n

\u2022 Special awards including Best Trick, Biggest Send, and additional categories<\/p>\n

During the broadcast, viewers will be able to scan a QR code to vote for the Athlete of the Day. Voting will remain open for several days, with the winner announced later via Instagram.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tAlways get<\/strong>
\nfirst tracks
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Sign up to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest news, videos and happenings in freeskiing.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

J\u00e9r\u00f4me Caroli pushes freeride skiing and freeride biking in his movie \u201cCombine\u201d Reaching the Peak | Anni K\u00e4r\u00e4v\u00e4 and Chris McCormick Reaching the Peak | Hunter Hess and Svea Irving Sammy Carlson finds harmony in Alaska A vision of Japan | Sweven Tune in on Sunday, 15 February at 18:00 Central European time to watch […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,279],"class_list":["post-1771854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-downdays-eu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1771854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1771854"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1771854\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1771854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1771854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1771854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}