The Swatch Freeride World Tour 2012 starts this week in Revelstoke, Canada

The 2012 Swatch Freeride World Tour starts this week in Revelstoke Mountain Resort, BC, Canada. With 15 feet (4.65 metres) of snow already on the ground, the world's best Freeskiers and Snowboarders, as well as fans, are in for a real treat.
Revelstoke Mountain Resort boasts North America's greatest vertical at 1,713 metres (5,620 ft). The resort also offers 3,121 acres of fall line skiing, high alpine bowls, 13 areas of graded terrain and phenomenal groomed terrain. Revelstoke Mountain Resort is also the only resort world-wide to offer lift, cat, heli and backcountry skiing from one village base.
This season's first event marks another landmark in the rapidly evolving relationship between the Swatch Freeride World Tour, the North American-based Subaru Freeskiing World Tour and The North Face Masters of Snowboarding. With leading athletes from all three tours present, The Swatch Freeride and Freeskiing World Tour 2012 in Revelstoke is bringing together the largest group of world-class riders ever assembled in one place.
"It’s really exciting that with swift and around-the-clock efforts from Mountain Sports International, Swatch Freeride World Tour, and Revelstoke Mountain Resort, the best big mountain skiers and snowboarders will drop into the remote town of Revelstoke to compete head-to-head on its rugged terrain", said MSI Event Director Bryan Barlow. "With the ample, well-bonded snowpack, new venue lineup, and stacked roster, it truly is the recipe for a next level big mountain event!".
From the Swatch Freeride World Tour, the 2011 men's ski champion from France Aurélien Ducroz, Swiss runner-up Samuel Anthamatten and Sweden's Reine Barkered are expected to be strong contenders. From the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour, current leader Guerlain Chicherit and American Josh Daiek are strong podium candidates.
The women’s freeski event sees the return of Angel Collinson from the US who in 2011 won the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour and finished second on the Freeride World Tour. Currently leading the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour after a first place finish in Las Leñas is Jackson Hole’s Crystal Wright.
2011 Freeride World Tour snowboard runner-up Flo Orley from Austria will start as one of the favorites in the men's snowboard competition and French/Swiss 2011 Freeride World Tour snowboard Champion Anne-Flore Marxer on the women's side.