In case you missed it, last month the Freeride Mountain Bike Association (FMBA) announced 15 freeride competitions being held under the Freeride MTB World Tour banner in 2010. Events are taking place all over the world and are rated from bronze to diamond based on “the type and demands of the course, the rider line-up, the level of prize money, the professionalism of judging, media output and services in general.” At the end of the tour the top riders (based on their best four finishes) will share in the 20,000 Euro prize pool.
Freeride MTB World Tour events in the US include the Teva Mountain Games Slopestyle (Vail), Claymore Challenge (Northfield, NH), Crankworx Colorado (Winter Park), and the Redbull Rampage (Virgin, UT). The tour also includes 4 stops in Austria, 2 stops each in Canada, Germany, and France, and 1 stop in Great Britain.
We’re a little curious about the newly formed FMBA and a quick web search didn’t shed much light on the organization. The initials FMBA are dangerously close to those used by the International Mountain Bike Association and we wonder if the purpose of the group will include advocacy for new freeride trails? We’ll keep you posted…
