Source: Radio New Zealand
Ben Richards photosport
Wānaka skier Ben Richards has clinched the overall men’s crown on the Freeride World Tour after securing victory in the finals in Switzerland.
The 26-year-old leap-frogged tour leader Toby Rafford of the United States with a 96-point run on the Bec des Rosses face in Verbier, executing a perfect 360 and linking multiple sections of difficult terrain seamlessly.
Rafford settled for second place while Germany’s Tiemo Rolshoven was third.
Richards said his final run was not perfect, with some improvisation needed.
“I got pushed off my line so I made up a little bit in the middle, but the conditions were so perfect, I had such a good time,” he said.
Despite two of this year’s tour stops being cancelled due to weather, the finale at Verbier Switzerland played out in perfect conditions with 50cm of fresh snow.
Richards now holds both the world tour and world championship titles.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
