After several years of domination on the Freeride World Tour, Marion Haerty has taken on a real personal challenge this winter.
She had announced it at the beginning of the season, this year, we would not see her on the Freeride World Tour. After four freeride snowboard world champion titles, Marion Haerty decided to take on a new challenge. "I took the decision this year to express this energy somewhere else, time passes and snowboarding has other ways of expression. Through video projects where sharing, discovery and of course action will be the key, but also with the Natural Selection Tour where the goal of realizing this dream of riding these faces in Alaska, I hope it will be possible this year.
On the first stage in Jackson Hole in the United States, the Private Sport Shop ambassador was not far from reaching the final, but she finally settled for a third place on this inaugural event, won by the American Elena Hight. The Frenchwoman signed a very solid run during her entry in the competition on the American side (see below).
During the second stage at the end of February, 14 snowboarders (nine men and five women) met on the Baldface face to try to descend with the most speed and style possible the 676 meters of negative vertical drop on the program. Marion Haerty finished on the podium once again, this time won by New Zealand's Zoi Sadowski-Synott ahead of American Elena Hight.
Thanks to her two podiums, the Frenchwoman found herself qualified for the finals in Alaska, a major objective of her season. As soon as she entered the competition, Marion Haerty proved that she was in good shape by winning her duel against the defending champion of the Natural Selection Tour, Elena Hight.
And it was a close call for the Frenchwoman to win this last stage played on the sublime face of Spinal Tap. Unfortunately, the Frenchwoman was beaten in the final by the American Hana Beaman. But the season remains magnificent for the snowboarder who also finishes in second place in the overall ranking behind Elena Hight. Next year, Marion Haerty will try to climb one more step on the podium...