The backcountry ski and snowboard community has long dubbed Haines “the Dream Stop” for the rugged terrain and pristine conditions it offers athletes.
Less than a year from now, the area will have the chance to live up to that moniker again during the Freeride World Tour, a competition of the world’s top riders.
The event will mark the first time the tour has visited Alaska since 2017. Tour CEO Nicolas Hale-Woods said that’s a major win for the tour and the athletes it draws — many of whom have dreamt about competing in the region their whole lives.
“Alaska, and Haines in particular, is the ultimate free ride destination,” Hale-Woods said in an interview. “And we’re very, very happy to put that stop on the calendar once again.”
The tour announced the Haines stop earlier this week. It will be the fifth in a series of six competitions where skiers and snowboarders fly down ungroomed slopes, chasing a world champion title.
The athletes have to start and end at a certain point on the mountain. But otherwise, they’re free to choose their route. Using binoculars, judges score and rank participants out of 100 points.
“They’re not allowed to ride and ski the mountain before their competition run, which makes it very difficult,” Hale-Woods said. “They have to basically memorize their line and show control, fluidity and jumps.”
After a three-year run in Haines between 2015 and 2017, the event shifted to other locations because it cost too much money to get competitors and support crews to Southeast Alaska — and into the mountains via helicopter, Hale-Woods said.
This year, the event has funding help from outside sponsors, including outdoor goods company Yeti and apparel brand Peak Performance. But the Haines borough also plans to kick in at least $75,000 to make it happen and is looking for ways to potentially contribute another $25,000, said Haines tourism director Rebecca Hylton.
The funding was allocated during last year’s budget cycle and then reapproved this year. Hylton said the money will come from a funding bucket meant for tourism and economic development.
In a funding pitch to the borough, she estimated the event could generate more than $400,000 in local spending, providing a boost to the town’s economy in the off-season, when it needs it most.
All told, Hylton said the competition is expected to bring more than 100 people to town for about a week, depending on the weather.
“They’ll be staying here in town, and a few people up the highway as well,” Hylton said. “And there should be a really positive economic impact to our community, to different sectors of our community.”
