site.btaBansko to Host Another Freeride World Tour Qualifier

Bulgaria's premier ski resort of Bansko will host a Freeride World Tour (FWT) qualifier, a major international three-star competition, on March 9. It will be the third year in a row that a tournament of this magnitude will be held in Bansko. The resort provided excellent conditions for the previous events, drawing much praise from entrants, FWT officials and fans.

The races will start from 2,746 m above sea level (Mt Todorka). The level difference is between 350 m and 400 m, and the downhill course is 800 m to 1,000 m. The gradient is between 30' and 55'. There will be four main events: men's and women's ski and snowboard.

About 100 competitors from over 20 countries have confirmed their participation in this rare tournament for Bulgaria. Junior entrants will join in for the first time.

Six certified judges, including two of international rank, will assess the entrants' performance. The criteria include course difficulty, control, performance ease, and jumping skills and complexity.

The director of the competition, Andrei Balevski, commented: "Despite the difficult weather conditions, the slope of Mt Todorka offers many options in terms of downhill course, which makes for good performance results. The snow cover and the avalanche risk are monitored throughout the winter to detect the slightest change in the conditions. Specialized teams of the Mountain Rescue Service, mountain guides and the Bulgarian Extreme & Freeride Ski Association are in charge of the entrants' safety."

The marketing manager, Ivailo Tsvetkov, said the share of backcountry tourism has increased dramatically in recent years. It accounts for half of total sales of winter sport equipment. "It is great that Bulgarian mountains offer excellent conditions to practice backcountry tourism," Tsvetkov said.