Nissan Verbier Extreme
The Nissan Freeride World Tour final hits the Swiss big mountain mecca.
As you pass through the gate onto the Jumbo gondola high above the Swiss town of Verbier, there are several stickers reading "A Verbier, nous parlons Français. Merci." along with its English translation "In Verbier, we speak French. Thank you". Although it's impossible to account for irony, it suggests a local hostility to the ever-present Anglicism's in this sprawling Chalet town. And from the looks of it, you can at least empathise with the sentiment.
Despite being renowned for being a high class - read ‘expensive' - resort, the centre of Verbier is afflicted by neon signs, flashing ticker boards and kebab stands. Bars blast out cheesy ‘80s hits into the street and proudly offer happy hours that last half the day. Walk into one particular haunt when the lifts are closing and you most likely be confronted by seasonnaires chanting raucously on tables and downing pints of lager, served in a plastic cup of course. Now how could anyone possibly object to this?
But there is a lot more to Verbier than over-exhuberant tourists fighting and chugging beer, as part of the 4 Vallees lift area, the town offers access to a massive expanse of alpine terrain. It's a place that has become a mecca for freeriding. Verbier has played host to the Verbier Extreme for the last 14 years and now it has become the final event in the Nissan Freeride World Tour. The event which sees both freeskiers and snowboarders tackle the formidable Bec des Rosses.
Bec des Rosses
Yesterday, the competitors scoped out potential lines on this imposing face. At first, via binoculars from the relative safety of the Col des Gentianes lift station then in person as they all took the arduous hike to the summit, checking snow levels and potential landings. To say this pyramid shaped mountain is intimidating would not do it justice, as they hiked up they appeared merely as ants crawling up a giant meringue.
However, spirits are high and there's a real party atmosphere, all laughing, cheering and joking. If any were scared at the prospect of some life-threatening lines, they did not show it. As the current leader in the Women's Snowboard, Susan Mol said to me yesterday, "Oh, I'm not nervous yet, it only kicks in about 30 seconds before my run, the rest of the time you enjoy it!" And she doesn't even have a board sponsor.
The final will take place on Sunday 22 March with 14 competitors taking on the Bec des Rosses. HUCK will be there to give you more thoughtful insight!
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Nissan Verbier Extreme (text) by Ed Andrews is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 UK License.
Comments (6)
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And perhaps they are weatring what their sponsors are making this year, you fool!
I get what Becky999 is saying. There is so much emphasis on kids getting kitted out with all the latest gear so they can 'become' a snowboarder. Maybe you're the fool Tim J for getting sucked into the commercial side of what should be a free and exciting sport?
So getting sucked in to the commerical side is wearing bright clothes? That just doesn't make sense. They are just wearing some outerwear to go riding in, and most outerwear is bright because it shows up better on the mountain and in photographs
Where? I've never heard anyone say that.
Also bright colours does not necessarily equal "the latest gear" - see any snowboard flick from the 80s for proof.