Ordino (Andorra) (AFP)

Freeride is an extreme sport ... in terms of safety. Snow quality, avalanche risk, weather, emergency equipment, nothing is left to chance. A reality very far from the image of daredevils down vertiginous slopes at full speed in defiance of danger.

In Ordino, where the third stage of the Freeride World Tour (FWT) is to take place on Tuesday, the organizers have been scrutinizing the summits with concern for a week. In question: the absence of flakes for a month.

"For now, the snow is too hard, too packed, it's too dangerous," announced Laurent Besse, technical director and chief judge of the FWT, to the participants.

The president of this world ski and snowboard off-piste championship, Nicolas Hale-Woods, is also formal: "It is out of the question to try to force things so that the competition takes place. If we have to postpone, or even cancel, Too bad. Safety comes first. "

Since the creation of the competition in 2008, a draconian protocol to limit risks as much as possible has been implemented.

Before the races, snow, wind and visibility are examined by certified high mountain guides. There are between 3 and 6 on each stage of the FWT.

Among them, Jérôme Ruby, 50 years old and 30 years of experience on the summits. On the mountainside on a slope inclined at almost 40 degrees, he inspects the snowpack carefully. Its mission is clear: to choose the most secure face possible for riders.

This requires an analysis of the different layers of snow, in particular to identify any strata that are too brittle to support the passage of freeriders.

For this he relies on his experience, but also on various tools (probe, thermometer, magnifying glass) which allow him to examine the consistency of the snow.

"Depending on the shape of the crystals, but also the temperature, the exposure, this can create instability synonymous with danger," he explains.

Its role is also to detect breaks in slope, conducive to the creation of flows, and to decide whether or not it is necessary to trigger avalanches "in prevention" to prevent them from occurring during the race.

The operation is delicate, but essential. And without its green light, no competition possible.

- no burnt heads -

"But this is only the first link. Contrary to popular belief, caution is part of the DNA of freeriding," said Hale-Woods.

Zero risk? Impossible. But every precaution is taken to avoid exposure of athletes to the slightest danger, he explains.

And for that everything is a matter of anticipation. "When we decide the choice of face to" ride "(skiing, note), what we look at first are the possible loopholes in case of a sinking".

And during the competition, vigilance is maximum, with the presence of rescuers and doctors on several key points.

The control and control of the descent by the riders are also taken into account in the scoring criteria. "Someone who takes too many risks will be punished immediately," said the manager.

But among participants too, caution is advised. At each descent, each of them leaves with all their equipment (detection system for victims in the snow, shovel, airbag backpack to create air pockets in the event of burial). And they regularly take first aid courses to understand the dangers.

"Safety is something we think about all the time. When we ride, we are constantly alert, asking ourselves questions, assessing the possible risks", explains Elisabeth Gerritzen, currently 4th in the FWT classification in women's skiing.

Before each descent, she observes the slope for a long time, reads the avalanche bulletins, inspects the wind ...

"It's a mixture of mountain knowledge, documentation, and instinct," said the 24-year-old skier.

"Sometimes when you don't feel it, you have to know how to give up. It happened to me more than once. Do not believe: in freeride, we are not burnt heads, nobody wants to find themselves buried under 10 kg of snow ".

© 2020 AFP