Skip to content

Banff’s Locke qualifies for 2020 Freeride World Tour

BANFF – When Banff’s Michelle Locke strapped on her snowboard at the gates of the last world qualifier for the Freeride World Tour at the beginning of April she knew what had to happen for her to succeed.
image1
Banff’s Michelle Locke.

BANFF – When Banff’s Michelle Locke strapped on her snowboard at the gates of the last world qualifier for the Freeride World Tour at the beginning of April she knew what had to happen for her to succeed.

Not only did the 40-year-old professional rider have to put down a solid run in the competition, but her closest rivals on the tour had to place behind her for the result she wanted.

“Even the night before the event at the finals last weekend, I was convinced there was no way to win on the rankings,” Locke said. “But I worked it out and I still had a chance.

“Standing at the top of the venue, I knew what I had to do and I had to make it look like a Freeride World Tour winning run.

“My main goal is to claim the world title and bring it back to the Bow Valley.”

Locke placed first in the qualifier on April 4-5 with 2,500 points, and with American Randa Sahin in third place with 1,400 points and Canadian spitfire Katie Anderson placing 11th with only 320 points – the deal was sealed.

The coveted prize – a spot on the World Freeride Tour in January 2020 was officially Locke’s, who was the first female Canadian snowboarder to qualify for in 2015. That season gave Locke a taste of the highest level of competition in her sport, but after a handful of events was cut from the tour based on point standings. It is not something she plans on repeating in 2020.

It brings the snowboarder closer to her dream of compete against the best in the world and succeed. But it a journey that has had obstacles for Locke, who battled a knee injury before qualifying in 2015 and over the past season issues with her back.

“For me the last four years I have been at the top of my game,” she said. “Even 20 years ago when I lived in Europe, I saw the Freeride World Tour go down and I knew I wanted to be on it some day and ride with the world’s best.”

Locke’s first competition was in Alaska in 2008, when the World Freeride Tour had different rules for qualifying. Now, the overall competition has two qualifying regions – the Americas or Europe and Oceana – the top finalists in terms of points for skiing and snowboarding in each region makes it onto the world tour the next season.

Last year, Locke was second overall on the qualifying tour, and the year before she tied for first with

American Erika Vikander, who was the snowboarder that moved onto the world tour.

She said her experience competing, her style when choosing terrain and lines to run and knowing what her body is capable of doing, even with an injury, have all contributed toward this season’s successful result.

“I feel my experience has definitely paid off,” she said. “I go for the steepest, rockiest, sometimes iciest and gnarliest section of the venue because I know that is where I excel.

“If it is a powder event, I am probably not going to do that good, but if it is steep, icy with lots of bumps, that separates me from the pack and gives me an advantage.”

Go to www.freerideworldtour.com for more details on the 2019 world qualifiers and tour results.

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks