Banff snowboarder Michelle Locke’s big mountain dreams have come true, as she’s become the first Canadian woman to qualify for the Free Ride World Tour.
After seven years of pushing her limits on some of the biggest mountains in North America, Locke will begin the world tour in Vallnord-Arcalis, Andorra in the Pyrenees, and then compete in Chamonix, France, Kitzbuehl, Austria, Haines, Alaska and Verbier, Switzerland, where she will ride the toughest faces in the world.
“I worked so hard and for so long to be here,” Locke said. “It didn’t really set in until I got the official invitation. It’s a dream come true. All of this hard work is paying off.”
Locke earned the spot by winning the North American Free Ride tour last winter, where she won one competition in Crested Butte against a field of 45, and finished second at Kicking Horse Resort.
Free Ride snowboarding challenges riders to ski tremendous lines where they are judged on a number of factors. Locke is now ranked as one of the top riders in the world and the best in North America, as she shows no fear on the toughest terrain.
“The main factor in judging is line selection. They want a creative line, risk, air, chutes, fluidity and control. They want you to look good; to flash it with big pow turns and be fast and aggressive,” Locke said. “It’s such a raw sport, just you and the mountain, and how you risk it on the face.”
On each hill, riders get one shot to lay down the best run of the day, and Locke knows her experience and effort will pay off in those conditions. After seven years of hard work, she’s ready for the big time.
“They put on a real show. The events have a 10-day window and the organizers want the conditions to look prime. It’s all live streamed on the FreeRide World Tour website with the 65 best riders on the planet,” Locke said.
She’s earned new sponsorships partners, rejoined Team North Face, has been added to the Ski Big 3 team and worked with Banff CrossFit gym to improve her fitness. She also hosted an international women’s ski and snowboard day at Lake Louise to encourage more women to get into the sport.
“It can be very intimidating to start. We’ve all been there when we step out of our comfort zone. Your eyes become more refined to your surroundings. The key is exposing yourself to new things – going out with people who ride different things than the park. The more exposure you have, the more you get used to it. If you’re out every day, you’re bound to get better,” Locke said.
She’s also engaged in a full fitness and nutrition regime, which she believes helped separate her skills from the pack.
“That separates me from a lot of the other girls on the tour. They are passionate, but not always looking at the full picture. People who can make a life of it until they are 70, 80, etc., they take care of every aspect of their health,” Locke said.
You can follow Locke’s progress at freeworldtour.com, and check out her Twitter and Facebook pages.
