Freeride World Tour and RECCO Celebrate 10 Years of Partnership, Strengthening Freeriding Safety Knowledge Globally

December 5, 2025

Freeriding’s premier event collaborates with RECCO to educate, equip young freeriders with tools, skills to ride safely.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (December 5, 2025) /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ – RECCO, global manufacturer of rescue technology that enables faster searches for missing or buried people in the backcountry, celebrates 10 years of partnership with the Freeride World Tour (FWT). Together, RECCO and FWT have educated and equipped tens of thousands of athletes, from juniors and challenger competitors to elite professionals, promoting responsible freeriding and the use of essential safety equipment. The partnership is renewed for three more years from the 25/26 season.

Operating globally, FWT hosts six professional events with 52 athletes, the FIS Freeride World Championships with 66 athletes, and over 150 competitions annually, supporting more than 10,000 licensed freeride athletes, including 5,000+ juniors and over 140 challenger competitors. RECCO has been a central part of the safety culture that underpins these competitions.

RECCO partnered with FWT with a clear mission: to educate and equip freeriders of all levels with the tools and knowledge needed for safe mountain experiences. Recognizing the need to reach younger riders, FWT and RECCO developed a comprehensive approach that combines education, equipment, and hands-on preparation.

“For the past decade, our partnership with RECCO has played a vital role in building a strong safety culture within the Freeride World Tour community,” said Nicolas Hale-Woods, FWT Founder & CEO. “Together, we’ve educated and equipped thousands of freeriders around the world, from juniors to professionals, with the knowledge and tools they need to ride responsibly. Safety has always been our top priority and RECCO has been an exceptional partner in making that vision a reality.”

Over the past ten years, RECCO and FWT have focused on:

· Mandatory pre-competition safety checks, including RECCO reflector and avalanche transceiver inspections for all riders.

· On-site education, including rider meetings, briefings, and workshops covering avalanche awareness and rescue procedures.

· Integration of essential safety gear, ensuring RECCO reflectors are part of the mandatory equipment alongside transceiver, shovel, probe, airbag backpack, and helmet.

· Annual rider safety workshops, such as the season-opening session in Baqueira led by FWT, Mammut instructors, and RECCO experts, tailored to riders’ prior knowledge and experience.

“The most important thing is to not end up in an avalanche. If you do, you should optimize your chances of being found as quickly and safe as possible. Always carry the essential gear,” said Fredrik Steinwall, CEO at RECCO. “Freeride World Tour has done tremendous work over the years to educate young people all over the world, and we’re proud to support them as the leading platform in the world of freeriding.”

As FWT continues to grow and push the boundaries of freeriding, RECCO remains committed to supporting the sport with innovative rescue technology and safety education initiatives. With the first FIS Freeride World Championship competition scheduled for spring 2026, the partnership is set to influence the next generation of freeride athletes even more significantly.

“Safety is the foundation of everything we do at the Freeride World Tour. From the riders’ safety course pre season, to the last rider down of the competition season, our goal is to make sure everyone can push their limits in the safest possible conditions. Education, preparation, and responsibility: that’s what freeriding truly is,” said Lolo Besse, FWT Head Commissioner.

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About RECCO
RECCO® advanced rescue technology makes outdoor enthusiasts searchable to rescuers in case of an avalanche accident or when lost in the outdoors. The technology builds on a two-part radar system. Rescuers carry RECCO® detectors that send out search signals which are echoed by RECCO® reflectors, carried by the user. RECCO® detectors are used worldwide at more than 900 ski resorts and mountain rescue organizations in 32 countries. RECCO® reflectors are integrated into select apparel, helmets, protection gear and boots manufactured by more than 150 leading outdoor brands. RECCO AB was founded in 1983 in Sweden and is owned by its founder Magnus Granhed and the publicly traded investment company Traction AB (listed on OMX Nordic Exchange Stockholm). More info at recco.com.

About Freeride World Tour

FWT Management SA is based in Verbier, Switzerland, and has been organizing premier sports events globally in mountain resorts since 1996. The company founded the Xtreme Verbier, an iconic event in freeride skiing and snowboarding and, in 2008, it turned this single competition into a prestigious series of worldwide events, called the Freeride World Tour (FWT). The company has since grown to include multiple competition series that fall under the FWT brand – including FWT Challenger, FWT Qualifier and FWT Junior – with events across all formats taking place in Europe, North America, South America and Oceania. Since December 2022, FWT is part of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). Discover more at www.freerideworldtour.com

Media Contact

Verde Brand Communications
(970) 235-0268
recco@verdepr.com