FIEBERBRUNN, Austria—Blue skies and sunshine made for a picture-perfect backdrop, but tricky snow conditions challenged athletes at the latest Freeride World Tour event this past week. The competition saw massive airs, hard crashes, and high-stakes performances as skiers vied for a spot in the finals.

Palisades Tahoe’s Lily Bradley delivered a standout performance, launching off towering cliffs with precision and control. Her run, featuring two massive airs and flawless landings, secured her the top spot in the women’s ski division and a coveted place in the final event in Verbier, Switzerland, on March 22.

Fellow Tahoe skier Molly Armanino also qualified for the final, despite a challenging run that saw her get stuck in the snow on her first big jump, finishing 10th. Britta Winans, who struggled with her landings, placed 11th and fell just short of making the cut for Verbier.

On the men’s side, Tilden Wooley wowed the crowd with a near podium-worthy run packed with massive cliff drops. However, a few missteps left him in 9th place. Jonathan Penfield took a calculated approach, tackling new terrain and executing big airs with precision to finish 5th—placing him 4th overall in the standings.

While some Tahoe athletes will advance to the final in Verbier, others will have to set their sights on requalifying for the 2026 season. As the Freeride World Tour heads toward its grand finale, the stakes have never been higher.

Zoe Meyer is a reporter for the Sierra Sun, a sister publication for Tahoe Daily Tribune. She can be reached at zmeyer@sierrasun.com.