Big Mountain Pro in St. Anton am Arlberg

The Big Mountain Pro, one of the most important freeriding events in the entire Alpine region, begins tomorrow, Tuesday, in St. Anton am Arlberg. Until next Tuesday, six skiers and six snowboarders will each compete for victory in the three disciplines of skiing, snowboarding and overall. In addition to fame and glory, the winning freeriders will share a total prize purse of 60,000 dollars. The event in the Austrian Alps will conclude on February 10 with a big ski party in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, the destination of the Big Mountain Pro.

Over the next seven days, the twelve participants will once again set out to find the best and most spectacular route from St. Anton to Saalbach-Hinterglemm. They can make use of the entire Alpine landscape, with virtually no restrictions imposed by the organizers. Although much of the event remains unchanged, this year's Big Mountain Pro does feature one major innovation. The previously specified routes have been completely eliminated, allowing the freeriders to explore new challenges as they see fit. For the first time, participants in the Big Mountain Pro will also have to tackle some uphill sections.

The sense of adventure created by these changes to the Big Mountain Pro in St. Anton and Saalbach-Hinterglemm is, of course, intentional. The professional freeriders will stay in remote mountain huts, meaning they will be completely on their own during the competition.