FMBA World Tour Adding Women’s Division this Year
Photo Credit: FMBWorldTour.com
The FMB World Tour Women’s Division has been in development for years — and while the pandemic postponed its addition, it is now here. The goal of the Women’s Division is to deliver more opportunities for female freeride athletes, whether they’re wanting to develop their competition skills or have sights on becoming the FMB World Tour Women’s Champion.
“Women’s freeride has reached a boiling point,” stated FMBA Administrator, Nicole Freeman, “This addition is the result of years of hard work, put in by athletes, organizers, advocates, and anyone who supported female riders.”
Freeman continued, “setting up the framework for a Women’s Division within the FMBA has been incredible, mostly because the way forward has become so clear. It’s time.”
Caroline Buchanan, 3x BMX World Champion and 5x Mountain Bike World Champion has long been an advocate for the development of female athletes and the progression of women in freeride. When asked about the Women’s Division, she stated, “To know that there is a future in freeride and Slopestyle, it will definitely help strip away any limiting beliefs Women have, and the platform will bring the exposure, support, pathway, and motivation to push the limits for a purpose.”
What is the FMB World Tour?
The FMB World Tour is the official international circuit of amateur and professional Freeride Mountain Bike competitions in the disciplines Dirt Jump, Big Air, Slopestyle and Big Mountain governed by the Freeride Mountain Bike Association. The FMBA sanctions events, which are part of the FMB World Tour, in 4 different categories: Diamond, Gold, Silver, Bronze.
The Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship (SWC) is the highest echelon of the Slopestyle sport and determines the annual Slopestyle World Champion. Athletes must compete at Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Bronze Events on the FMB World Tour, collecting points for the FMB World Ranking, to qualify for the SWC.
The FMB World Ranking is a roll-over ranking system, which considers the three best results of each athlete in the past 52 weeks. The FMB World Ranking includes all FMB World Tour licensed athletes.
2022 FMB World Tour Women’s Division
What does the 2022 FMB World Tour Women’s Division offer?
- Gives FMB Bronze and Silver level events the option to host a sanctioned Women’s Category
- Offers female athletes a Women’s Athlete License for the 2022 season
- Champion Women in freeride with the standardization of equal prize money distribution to the Women’s Podium as to the Men’s Podium across FMB sanctioned events
- Awards the title of FMB World Tour Women’s Champion to the number-one-ranked athlete of the FMB World Tour Women’s Division on December 31, 2022
The FMBA is also introducing a Women’s Contest to the current Red Bull Best Line Award. Equal prize money and recognition will be awarded to all participants.
