Red Bull Night Rider delivers another epic night in Grandvalira
The second edition of Red Bull Night Rider drew over 2,000 spectators yesterday to
After a full winter of qualifications, the season now reaches its ultimate moment.
The season has been building run after run, podium after podium, country after country. Now it’s time for the ultimate stage.
The World Rookie Tour 2026 enters its most decisive chapter with two back-to-back Finals set to crown the next generation of freestyle champions.
Right after, from March 21st to 28th, 2026, the World Rookie Snowboard Finals move to Kitzsteinhorn above Zell am See-Kaprun, Austria, for a full week of high-level slopestyle action on the glacier. (Registrations close on 16th March 2026)
After months of qualifications across Europe, Asia and USA the season now reaches its peak, where talent meets opportunity and future pros begin their international journey.
The Hungarian World Rookie Fest 2026 took place at Skipark Mátraszentistván from February 26th to March 1st, 2026, in one of Hungary’s most historic mountain areas.
As one of the final qualification stops before the World Rookie Snowboard Finals in Kaprun, this event represented a crucial moment in the season for riders aiming to secure their place on the glacier stage in Austria.
With the Finals just around the corner, the Hungarian stop confirmed its role as a key Eastern European checkpoint on the Road to Kaprun.
A final opportunity to secure a place at the World Rookie Tour Finals.
For riders who did not qualify through an official stop, there is still a chance to enter the Finals through the Wild Card system.
Each year, the World Rookie Tour assigns a limited number of Wild Cards for both Freeski and Snowboard Finals. These spots are reserved for riders who have shown a strong technical level and competitive background but were unable to secure qualification during the regular tour stops.
Requests must be submitted directly to the organizing committee and are evaluated based on competition results, video footage and, when applicable, national federation recommendations.
Availability is limited and selections follow strict performance criteria to preserve the high competitive standard of the Finals. The Wild Card is not a shortcut: it is a merit-based opportunity for riders who have proven they belong on the Finals stage.
At the eighth edition of the Innsbruck Rookie Fest in Innsbruck, heavy snowfall and avalanche risk forced the cancellation of the planned slopestyle contests, despite the strong efforts of the Nordkette Skyline Park crew.
The weekend still delivered a highlight with the Snowboard Women’s Big Air, where Italy’s Nicole Bazzanella took the win ahead of Sweden’s Bianca Linnes and Hungary’s Janka Gaspar.
All three secured their qualification for the World Rookie Tour Snowboard Finals, turning challenging conditions into a decisive step toward the season’s biggest stage.
On February 12, 2026, the Balkan Rookie Fest 2026 in Malyovitsa gathered the best young snowboarders of the region for a high-level Slopestyle contest.
Competing in the official World Rookie Tour Grom and Rookie categories, riders showcased strong progression on a perfectly shaped course.
Radostina Slavova (BUL) and Deyan Sivilov (BUL) secured qualification for the World Rookie Tour Finals in Kaprun, marking an important step for Bulgarian snowboard development.
ith the final qualification stops completed and the Wild Card selections defining the last entries, the road now points to the biggest stage of the season.
From the Dolomites to the Austrian glacier, the World Rookie Tour 2026 Finals will bring together the most promising young freestyle athletes in the world, ready to compete at the highest junior level.
It’s not just another event on the calendar. It’s the moment when potential turns into performance, rankings become opportunities, and rookies who qualified through the tour or received a Wild Card take their first real step toward an international career.
The countdown has begun, and the future of freestyle is about to drop in.
Registrations and information: registration@worldrookietour.com
The second edition of Red Bull Night Rider drew over 2,000 spectators yesterday to
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and Kokomo Murase to renew rivalry in Slopestyle final. One
Under the lights of a packed Livigno Snow Park on a crisp
