History

In 2000, the idea of Røldal Freeride Challenge was created by Pelle Gangeskar and Bettina Gavoll-Hansen. Our objective was to show the fantastic riding opportunities in Røldal to more skiers and boarders, ass well as giving something back to Røldal Ski Resort and other businesses in Røldal after years of outstanding service and friendship to us and our friends!

2001

Bettina and Pelle throws the first ever Røldal Freeride Challenge. Happy riders, happy crowds, no injuries! Such a fun weekend encouraged us to do it again, and RFC 2002 was planned. Terje Norgård Larsen skied the sickest line, but crashed into avalanche debris towards the end of his run, throwing a fast-spinning 9-round starfish past the finish line. Winners 2001 were Per Mundhjeld, Karina Hollekim and Anne Thoresen.

Local media

2002

Bettina and Pelle throws it off again, with help from a larger and more professional crew. Suddenly, international riders show up in the small village nestled between mountains holding the deepest snow in Europe. Andre Pracek secures his status as a skiing legend after flailing himself of a 33 meter high cliff. Winners: Kaj Zackrisson (SWE) and Ingrid Berntsen. Local Telemark skier Nils Petter Rabbe pulls home the victory in the estethique Telemark class.

Local media

2003

Bettina, Pelle and Lars Bjelvin arrange RFC no. 3. Thanks to our sponsors, we have large cash prizes, but for the first time, weather gods force us to cancel the final round due to avalanche risk and snowstorm. Winners after one day are Jon Håvard Grøgaard and Karina Hollekim.

Local media

2004

Bettina arranges RFC solo. Pelle is enlarging his family and Lars is busy working for his real employer, StatoilHydro. The weather gods are smiling again, and the event is a great success. Among the sponsors are Libresse girls fund and the Solo (thirst drink) fund. Winners are Per Mundhjeld again, while Grete Flemmen and Jannicke Svedberg tie in the womens class. David Magnusson, immigrated swede to Hemsedal, takes his first of four consecutive wins in the snowboard class.

Local media

2005

Bettina and a great crew of friends arrange RFC no. 5. Even Ofstad is a fantastic help during the event. For the first time, the event lasts three days, with great conditions and perfect weather! New crowd record, over 1500 spectators show up on the mountain. Røldal Ski Resort, Røldal chamber of tourism and Røldal Business fund give valuable financial aid! RFC are very thankful! Anne Svarstad is awarded for working five years straight as a volunteer. Erik Aalde wins, riding with super flow and fantastic control. A new queen is also crowned, Martine Gleditsch.

Even though the event was a huge success, a tragic accident occurs Sunday in the Røldal backcountry. The weather is great, and lots of riders are enjoying the good conditions. One of them is Mats Laukvik (35), skiing with his friends in the upper part of the “Saudasvingen” BC run at Gausnibb. Extremely bad luck makes this Mats last ski day. After a few days, he passes away after a fall. Røldal Freeride crew, friends and family lay down flowers at the site of the accident. Later in the summer, a memory stone is erected to honor Mats. Røldal Freeride sends its deepest condoleces to Mats family and friends.

Local media

2006

RFC no 6 is arranged, again in good weather. Deep freeze the night before the finals, makes some of the finalists unsure about the conditions, and only the snowboarders choose to ride the finals face. Conditions are a lot better than the skiers feared. David Magnusson wins the finals. For skiers, the results from day 1 count, and Karsten Gefle and Ane Enderud are the winners.

2007

You are never too old to be a freeskier! Veterans Fred Syversen and Per Huss (SWE) show the kids how a mountain should be ridden, and carry home 1st and 2nd. Previous winner Jon Håvard Grøgaard finally sticks his (sick) line in the finals, and advances from 12th to 3rd after stomping the longest jump in RFC history. Pia Widmesser (GER) wins the ladies category, while Magnus Tveito shows strong control and wins the telemark class for the 3rd time in a row.

2008

For the first time, Røldal Freeride is the finals of the Freeride World Qualifying Series (FWQS) and the Norway Freeride cup. The starting field is the best ever seen in a northern European event, and this shows on the level of riding shown by the athletes. Due to avalanche danger, day 1 and 2 are held at Histeinnuten, where telemark skier Kristian Møkleby and skier Jon Håvard Grøgard choose the toughest lines. Sadly, none of them stick their landings on the biggest drop. The final day, a 2000 people strong crowd can enjoy Jon Håvard stomping the line Terje Norgård Larsen almost managed in 2001. Most of the finalists show strong form in the spring snow, but favourite and world tour rider David Magnusson tumbles away from victory, and Jana Lindqvist (SWE) gives us all a scare, tumbling down the main couloir, stopping at the edge of a 7 meter cliff. Local snowmobile rescuer Bjørn Ove Hagen gets big cheers from the crowd after tipping his snowmobile and dropping a cliff whilst transporting the doctor up the face. Torgrim Vole secures victory, ahead of JT Holmes (USA) and Åsmund Thorsen. Matthias Haunholder (AUT), Wille Lindberg (SWE), Thibault Duchosal (FRA) and Reine Barkered (SWE) secure their spots on the 2009 Freeride World Tour after consistant skiing in Røldal. In the snowboard category, Torolf Tofte pulls away the victory, but Raphael Bullet (SUI) rides strong enough to win the FWQS. Ane Enderud skis to 2nd place and wins the FWQS, but is surprisingly beat by Tonje Padøy in RFC. In womens snowboard, Kaisa Harkonen (FIN) wins both RFC and the FWQS. In the Telemark class, Knut Festervoll skies strong into 3rd, and Torjus Løvdal styles into 1st ahead of Asbjørn Eggebø Ness.

2009

Our 2nd year on the FWQ, and what a year! Three days of perfect weather, world class riding from every contestant, and no injuries! The foreigners were blown away with the commitment local riders showed on the mountain, and the tension was on everyones face the morning of the finals.

Saturday, the day of the finals, became the greatest show on snow, enough said. Each and every rider took their game to a whole new level, and the 3000 strong crowd dropped their jaws further and further as the competition went underway. Approaching the end, it was clear that Stefan Hausl would make the podium in the men alpine class, after skiing a superfluid line and stomping all landings. The two wildest vikings remained on the start, only separated by 0,1 points from final day 1. First off was FWT rider Torgrim Vole, who went to the 55 degree face skiers left. The face abruptly ends in a20 metre cliff, where Torgrim nailed the landing as if it was a 10-footer. Everybody exploded in tears, laughter, but most off all amazement of the show they just witnessed. This was, without a doubt, one for the history books. At the top, Magnus Tveito could see the crowd going wild, and he knew that he had to take it to a whole new level to win. Magnus skied super strong, and went for the double that had been deemed undoable by all the other riders. He pointed it for the fall-line, went over the first 7-metre cliff and took of the second cliff, aiming for infinity and beyond. 32(!) vertical meters later, the ground won the battle of the landing, and Magnus lost his ski.