Wānaka skier Ben Richards has claimed back-to-back wins on the 2026 Freeride World Tour, taking out the men’s ski title at the Val Thorens Pro in France yesterday (January 27).

The 25-year-old followed his victory at the Baqueira Beret Pro in Spain with another dominant performance, dropping in last on the challenging Pointe de Thorens face and posting a winning score of 92.00.

Ben’s run featured two clean 360s and a double, executed with speed and control on a slope that had already caught out a number of competitors.

“Dropping last played into Ben’s favour,” Freeride coach and team manager Blake Marshall said.

“He was able to watch the riders before him and was ready to change his line if needed.”

Unpredictable weather earlier in the week forced organisers to carefully manage the competition window, with 10–15cm of fresh powder overnight covering rocks but also contributing to a series of heavy crashes.

Despite a field that included five former world tour champions, none reached the podium. Rookie Joey Leonardo (USA) placed second and Ross Tester (USA) third.

Ben now turns his attention to the FIS World Championships in Andorra in early February.

PHOTO: Supplied