The 2020-21 ski season has been strange for skiers all around the globe, from resort closures to advance lift ticket reservations to travel restrictions and beyond. Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, skiers skied. The virus could not contain us skiers’ unbridled passion for flying down the hill and soaring through the sky. And as all skiers skied, Faction’s star-studded roster of professional skiers did, too.
In a “normal” year, a podium finish is a feat for any competitive freeskier. In the covid era, considering the athletes had to overcome hurdles of challenging international travel, extensive covid testing, quarantining and limited support staff at events, the athletes’ success is all the more remarkable. With the final event of the season now in the books, the results are in: Faction’s riders racked up 12 gold, 2 silver and 8 bronze medals in 2021, across the season’s most prestigious contests: X Games, World Cup, World Championships and the Freeride World Tour.
Faction extends its sincere thanks to, and admiration for all of the athletes who competed under challenging circumstances, and to the various event staff and organizers who worked diligently to host contests safely, and to standard.
X Games 2021
Eileen Gu skied into the record books and into skiers’ hearts: Eileen medaled in all three events that she participated in, a first for a rookie female competitor in the event's 25-year history.
➜See what other records Eileen broke.
Mathilde Gremaud also made history, landing a trick that’s never been done before in a women’s competition: a switch double cork 1440.
Alex Hall, too, landed a trick we’d never seen him land before: a dub 16 true nose. Alex also melded his trademark creativity and technicality to win skiing’s most-watched video competition: Real Ski.
➜Read the full X Games 2021 recap.
Freeride World Tour 2021
In February, Faction team riders Elisabeth Gerritzen and Andrew Pollard shared the top spot on the Freeride World Tour podium at Ordino Arcalís, Andorra. One month later, Verbier, Switzerland local Elisabeth Gerritzen put an exclamation point on her season, winning her second tour stop and in so doing, earning the overall crown for 2021.
The Faction team also made their mark in the Freeride Junior Tour, with Astrid Cheylus becoming the overall Freeride Junior World Champion, and Martin Bender and Lach Powell taking silver and bronze respectively in the men’s comp. La Clusaz local Astrid sealed the title with near perfect scores in this season’s FJT events - expect to see big things from Astrid in the coming years!
FIS World Championships 2021
The Faction crew made a big splash at the 2021 Freeski World Championships in Aspen, Colorado, with Eileen, Mathilde and Alex taking home coveted hardware. We observed that the sky is the limit for 17-year-old Eileen as she followed up on her staggering X Games debut with three medals at the WC. At the Junior Worlds, Matěj Švancer became the first to ever land a quadruple cork in a slopestyle contest.
FIS World Cups 2021
Faction’s athletes were omnipresent at the season’s World Cup contests, from Kreischberg and Stubai in Austria to Silvaplana, Switzerland. With the 2022 Winter Olympic Games drawing near, all eyes will be on Faction’s roster who will undoubtedly continue their winning ways.
