Spectacular Season Starter in Val Thorens

Since 2001, more than 60 races took place in the US, Canada, Germany, Japan, Finland, Norway, Austria, Switzerland and France, among others. So far, athletes from 50 nations have fought for victory in direct hand-to-hand combat on icy slopes with obstacles and steep curves of around 300 meters. 

The first race in Val Thorens on December 6th and 7th will be about double points, as it will be the first race in the ATSX 500 category since 2020.  In the difficult years during and post COVID there have only been ATSX 250 races.

“Now we want to return to the heyday of spectacular ice sports,” Christian Papillon from Canada, the sports director of the world association ATSX (All Terrain Skate Cross), emphasizes: "In Val Thorens there is again everything you know from the big races: a racetrack right through the town, a spectacular course and hopefully thousands of spectators at the boards again!"

The organizers are expecting participants from more than 20 nations in Europe’s highest ski resort (2300 m). The sport is experiencing an additional boom because of the prospect of being included in the program of the Olympic Games in 2030, which will take place in these French Alps.