Skiing in the middle of freedom

Nicolás Salencon was crowned winner of the 2013 edition of Red Bull Beyond the Line, a competition that combines freestyle ski with freeride skiing and challenges the best Argentine skiers to combine two disciplines in the same competition. Baguales, Patagonia (Argentina). Flow, technique, audacity, strategy and creativity – all of these attributes were decisive for pro-freerider Nicolas Salencon (30) obtaining the victory in Red Bull Beyond the Line, a competition which for the third year in a row brought together the country’s freestyle and freeride elite.  The location for this year’s showdown was Villegas Hill in Baguales, Patagonia, an intact mountain reserve with no ski lifts and which can only be accessed using a combination of four-wheel drive trucks, snow mobiles and ratraks. Day one of the competition was canceled due to unfavorable weather conditions caused by a combination of flat light and hard snow. The next day, however, the weather improved to enable the freestylers to compete on the 250m course with five kickers which challenged the participants to showcase their ability, creativity and technique in front of the judges. Day three was dedicated to the fine art of freeride, with the competitors taking on a fearsome 300m descent packed with rocks. “I am very happy to have won this competition,” said Salencon, whose victory earns him a starting spot at the Red Bull Linecatcher backcountry skiing competition in France. “It wasn’t easy. The freestyle course was very challenging and I played it safe because I was not feeling 100%, one of my knees was not good. But I could handle the situation well and managed to win.” Nicolás Lopez Echavarri, who selected this year’s competition venue and also found time to act as a judge and a kicker shaper, praised Salencon as a worthy winner: “Nicolás was without a doubt the most strategic skier of them all. He was very smooth and also the fastest in both disciplines. He did excellent tricks in freestyle and very good lines in freeride.” Results Overall competition: 1. Nicolas Salencon (ARG)  2. Rodrigo Aguirre (ARG), 3. Martin Sanchez (ARG) Best Trick: Esteban Erdocia (ARG) Photographers: Luis Vidales, Aaron Blatt]]>