Courmayeur, Italy – Richard Amacker won the men’s ski contest and Ralph Backstrom won the men’s snowboard contest on the Mont-Fortin Thursday as the 2012 Swatch Freeride World Tour (FWT) stopped in Courmayeur-Mont-Blanc, Italy.

In an incredibly competitive men’s ski competition Amacker, from Le Valais in Switzerland, was the last rider down  and chose an original line in the rider’s left hand side of the face.  The 23-year-old then quickly put on a demonstration of world-class  freeriding.  Always in complete control, his jumps were longer and cleaner than his rivals and deservedly took away the main prize.

“I had a great day. The snow was good, I took a lot of air on my jumps and landed all three really cleanly,” Amacker said.

Sam Smoothy from New Zealand continued his outstanding  early season form with second place by dropping in very aggressively before he powered over two cliffs and blistered his way to the finish.  Making it a great day for Switzerland, Samuel Anthamatten took third place.  Amthamatten first brought the hammer down on a massive cliff in the super steep and technical central part of the face then rounded off his run with a brilliant back flip.

“I’m really satisfied with my run,” he said. “I wanted to do more jumps but overall it went well and I’m very happy with my landing off the back flip.”

In the men’s snowboard competition, American rider Backstrom just gets better and better. Taking a line on the extreme  rider’s right, Backstrom patiently worked the upper face as he transitioned into his first drop of the day which he executed with a silky smoothness.   He then glided his way across the face to a steep and rocky section where he dropped no less than three cliffs in quick succession. Backstrom has that something that only the very best athletes have – he makes it look easy.

“I’m very happy, the conditions were great for high speed airs,” Backstrom said.  “I rode my preferred line, I stayed fast and fluid.”

In second place was 27-year-old Austrian Max Zipser, who chose the most popular line of the day on the right hand side.  Zipser simply got the job done;  clean, fast, fluid and controlled.

“What a great day with great snow,” said a beaming Zipser. “I hit my line exactly as I wanted, took some nice jumps.  I really felt in control and comfortable up there.”

Rounding out the snowboard podium was Douds Charlet from France, who continued his early season run of podium finishes.

The FWT now travels to Røldal in Norway, Feb. 25-Mar. 2, for the fourth event of the 2012 season.