Snowboarder Jeremy Jones Built a Legacy on 2,400-Foot Alaskan Faces. Now He’s Watching His 20-Year-Old Daughter Do the Same

For the first time in nine years, the Freeride World Tour is returning to the brutal and unpredictable terrain of Alaska. Widely regarded as the ultimate snowboarder's paradise, its proximity to the Pacific results in consistently exceptional snow, but the steep ridgelines and knife-edge spines demand absolute commitment. This year’s stop at "The Venue" marks the first time the FWT has hit Alaska since 2016. It's the longest face of a 2026 season that has unfortunately been full of cancellations, and riders have been waiting for the right weather window to tackle it appropriately.

The athletes will take on a massive 2,420-foot vertical descent, which is more vertical than you will find at some entire ski resorts. Six U.S. athletes made the cut for the finals, including Ross Tester, who is currently ranked second for Ski Men, and Mia Jones, who currently holds the first place spot for Snowboard Women.

I caught up with Mia’s father, Jeremy Jones, the household name of snowboarding and the undisputed king of Alaska, to talk about the gravity of this terrain. Having spent more time on Alaskan faces than almost anyone, he’s now taking a backseat to watch his daughter tackle a landscape he describes as unlike anywhere else in the world.

"The thing that's special about Alaska is that when the terrain and conditions line up, it's almost like you can do the snowboarding you always dreamed about," Jones told me. "It's incredibly intimidating due to the steepness and the size of the faces, but it is Fantasia when it all comes together, and allows you to do things that you never dreamed about doing on a snowboard."

But the "Fantasia" factor comes with a high price. The terrain is big, steep, and notably blind, with very few trees for reference. As Jones warns, the margin for error is razor-thin.

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"The downside of that is if you do make a mistake, you can take the biggest fall...you can cartwheel down the whole face because they're so steep," he says.

Jones has been snowboarding for the better part of 40 years and is no stranger to navigating the risk of big falls. Snowboarding is in his blood. He admits that he and his brothers have always had a ton of respect for the mountains, and their motto has always been to live another day. It's a philosophy he has passed on to his children, Mia and Cass.

"I give my kids space in these contests...it's a lot of focus on the breath, and being present," he says. "Generally, you're trying to take these complex lines, and it's good to break it down to the key spots you have to hit on the mountain. You have to plan and just try to be in the flow and embrace the opportunity; become hyper-present and enjoy it."

That focus on being hyper-present is what separates the veterans from the rookies when the helicopter drops them at the summit. Success in Alaska isn't just about the score at the bottom, but about having the discipline to break down a 2,000-foot face into the small, manageable moments that bring the athletes home safe.

Fans can follow that progress and watch the action live at www.freerideworldtour.com/live or get updates via @freerideworldtour.