The Swatch Skiers Cup is to freeride skiing what the Ryder Cup is to golf. The best freeriders in the U.S. are pitted against the best freeriders from Europe. The 2013 version of the cup is currently underway in Zermatt, Switzerland, where these “Big Mountain Highlights” via helmet cam and helicopter originated.

Most impressive is the slow-motion sequence of a skier doing a backflip with an avalanche trailing him at about the 3:00 mark. Incredible stuff. He manages to land upright and skis just in front of the avalanche, as if surfing a wave. Watch:

Wrote Power magazine’s Mike Rogge on Monday:

From the judges’ chairs, we watched through binoculars, slamming our boots together to keep our feet warm in the cold temps. All the while, helicopters buzzed the air, capturing all of the action on a Cineflex camera. I couldn’t help but notice the impressive adaptability of the competitors. Sluff and minor avalanches altered the face, yet everyone kept their composure and chose lines that were fun and safe.

We wonder if the guy doing that backflip in front of the avalanche would have risked doing the flip had he known what was behind him. Hmmm.

For more on the Swatch Skiers Cup, click here.