Newcastle snowboarder Michaela Davis-Meehan feels driven to requalify for next year's Freeride World Tour (FWT) after narrowly missing the 2023 finals.
Fresh off a stage victory in Canada but falling just short of the mid-season cut, wildcard Davis-Meehan has declared herself ready to tackle the upcoming FWT Challengers in a bid to book a spot for 2024.
The 31-year-old Novocastrian will compete in three events throughout March - Whistler (12-13), Taos (23-24) and Snowbird (30) - eyeing first place on the overall rankings.
Davis-Meehan returned to the main draw after being called up late in 2022 and, following a 5th and 6th in the opening two rounds held in Europe over the last month, produced her second career win via a strong showing at postponed Kicking Horse on Saturday (AEDT).
"It's been an awesome adventure," Davis-Meehan told the Newcastle Herald.
"A little chaotic with comps being changed around a lot due to weather, and many rocks about, but we made it happen.
"Unfortunately I didn't get the runs I wanted in the first two events causing me to not make the cut, but winning Kicking Horse was incredible and gives me the drive to get back on tour and send it next year.
"Next stop is the FWT Challengers, which is three qualifying finals. I need to be the overall winner [best two out of three runs] to requalify onto the FWT in 2024."
Davis-Meehan (14,095) ended up fourth on the women's snowboard ladder, picking up 10,000 points on the weekend but landing 305 behind both Anna Orlova and Estelle Rizzolio (14,400) in equal second.
The top three, including leader Katie Anderson (20,000), continue with FWT finals in Austria and Switzerland next month.
Sitting last overall ahead of the most recent Canadian round and needing to triumph in order to have any chance of progressing, Davis-Meehan told FWT media she chose the "rockstar" run.
She first tasted success in Andorra in 2020, during her rookie season, finishing second overall before finals were cancelled because of COVID. She also competed on the FWT in 2021.
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