A large avalanche occurred on Tram Face at Squaw Valley this morning, just minutes before competitors were to start their runs. The contest is part of the Nissan Freeride World Tour. Witnesses in the vicinity of tram Tower One said the slide released spontaneously about 30 feet below them.  More than a dozen competitors were standing on a knoll about 40 feet from the crown of the avalanche.  The slide flushed out the face below the competitors and spilled over a large cliff band. Here’s a video of the slide from the valley floor, near the Olympic Village Inn.