Freeski halfpipe finals marked the of end of an exciting two weeks in Engadin, Switzerland, for the 2025 FIS Ski Freestyle World Championships. Nick Goepper walked away with his first halfpipe World Champs medal, finishing second, and Alex Ferreira finished third.

Goepper is not a stranger to the pressure of World Champs, with two previous slopestyle podiums in 2013 and 2019. However, this result was Goepper's first in the halfpipe discipline and his highest World Champs finish ever. Goepper finished the day with a 94.00 on run 2, after a crash score on his first run. He impressed the judges with back-to-back double cork 1620s and finishing the run with his signature bone air 900. Ferreira finished third, tying his best result at a World Champs (he was also third in Bakuriani 2023), with a 92.50 on run one. He capped his run off with the classic double cork 1620 blunt and celebratory pole swings that got the crowd going. The Kiwi phenom, Finley Melville-Ives took home the gold after scoring a 96.00. Hunter Hess also had a great performance, finishing fifth, and impressing the crowd and judges alike with his left misty 720 mute. David Wise finished 11th, unable to put down a clean run in finals.

On the women's side, Svea Irving was the top finisher for the U.S. women in fifth. Irving put down two clean runs, highlighted by her left 1080 safety on her last hit. Kate Gray finished tenth, putting down the first bone air by a woman in competition. Great Britain's Zoe Atkin secured her first World Championship gold, with China's Fanghui Li in second and Canada's Cassie Sharpe in third.

The Stifel U.S. Freeski Team is now officially on summer vacation. They are looking forward to enjoying their off season with training camps, time in the gym, and even more skiing.

RESULTS
Women
Men

The Stifel U.S. Freeski Team wrapped up their slopestyle and big air season with an epic night finals at the FIS Ski Freestyle World Championships big air in Engadin, Switzerland. In a stacked field, three U.S. men threw down but just missed out on the podium, with Mac Forehand taking fourth, Troy Podmilsak fifth and Alex Hall sixth.

Forehand was the top American, finishing just one point off the podium. He wowed the judges with a switch left triple 1800 mute on run one, earning him a 94.00. Unfortunately, even with an 88.00 on run two, it wasn't enough to crack the podium. Podmilsak, who was the 2023 big air world champion, looked to defend his title, but finished fifth for the night. Hall was sixth.

New Zealand's Luca Harrington landed in the top spot with a total score of 192.00. He was joined on the podium by Finland's Elias Syriain second and Norway's Birk Ruud in third. 

The slopestyle squad is celebrating the end to a great season with two slopestyle medals already won at these World Championships, Alex Hall bringing home the 2024-25 slopestyle Crystal Globe and the team winning the FIS Park & Pipe Nations Cup.

Freeski halfpipe finals are scheduled for Sunday, March 30 at 5:00 a.m ET. Tune in at skiandsnowboard.live.

RESULTS
Women's big air
Men's big air

The first freeski event of the 2025 FIS Ski Freestyle World Championships wrapped up, with Mac Forehand and Alex Hall sharing the slopestyle podium. Forehand won the silver and Hall the bronze. The United States finished with four men in the top eight, a huge accomplishment in a stacked slopestyle field.

After a week of prime conditions in Corvatsch, Switzerland, the slopestyle finals were moved earlier to squeeze in before an incoming weekend storm. In qualifications on Wednesday, six of seven athletes punched their ticket to finals: Forehand, Hall, Hunter Henderson, Troy Podmilsak, Marin Hamill and Grace Henderson.

Forehand and Hall shared the podium for the second time this season, joined by Norway’s Birk Ruud in the gold medal spot. After failing to put together a clean first run, Forehand, Hall and Hunter Henderson all needed to lace their second go. Podmilsak and Hunter Henderson both sat in third after their second runs before being bumped down to finish in seventh and eighth, respectively.

Forehand had an impressive second run, with judges loving his first rail combo - a right back swap transfer, pretzel 240 out - giving it the highest score of the day. They also loved his second jump, a switch left triple 1620 mute. Hall answered well, putting together an tricky first rail combo: a switch right tails on, tails over transfer, blind 450 out. Hall was the only athlete in the field using the transition feature so progressively, getting two hits out of it instead of just one. Hall talked about his approach to World Championships, saying, “My strategy lately has just been to go for the run I really feel like doing, having fun doing it and trying the hardest rail tricks I can think of.”

It is Forehand’s first World Championship medal and Hall’s second. Forehand reflected on sharing the podium with a teammate, saying, “My teammates are like my brothers at this point. With Alex up there with me today, it’s like having a brother with me, I really enjoyed it.”

On the women’s side, Grace Henderson finished ninth and Marin Hamill 11th. Both were stoked to put down a clean run when it counted and walk away from the season healthy and in high spirits. Switzerland's own Mathilde Gremaud finished first, with Austria's Lara Wolf in second and Canada's Megan Oldham in third.

Next up, the same squad will throw down in big air qualifications. Women’s qualifications are scheduled for Wednesday, March 26 and men’s on Thursday, March 27. Finals are on the March 29. Halfpipe qualifications are scheduled for Friday, March 28, with finals on March 30.

RESULTS
Women
Men

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN!

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Awards

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is a diverse organization of many sports with a vital backbone of athletes, officials, coaches and clubs nationwide all working together for the betterment of the sport. It’s important each year to recognize the work of those behind the scenes who are providing athletes of all ages with an opportunity to participate in ski and snowboard competitions.

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard awards program is designed to recognize a wide range of individuals and organizations for their work over the past year. As a U.S. Ski & Snowboard member, you are eligible to nominate into many of the award categories. To learn more about the full range of U.S. Ski & Snowboard awards, go here.

Award Selection:

• Nominations are accepted all at once and at large from members who have a valid and current membership for the 2024-25 Season.
• Each sport committee will select the respective sports winners for Club and Coach of the Year.
• Selection of other awards winners is determined by a vote of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Awards Working Group.
• Winners are announced at the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Awards Dinner on May 14, 2025.

Nominations: 

• Click on the nomination link for each individual award for which you wish to nominate.
• Complete the nomination paying special attention to highlighting accomplishments required for each award.
• Nominees must also be current members of U.S. Ski & Snowboard.
• Click to submit.
• Remember, you need to submit nominations for each award separately.

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT NOMINATIONS: Friday, March 28, 2025

NOMINATION CATEGORIES

Paul Bacon Award (event organization)

The Paul Bacon Award is given to an individual or group for the greatest contribution to U. S. Ski & Snowboard in the field of race organization during the 2024-25 season. Traditional nominees include local clubs or individuals whose work has made a difference in providing good events for athletes.

PAUL BACON AWARD Nomination Form

John J. Clair Award (service to national teams)

The John J. Clair Jr. Award is given for outstanding service that benefited the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team in 2024-25. Past recipients have included outside team support personnel, donors, journalists, movers and shakers. Most recipients have been individuals, though some organizations have been recognized. The recipient’s service should be to the national teams.

JOHN J. CLAIR JR. AWARD Nomination Form

Bud & Mary Little Award (service to FIS or USOPC)

The Bud & Mary Little Award is a lifetime achievement award presented to an individual who has contributed significantly through a long-term involvement with the International Ski & Snowboard Federation or U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Recipients are eligible to receive the award only once. Achievement should be lifetime; it is not specific to this past year.

BUD & MARY LITTLE AWARD Nomination Form

Buddy Werner Award (sportsmanship)

Have you seen any great acts of sportsmanship this past year? Nominations should be based on actions from the 2024-25 season. It is only open to individuals.

BUDDY WERNER AWARD Nomination Form

Russell Wilder Award (service to youth)

The Russell Wilder Award recognizes the most outstanding effort during 2024-25 in focusing the interests of American youth on the sports of skiing or snowboarding. It can be awarded to an individual or an organization.

RUSSELL WILDER AWARD Nomination Form

OFFICIALS NOMINATION AWARD CATEGORY

West Family Award (outstanding official)

The West Family Award is a lifetime achievement honor, recognizing an outstanding certified official at any level.  Nominations come from the pool of current U.S. Ski & Snowboard Officials membership.

WEST FAMILY AWARD Nomination Form

Nominations only open to those who hold a current U.S. Ski & Snowboard Officials membership. 

FIS TECHNICAL DELEGATE NOMINATION AWARD CATEGORY

Westhaven Award (outstanding FIS technical delegate)

The Westhaven Award is a lifetime achievement award, recognizing an outstanding FIS technical delegate for his or her service over time. Nominations come from the pool of current FIS TDs.

WESTHAVEN AWARD Nomination Form

Nominations only open to those who hold a current U.S. Ski & Snowboard Technical Delegate membership. 

CLUB OF THE YEAR AWARD CATEGORY

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Club of the Year Award

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Club of the Year is the club that achieved the most outstanding high-performance athletic and organizational results in the current season and best meets the athletic and club performance benchmarks.

This award will be granted for each sport: Adaptive, Alpine, Cross Country, Freeski, Freestyle, Snowboard & Ski Jumping/Nordic Combined

U.S. SKI & SNOWBOARD CLUB OF THE YEAR AWARD Nomination Form

Nominations only open to those who are current U.S. Ski & Snowboard Clubs.

DEVELOPMENT COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD CATEGORY

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Development Coach of the Year Award

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Development Coach of the Year Award recognizes outstanding contribution to development and international programs by a coach resulting in high-level performance by his or her athletes in competition during the past season. Coaches of the year are recognized for their leadership, commitment, sport knowledge and passion, including proven ability to foster athletic excellence amongst their constituents or teams. 

This award will be granted for each sport: Adaptive, Alpine, Cross Country, Freeski, Freestyle, Snowboard & Ski Jumping/Nordic Combined

U.S. SKI & SNOWBOARD DEVELOPMENT COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD Nomination Form

Nominations only open to those who are current U.S. Ski & Snowboard Coaches.