The Stifel U.S. Freeski Team landed in Copper Mountain, Colorado for their first home snow halfpipe event of the season — the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix. After a busy last week in Secret Garden, China, the halfpipe team hopped straight off the plane and headed to the iconic Copper halfpipe.

In his first World Cup of the 2025-26 season, Alex Ferreira continued his podium streak - making it 16 straight FIS podiums in a row. After taking a fall on his first run, Ferreira was under pressure to have a perfect second run. In typical Ferreira fashion, he delivered when he needed to, with a 91.50, putting him in first and securing him the win.

Teammate Hunter Hess held down the top spot through run one, after being the top qualifier on Thursday. With a clean first run, ending in his signature misty 540, Hess scored an 88.00 from the judges. Hess dialed up to answer Ferreira's second run and wowed the crowd with a new version of his signature trick, a misty 720 with a safety grab. The judges rewarded him with an 89.00, not quite enough for the top spot.

Ferreira and Hess were joined on the podium by Canadian Andrew Longino in third.

The American men had a great showing this weekend, with Tristan Feinberg finishing in fifth, Ben Fethke sixth, Birk Irving seventh, Cael McCarthy 10th, Hunter Maytin 11th, David Wise 13th, Aaron Blunck 14th, Dylan Ladd 15th and Nick Goepper 16th.

On the women's side, Kate Gray was the top American woman finishing in fifth. After qualifying in third, Gray was one to watch in the finals. After a fall on run one, Gray had an epic run two with a huge right cork 900 on her first hit. Riley Jacobs finished seventh and Abby Winterberger in eighth. 

The halfpipe crew is back in action in Calgary, Canada, on New Year's Day.

RESULTS
Women
Men

The Visa Big Air presented by Toyota returned to Steamboat for the first time since 2021, and Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Troy Podmilsak brought home the win, with teammate Konnor Ralph in second place. 

Steamboat showed off for finals, sunny and 40 degrees for some prime spring skiing conditions. Podmilsak did not come to play today, lacing his first two runs to score a 182.50 and using his third as a victory lap. On run one, Podmilsak put down the highest scoring jump of the day: a switch right triple 1980 with a safety grab that was given a 92.00. For run two, Podmilsak laced a right triple 1800 with a mute grab. 

This win secured Podmilsak's spot on the slopestyle and big air team for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games. For more information on how freeski athletes qualify, please read the criteria here.

Reflecting on his win today and on securing his 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games spot, Troy said, 

"It hasn't hit me yet, honestly, that I'm going to the Games. I'm really proud of my skiing and I'm just happy that my parents got to watch me today. To win in front of them was a dream come true."

Ralph also had an outstanding day, finishing in second with a 179.50. The judges loved Ralph's style, rewarding him with a 90.00 for his switch left triple 1800 with a Japan grab and a 89.50 for his left triple 1800 with a mute grab. Ralph skied in a Raiders sweatshirt all week, sending good vibes to his favorite team. This was Ralph's best World Cup result and he was stoked with how the day went, saying,

"The skiing was sick, the jump was nice. It was so sick to have such a big crew out here supporting."

Keagan Supple finished the day in fifth, also his career best result. Supple wowed the crowd and judges with his switch left double 1800 stale and his left nose butter double 1260 safety. This was Supple's first big air finals.

Joining Podmilsak and Ralph on the podium was New Zealand's Luca Harrington in third.

On the women's side, Avery Krumme was the top American, finishing just off the podium in fourth with a score of 142.00. The judges loved her switch left bio 900 with a mute grab. This was Krumme's best World Cup result and first big air World Cup, proving her as someone to watch. 

Krumme was pleased with the day, saying,

"I'm really stoked! This is my first big air World Cup, my first finals and coming out fourth was so great. I'm so happy to be here and so happy with my result."

Rell Harwood finished eighth. She put down an epic run one, but fell on her second run and did not start run three. Harwood received the Visa Best Trick Award for her left double 1260 with a safety on run one.

The women's podium was made up of Canada's Naomi Uress in first, Ukraine's Kateryna Kotsar in second and China's Ruyi Yang in third.

The Stifel U.S. Freeski Team continues their action-packed December with halfpipe back on home snow at Copper Mountain for the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix, December 18-20. The slopestyle and big air team will have some well-earned time off for the holidays, and will be back in action at Aspen, January 8-10, 2026.

RESULTS
Women
Men

The Stifel U.S. Freeski Team halfpipe skiers kicked off their season in style with their first stop in Secret Garden, China. It was a great event for the American men, with six in the top 10, and nine in the top 15, led by Hunter Hess in third place. 

It was a two-run, 14-man final on the men's side, with the two-run format making any mistake costly. Hess put down an epic second run to secure his podium result. Finishing with his signature misty 720 on his final hit, the judges rewarded him with an 86.25. He was joined on the podium by Kiwis Finley Melville-Ives and Luke Harrold in first and second, respectively. 

Hess was thrilled with the result, saying,

“I’m so happy to have been able to put a run down. It was a nerve racking few days but we made the most of it. Beyond blessed with this result! Everyone crushed it.”

Just off the podium, Birk Irving finished fourth. Matt Labaugh finished fifth, Nick Geiser sixth, Aaron Blunck eighth, Dylan Ladd ninth, Hunter Maytin 11th, David Wise 12th and Tristan Feinberg 13th.

Kate Gray was the top American finisher on the women's side, finishing 12th. No American women progressed through to finals. China's Eileen Gu finished first, with Great Britain's Zoe Atkin in second and Australia's Indra Brown in third.

RESULTS
Women
Men

Troy Podmilsak of the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team brought home his first World Cup victory on Nov. 28 in Secret Garden, China, the venue that played host to the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Although Podmilsak was the 2023 big air world champion, he still lacked a World Cup victory in his trophy cabinet — that has now changed. 

Podmilsak impressed the judges in a challenging field, finishing the day with a 185.50 across his two scored runs. Troy showed off his right triple 2160 with a mute grab, the trick he premiered at the 2023 World Champs. Alongside the 21, Podmilsak threw a switch right triple 1980 with a safety grab. He was joined on the podium by Canada's Dylan Deschamps in second and New Zealand's Luca Harrington in third.

Mac Forehand, the only other American man to progress through to the finals, finished right off the podium in fourth. Forehand impressed the judges with his switch left triple 1980 with a mute grab, but couldn't clean up his second trick enough for a podium finish.

Konnor Ralph just missed the finals, finishing 11th overall. Hunter Henderson finished 21st, Cody Laplante 27th and Keagan Supple 54th.

On the women's side, Marin Hamill finished 13th and Grace Henderson 23rd. Neither American woman qualified for finals. Great Britain's Kirsty Muir brought home the win, joined by Canada's Naomi Urness in second and China's Mengting Liu in third.

The Stifel U.S. Freeski Team will continue their residency in China with the Beijing Big Air next week and Secret Garden Halfpipe in two weeks.

RESULTS
Women
Men