The Stifel U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team spent the last two days racing the downhill World Cup opener in Santa Caterina, Italy, where Kelsey O’Driscoll and Andrew Kurka both continued their hot streaks, both landing on the podium in third place. 

On day one, O’Driscoll led the way for the U.S. ,finishing third, her second career podium. Audrey Crowley was right behind in fourth place in the women’s standing category. On the men’s side, Kurka finished fifth followed by Andrew Haraghey in seventh, Jesse Keefe in 13th, Patrick Halgren in 14th, Spencer Wood in 15th, Tyler McKenzie in 17th and Noah Bury in 22nd. 

The following day, Kurka found himself back on the podium for the first time this season. O’Driscoll finished just off the women’s standing podium in fourth followed by Crowley in fifth. Wood finished the event 11th, Keefe 14th and McKenzie 18th. 

Next up the crew is on their way to St. Moritz, Switzerland for the first tech events of the season Dec. 19-21.

RESULTS
Downhill 1
Women
Men

Downhill 2
Women
Men

On Tuesday’s night slalom in Courchevel, France Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Mikaela Shiffrin dominated the field to take her 105th World Cup victory and fourth slalom victory of the season. Stifel U.S. Ski Team teammate Paula Moltzan skied strong to fifth - winning the second run. 

“I need to push every race, and I feel the pressure in the start, but when it goes right, it goes right,” said Shiffrin. 

It was a nice, clear-skied evening in France for the women’s slalom team. After a couple of weeks off from slalom, the women were ready to send under the lights. First up for the American team was none other than Mikaela Shiffrin, who has shown incredible dominance in the discipline from the start of the season in Gurgl. She did not fail to prove her talent on run one as she fought through each tricky section with grace. Her determination was unmatched as she crossed the finish line in first by almost a second. 

“I have really high-quality skiing right now, so when I am nervous, I know how to focus,” said Shiffrin. “But it takes so much precision to do this, and I don’t take that for granted.” 

Then teammate Paula Moltzan skied strongly to land in the top ten. However, it would come down to the second run to determine the top spots. 

“I am so thankful and proud of the work that my team has done it’s been really phenomenal work which makes it easier for me to do a good performance,” said Shiffrin. 

On the second run both Moltzan and Shiffrin brought their A game. Moltzan with a classic second run send, not only winning second run but moving up to fifth place. Shiffrin skied strong and fast to extend her slalom lead to 1.55 seconds over second place Camille Rast of Switzerland and Germany’s Emma Aicher. 

“I’m happy to have found some consistency in my slalom but I’m definitely looking for more speed on first run,” said Moltzan. “All there is to do is keep moving forward and pushing. Excited to have more racing soon.” 

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes Elisabeth Bocock, Nina O’Brien and Liv Moritz also raced but did not qualify for run two.

The women’s tech team will now enjoy the Christmas holiday before heading to Semmering, Austria Dec. 27-28 for a giant slalom and slalom race. 

RESULTS
women's slalom

On the final day of the St. Moritz World Cup,  Lindsey Vonn led the way for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team once again in fourth place. It capped off an incredible weekend of races for the 83-time World Cup winner, with two podiums, including a win on Friday, Dec. 12 and a second place, Saturday, Dec. 13. Teammate Keely Cashman was next on the docket in 14th place. 

“I'm a little bit disappointed in myself that I didn't push hard enough and was too conservative in some sections,” said Vonn. “I think overall it was a great weekend, and I take a lot of confidence from it but I definitely have things to fix for next weekend.”

The weather was, once again, perfect. Blue skies and sun overhead showed a smooth, consistent surface for all the racers. Cashman was first out of the gate for the women’s team and skied well to sit in the leaderboard chair for a few racers - her first time to do so. 

“I was pretty excited for a clean course, but also nervous because I didn't really know how I was gonna run. But I'm pretty happy with how I executed most of it,” said Cashman.

Then it was time for Vonn. She skied strongly throughout the course but needed a touch more flow for the top spot. Nonetheless, she has a lot to be happy with this weekend and skied away with a fourth-place finish. 

The second half of the race was just as lively for the U.S. team as three more women punched it into the top 30. First, it was Tricia Mangan who was skiing well until she made a costly error at the bottom - still sliding into 21st. Then, Mary Bocock came down flying at top speed and snagged 18th, her first World Cup points. Finally, it was Haley Cutler who also skied with grit to land in 23rd. 

“I'm very happy I got to race,” said Bocock. “It felt good in some parts but it definitely wasn't perfect. I think it really speaks to how important it is to just send it.” 

Mikaela Shiffrin raced her first speed race in two seasons, but did not finish. She is OK. Bella Wright landed just outside the top 30 in 33rd and Allison Mollin was 37th. 

St. Moritz was fantastic for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, with two podiums for Vonn, two Stifel Bibbo Awards for Allison Mollin, nearly all women in the top 30 and strong skiing. Next, the women’s tech team will take the reins for a night slalom in Courchevel, France. 

RESULTS
Women's super-G

Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team's Ollie Martin stepped onto the podium at the Visa Big Air presented by Toyota at Steamboat, taking third place and a big stride forward to qualifying for the Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games in February. Jamie Anderson was the top American woman in sixth place. 

It was a beautiful sunny day in Colorado with a packed crowd for Saturday's finals. Martin threw down his first two tricks flawlessly- a front triple 18 and a contest first cab 16 pull back, a trick the 17 year old first landed at a training camp in Stubai. He finished behind Japanese teammates Hiroto Ogiwara in first and Kira Kimura in second. American Judd Henkes was sixth, stomping his signature butter 14 & hardway back 10 mute en route to another top-8 result.

On the women’s side, Anderson led the charge for the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team women. It was her first FIS competition since the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Her daughters greeted her in the finish, and joined her on the podium as she was crowned national champion for big air alongside Martin. Martin also won the Visa Best Trick Award for his NBD cab 16 pull back. 

Lily Dhawornvej, Rebecca Flynn, Jess Perlmutter, Giada Brienza, Kaitlyn Adams and Courtney Rummel did not qualify to finals for the women. Jake Canter, Brooklyn Depriest, Sean Fitzsimons, Fynn Bullock-Womble, Dusty Henricksen, Liam Johnson, Lucas Ferry, Caleb Dhawornvej, Will Solomon, Lys Fedorowycz, Evan Wrobel, Brock Crouch and Brian Rice did not qualify for the men.

Next up, the halfpipe team will compete at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, Dec. 17-20, while the slopestyle/big air team will look toward the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Aspen after the new year. Both events are Olympic qualifiers. 

RESULTS
Women’s big air
Men’s big air 

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

Ben Ogden marked his 100th World Cup start with his best result of the season, finishing fifth in Friday’s skate sprint in Davos, while Jack Young delivered a breakthrough performance with a career-best fourth place in his first-ever World Cup sprint final.

It was another sunny day in the Swiss Alps, where the third World Cup of the season landed in Davos, Switzerland. With three races for the weekend, today was the second, and the first skate sprint of the 2025-26 season. Six Americans advanced through to the sprint heats, including Ogden, Young and JC Schoonmaker on the men’s side, along with Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern and Alayna Sonnesyn for the women. 

The day started out with fast results in the quarterfinals, with Ogden crossing the line in second in a blistering 2:20.70 seconds. Young finished sixth. Based on those results, everyone knew it was going to be a big day. Fast forward to the final lunge across the finish, it was two U.S. men in the top five... and not only two top-five results, but a career best by Young and a season's best by Ogden. 

Young, the Vermont native, quietly emerged onto the international scene after an unconventional path to elite cross country skiing. A former football quarterback and baseball outfielder, Young chose to focus on skiing in high school before competing collegiately at Colby College, where he became the program’s first athlete to earn a spot on the Stifel U.S. Ski Team.

Now a regular World Cup starter, Young showed that he belongs here. 

In the quarterfinals, Ogden controlled his heat, taking the win, with Young close behind in second, moving both athletes into the semifinals. A notable moment came in the men’s heats when Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo failed to move on after a near-fall in the final corner — an uncharacteristic exit for the multiple-time Olympic and world champion.

Then, it was onto the semis. Ogden and Young lined up together again and both advanced through. 

In the final heat, Ogden and Young, who stayed composed, positioned themselves patiently before launching a late surge down the finishing straight. Young edged past Ogden in the final meters to a fourth-place finish. Ogden followed closely in fifth, capping a memorable day for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team. The race was ultimately won by France's Lucas Chanavat, who surprised everyone by missing most of fall training due to injury. Second place was won by Italy's Federico Pellegrino and third was Norway's Oskar Opstad Vike. For the Americans in the heat, Schoonmaker, who had an unfortunate crash that took him out of contention in the heats, was 27th. 

"This result means so so much," said Young. "It really feels like proof that I can make it to the top on this sport. If I told myself just 3 years ago that I would have a 4th place on the World Cup I would have thought I was insane. I still don’t think today has really set in."

For the women, though Diggins, Kern and Sonnesyn did not advance out of the quarterfinals, it was a step in the right direction and a good race to get the legs heated up for tomorrow's 10k skate. 

"I’m proud of making a detailed race plan and starting faster in the qualifier today!" said Kern. "I felt much more like myself out there today, and played the tactical game, with some good moves, and unfortunate outcomes with an obstruction by another athlete. I’m excited to take this fresher energy into tomorrow, and the endurance base I feel to build on my momentum in a distance race and see what happens tomorrow."

The women's podium was topped by Sweden's Jonna Sundling, with Norway's Mathilde Myhrvold in second and Nadine Faehndrich third in front of her home crowd. Diggins was 15th, Julia Kern 16th, and Sonnesyn 27th.

Results: 
MEN
WOMEN

On day one of Val d’Isère’s men’s tech series, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes River Radamus and Ryder Sarchett punched it into sixth and 10th place. The skiers notably had some of the fastest second runs of the day. 

“It's a privilege to race here,” said Radamus.  “You need to battle with this hill.”

On the first run, Radamus kicked out of the start first for the Americans and did not execute the way he knows he can, holding back a bit and settling for 21st. 

“The first run got the better of me," admitted Radamus.  

But make way for young star Ryder Sarchett. Sarchett, fresh off his first World Cup points at the Stifel Birds of Prey at Beaver Creek, was ready to send. From Bib 52, he skyrocketed to 23rd place in the first run. 

“It was a great day," said Sarchett. "This is the best ski race I think I have ever had."

It would come down to run two for the true test. But if the U.S. men know how to do anything, it’s win a second run. 

“I think the whole team is building some momentum," said Radadmus. "Too often with the U.S. team, we've just been taking part, but right now our motivation is that every time we're in the start, we want to put on a show and we want to risk it. It's not going to work every run, but I think we're starting to put some good runs together."

And then men did risk it. Sarchett took advantage of an early start and linked his turns flawlessly to sit in the leaderboard chair. Then Radamus, just a few skiers behind, annihilated the second run to not only move up 15 spots but also win the second run. Sarchett placed third on the second run. Radamus landed sixth overall and Sarchett took 10th, a career best result for the young skier. It was a truly magnificent performance by both men. 

The men’s team will now switch gears to slalom Sunday. 

RESULTS
Men's giant slalom 

On Saturday's downhill in St. Moritz, Switzerland Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Lindsey Vonn captured the magic once again with a second-place finish on the second downhill race. Teammate Breezy Johnson was close behind in fourth place and Bella Wright in 13th. 

“I think I skied pretty well. I was a little bit out of balance today,” said Vonn. “I'm pretty happy.”

It was another picture perfect day on the slope with full blue skies and sun shining. The crowd was brought to their feet to watch one of the best downhill skiers of all time rise to the occasion again after her incredible win the day prior. But first she would have to beat the heater run that Italian Sofia Goggia put down before her. 

Vonn was on the limit and looking for speed. Turn after turn she found the green but had a few wobbles that would cost her the win. Vonn came down in first but then was overtaken by German youngster Emma Aicher. Her result proved that her win in the first downhill in St. Moritz wasn't a fluke, and she'll be charging for a podium in every speed event throughout the season. 

“Hopefully tonight I can get a little bit recharged and ski better tomorrow,” said Vonn. “I was a little bit more hesitant.” 

Breezy Johnson also had a strong day in fourth place. Johnson, the downhill world champion, knew what she needed to do in order to be close to the top skiers and she performed. Johnson pushed her speed and ended up just shy of the podium. It was also an exciting day for Bella Wright who ended up in 13th - her best performance in two years. It was also Johnson's 100th World Cup start. 

“I feel good. I've been struggling a lot the last few days, and to get out of the start today and yesterday was a pretty big victory for me,” said Johnson. “I love the World Cup. I love racing. It's a gorgeous day. So it was a great day to hit 100 and keep going from here.” 

Finally, the depth of the team still held strong with six girls in the top 30. Jackie Wiles was 20th, Keely Cashman 21st, and Allison Mollin 22nd. Tricia Mangan and Haley Cutler were 32nd and 36th. Mollin also secured her second Stifel Bibbo Award in two days, attacking from bib 48. 

The weekend isn't over yet; the women continue with a super-G on Sunday. 

RESULTS
Women's downhill

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

The Stifel HERoic Cup is back for the 2025-26 season with an expanded version to highlight excellence in women’s skiing across multiple disciplines. For the 2025-26 season, a total of $60,000 will be awarded, with $10,000 granted to each winning athlete across six disciplines. 

Launched in the 2024-25 season, the Stifel HERoic Cup debuted as a groundbreaking award celebrating the top-performing female alpine skier on U.S. soil. Swiss standout Lara Gut-Behrami claimed the inaugural title after earning the most FIS World Cup points across North American FIS Alpine World Cups. For the 2025-26 season, the Stifel HERoic Cup turns its focus to all ski sports across the U.S. Ski & Snowboard domestic World Cup calendar, including cross country, freeski slopestyle/big air, freeski halfpipe, freestyle moguls and freestyle aerials. 

Created initially to recognize and reward elite performance in women’s skiing, the Stifel HERoic Cup reflects Stifel’s continued commitment to supporting athletes and growing the sport, as evidenced by its title sponsorship of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team. The prize is also a cornerstone of U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s HERoic initiative, which is dedicated to empowering women in skiing and snowboarding.

The 2025-26 Stifel HERoic Cup kicked off at the Stifel Copper Cup with Germany’s Lena Duerr coming home with the most World Cup points between both the slalom and giant slalom. Freeski slopestyle is up next, beginning competition at the Visa Big Air presented by Toyota in Steamboat on Saturday, Dec. 13. 

STIFEL HEROIC CUP-ELIGIBLE EVENTS

Alpine

• Stifel Copper Cup // Nov. 27-30
  • Giant Slalom // Nov. 29, 2025
  • Slalom // Nov. 30, 2025

Cross Country

• Stifel Lake Placid Finals // March 20-22, 2026
  • 10k Classic // March 20, 2026
  • Skate Sprint // March 21, 2026
  • 20k Skate // March 22, 2026

Freeski Slopestyle

• Visa Big Air at Steamboat // Dec. 13, 2025 – big air 
• Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Aspen // Jan. 10, 2026 – slopestyle

Freeski Halfpipe

• Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain // Dec. 20, 2025
• Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Aspen // Jan. 9, 2026

Freestyle Aerials

• Stifel Lake Placid Freestyle Cup (Individual) // Jan. 11, 2026
• Intermountain Health Freestyle International presented by Stifel at Deer Valley // Jan. 18, 2026

Freestyle Moguls

• Intermountain Health Freestyle International presented by Stifel at Deer Valley
  • Moguls // Jan. 16, 2026
  • Dual Moguls // Jan. 17, 2026
     

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Courtney Harkins, Sr. Director, Marketing & Communications
U.S. Ski & Snowboard
[email protected]