Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team’s Lily Dhawornvej earned her first career World Cup podium on the final day of the 2026 Laax Open with a second place overall finish in the women’s slopestyle snowboard final.

Windy conditions on the Switzerland's Crap Sogn Gion glacier plagued the final day of competition at the storied European World Cup and forced a delayed start time for the women’s snowboard slopestyle final. Dhawornvej watched as teammates and Olympians Dusty Henricksen and Sean FitzSimons dropped into the Snowpark Laax course and battled adverse weather conditions to end the day in ninth and 11th place, respectively. Watching the men’s contest forced event organizers to hold a riders meeting to decide the fate of the women’s competition but a 50/50 split ultimately put the contest in the hands of the judges. After brief deliberation, the contest was a go and more importantly, a decision Dhawornvej favored.

As the fifth overall qualifier, Dhawornvej dropped in the middle of a 10 person field and laced together a heater, going 50-50 boardslide to 50-50 back one out on the top rail section, followed by a switch back five mute, front seven indy, back seven stalefish and a steezy tamedog nose grab on the knuckle feature. Her score of 71.18 held strong throughout the remainder of competition as veteran competitors, like Japan’s Reira Iwabuchi and Mari Fukada, struggled with the day’s conditions.

The often stoic Dhawornvej was overcome with emotions in the finish when she realized she had locked in her first World Cup podium.

“I’m literally crying happy tears right now,” the 17 year old said. “It was a battle with the conditions today but I’m so happy to put one down. And to do it in Laax? I’m just so proud of myself.”

Japan’s Kokomo Murase took first overall and Austria’s Anna Gasser finished third to round out the top three. The men’s podium saw France’s Romain Allemand in first, Japan’s Yuto Kimura in second and China’s Yiming Su in third.

RESULTS
Women
Men

In a pressure cooker of a World Cup final, two-time Olympian Chase Josey delivered under the lights at the Laax Open and stomped a run worthy of fourth place in one of the most progressive and exciting halfpipe finals to date.

With the Laax Open being the final halfpipe World Cup before the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, it was do or die for the Sun Valley native who found himself on the outside looking in on Olympic qualification criteria  - an unfamiliar position for the seasoned veteran. As Josey stared down the pipe - the same ditch of his first and only World Cup win in 2017 - his Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team teammates held their breath knowing what was on the line for the 30-year-old.

Showing the overwhelming crowd of spectators why he’s the king of switch, Josey stomped the run of his career - a cab double cork 12, followed by a switch double michalchuk, to a cab double cork 10, followed by a front double cork 12 and a massive double michalchuk for good measure.

Josey’s score of 75 flat held strong in podium position until the young Kiwi sensation Campbell Melville Ives became the first rider to ever drop two triple corks in one completed contest run. Melville Ives’ score of 91.00 catapulted him into the top spot.

But last to drop was the Australian hero Scotty James, who donned his signature red boxing gloves and put on a show under the lights, taking home his fifth Laax Open title with a second run score of 98.75. Valentino Guseli rounded out the podium in third to cement the first Oceania podium sweep in FIS history.

Josey’s fourth-place finish puts him in position to qualify for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games, which will be announced Jan. 23.

Joining Josey in the 2026 Laax Open halfpipe final was Alessandro Barbieri, who became the first American to land a triple cork in a complete halfpipe run at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix in Aspen, Colorado just one week prior. Barbieri was unable to put down a run in the Laax Open final, but the young 17-year-old proved once again he is an exciting rider to watch heading into the games.

Two-time Olympian Maddie Mastro was the sole American in the women’s field, but took an uncharacteristic fall on her signature double crippler that ended her chances of back-to-back Laax Open podiums. Mastro took home second place in 2025's Laax Open and made history doing so, becoming the first woman to land two double corks in one contest run. Tough as ever, Mastro returned to the top of the pipe for her second run and put down a conservative run good enough for ninth place overall. Having fought the entire 2025-26 season to comeback from multiple injuries, the Laax Open night final served as a confidence builder for the 25 year old who has her sights set on the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

Korea's Gaon Choi took home the Laax Open title - her third World Cup win in a row - and Japan's Rise Kudo and China's Xuetong Cai rounded out the podium with second and third place, respectively.

The snowboard halfpipe roster for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games will be announced next week on January 23.

RESULTS
Women
Men

In dramatic fashion and in front of his hometown crowd, Jake Canter took home his first career World Cup victory at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix’s men’s snowboard slopestyle final. The win mathematically locked his spot on the 2026 Olympic team that heads to Italy in less than a month.

It was an interesting final for both the men and women on Saturday morning, with sub-degree temperatures affecting the rails and impacting even the most veteran of athletes. First to drop was 15-year-old Jess Perlmutter, who made an uncharacteristic mistake falling on the first rail. Two-time Olympic champion Jamie Anderson followed her teammate and took a heavy slam on the same rail forcing her to DNS the second run. Perlmutter was able to lace together her second attempt to finish the day in seventh place and secure the 2026 women’s slopestyle national championship title - particularly impressive given that it was her first slopestyle World Cup.

The six American men looked to turn the day around for the red, white and blue. The squad was sitting pretty with three riders in the top five as USA’s Brock Crouch and Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team’s Red Gerard and Jake Canter all put down their first run. But run two was where the leaderboard started to shake up, as Judd Henkes entered the chat with his signature style to step into podium position. Second to last to drop, Canter locked in and delivered the run of his career - a 50-50 to front lipslide 270, then a back 270 on 270, a switch back 1260 nosegrab, back 1800 melon, and finally a switch noseslide 630 mute on the final section. The Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard alum was emotional watching his score come in from the judges - an 85.16 to land him in the top spot. With one rider to go, Canter anxiously watched as Olympic big air champion Su Yiming dropped in for his final attempt. The Aspen crowd knew it would be close after China’s top rider stomped his run but his 84.18 was not enough to best Canter’s full pull.

Judd Henkes finished fourth on the day, Olympic champion Red Gerard was sixth and Brock Crouch rounded out the top-eight in eighth place. Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team’s Dusty Henricksen took 14th and Sean FitzSimons 15th.

Canter's win clinched him to spot to joins Gerard on the men’s slopestyle/big air roster for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games.

The team heads to Laax for the final World Cup of the season that will decide the remaining two spots on the Olympic roster.

Results
Women
Men

The Toyota U.S. Grand Prix halfpipe World Cup got underway Friday at Aspen Snowmass’ Buttermilk Mountain, with Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team athletes Maddy Schaffrick and Alessandro Barbieri earning podium finishes in a key Olympic qualification event. 

In the women’s competition, Schaffrick delivered a confident performance to finish second overall. With results coming from athletes’ best score from two runs, Schaffrick set the tone early, laying down a strong opening run. The Colorado native was unable to improve on her first score but held firm to second place. It is Schaffrick’s first podium of the 2025-26 season and her fourth podium since her return to competition in 2024. 

Schaffrick was thrilled about her result, performing in front of her hometown Steamboat Springs-based friends and family who came to Aspen to watch.

On the men’s side, Barbieri continued his upward trajectory with a third-place finish. The American put down a solid first run to put himself in podium contention, then raised the bar in his second attempt, improving his score to secure third in a competitive field stacked with international talent. It is his second career podium, having also taken a third place result at the Calgary Snow Rodeo in 2025. 

Finals were stacked with American names, with Jake Pates finishing seventh, Ryan Wachendorfer eighth, Chase Josey ninth, Joey Okesson 10th and Levko Fedorowycz 11th.

Friday’s halfpipe event served as an Olympic qualification opportunity, with athletes earning valuable points toward Olympic team consideration. While U.S. Ski & Snowboard will not nominate the Olympic snowboard team until after the final World Cup in Laax, Switzerland Jan. 14-18, performances like those from Schaffrick and Barbieri underscore the momentum of the halfpipe program as the qualification window continues. 

Competition at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Aspen continues through Saturday, with snowboard slopestyle at Snowmass and freeski halfpipe at Buttermilk. 

RESULTS 
Women 
Men

Brooklyn DePriest is quickly emerging as one of the most exciting young competitors on the men’s snowboarding circuit. Over the 2024–25 season, the Ski & Snowboard Club Vail rider notched his best big air World Cup result with a standout fifth place finish in Secret Garden, showing he can contend with the sport’s elite on the biggest stages. 

DePriest is the latest athlete featured in U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s “On the Rise” series, presented by Zions Bank. Through community service, sponsorships and charitable donations, Zions Bank is committed to fueling economic growth and enhancing quality of life in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming.

We caught up with DePriest to dive into his background, reflect on a his young career and learn about his goals in the future.

Q: What initially drew you to the sport?
BROOKLYN DEPRIEST: Initially, I can't really pin any specific thing or moment that drew me to the sport. But there was this one day at Northstar where I was watching Chas and Toby get sled laps on the big jumps and being so amazed. Pretty sure he was doing double 10s and I was on the chair thinking like that is exactly what I want to do. I found that the process of building smaller tricks and getting steadily better and having infinite things to learn is such an addicting feeling.

Q: When you were younger and getting into the sport, what were your goals?
BD: I wanted to be a pro snowboarder. I didn't really know at the time what that meant, but I knew that I wanted to win to say I was pro. Even before I started competing at around 8 years old, I wanted to be a pro and wanted to be the best. Though as soon as I started competing, I quickly found out that my goals were to win contests. Even at a young age, I loved the contest nerves and loved the feeling of landing runs. That feeling was one I couldn't shake and still can't to this day.

Q: What is your biggest accomplishment?
BD: Either my 5th place Big Air finish at the Secret Garden World Cup or my 8th place at the first ever Rockstar Open Parkstyle event. The actual finishing rank doesn't mean as much to me as how I felt on my board those days. Finally figuring out how to do tech lines and bigger tricks, all while having the best time on my snowboard, is by far my biggest accomplishment. I've recently fallen in love with the sport in a new way, and having fun with my friends, all while getting to snowboard and compete, has led me to these finishes. That's what I'm most stoked on.

Q: What is your ultimate goal?
BD: Right now, I'd have to say an Olympic medal. Though I do feel that once I make the Olympics and perform at that level, I feel like my goals will change. Realistically, I want to leave a legacy and a name in the sport. Maybe even having style that kids getting into the sport are trying to emulate. So yeah, short term would be the Olympics and then the long term would be getting into the backcountry and trying to immerse myself in the sport even more.

Q: Who are your heroes? Both in & out of the sport.
BD: In the sport, it would have to be Mark McMorris. I've been watching him ever since I started watching snowboarding and his stories are wild. Coming back from injury and still being at the top of the game after all of these years is insane. He also spoke at my high school graduation, so that was pretty epic.

Out of the sport, it would be my dad. I don't look up to that many people, but he was one of those people that I try to take after. He has supported me in so many ways for so many years and his work ethic is something I always try and strive to mimic. He has worked so hard for my family and still kicks ass on his snowboard, mountain bike, and skateboard. By far my hero in and out of the sport.

Questions sponsored by Zion's Bank.

Q: You win $5,000 in prize money: What do you do with it?
BD: Most of the time, I will invest any winnings or throw them into my savings account. Though I do always try to move it somewhere that'll appreciate over time.

Q: Do you budget or follow any structure related to spending?
BD: Overall, I like to try and spend as little as possible, but I do have a budget that I created based on my spending habits and how much I'm making. Most of the time, my earnings look very different every month, depending on how I'm doing in competition, haha.

Q: What’s one money habit you follow?
BD:  Invest at least a certain amount of money every single month. I've seen how money can compound in stocks and CDs so I like to just throw money in every month and stay patient. I also like to buy something nice every here and there just to remind myself that it doesn't have to be a perfect process.

Keep up with Brooklyn on Instagram HERE!

Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team’s Bea Kim made a thrilling return to the FIS Snowboard World Cup circuit, delivering a breakthrough performance to secure third place at the 2025 Toyota U.S. Grand Prix in Copper Mountain, Colorado.

The world's best halfpipe snowboarders were back in the U.S. for the final stop before holiday break in Copper Mountain, Colorado. After days of repetitions in the halfpipe and a solid round of qualifers, it was all on the line for the snowboard halfpipe finals. 

And for Kim, it was time to make her comeback. 

After falling on the final trick of her first run, the 18-year-old headed back up to the top of the halfpipe, determined to make a statement in front of the home crowd. With everything on the line, Kim put together a heater of a second run - a switch back 9, cab 7, front 5, back 5 and crippler 7 - that put her into podium position with only five riders left to go. The American watched as her competitors continued to drop, unable to best her 75.25 run two score, until Korea’s Gaon Choi put down a massive second run that earned a 94.50 and the top spot on the podium, cementing Kim’s third-place finish - her second career World Cup podium. Japan’s Sena Tomita took home second place.

“What just happened?!” said a stunned Kim. “Wow, this means a lot... I’ve competed here tons over the years in everything from nationals to Dew Tour, so getting a podium in front of this crowd is super special.”

After sitting out her sophomore year on the World Cup season due to injury, Kim’s podium finish in Copper is a significant confidence booster -- giving her a massive step up towards qualifying for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games.

Teammates Maddy Schaffirck and Maddie Mastro joined Kim in the final and took home fifth and sixth place, respectively. Two-time Olympic champion Chloe Kim was the top qualifier heading into finals, but withdrew from the contest after a crash in training. She is OK. 

The men’s side of the competition saw six Americans drop into the final. Copper Mountain’s own Chase Blackwell was the top finisher for the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team, taking home fifth place with a massive first run that wowed his home crowd. 2018 Olympian Jake Pates took sixth, Ryan Wachendorfer finished seventh, Joey Okesson ninth, Alessandro Barbieri 10th, and two-time Olympian Chase Josey finished 12th.

With the first halfpipe Olympic qualifier done and dusted, the Hydro Flask U.S. The Snowboard Team will take a well-deserved break for the holidays before setting their sights on Aspen for another Toyota U.S. Grand Prix, Jan. 7-10. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

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 

Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team athletes Lily Dhawornvej and Brooklyn DePriest joined American Judd Henkes in the first World Cup final of the 2025–26 snowboard big air season in Secret Garden, China.

The riders battled windy conditions and a worn-down jump left over from the rescheduled freeski finals earlier in the day but the Americans held strong and delivered an impressive performance to kick off the season.

In her first two jumps, Dhawornvej attempted to put down the same trick she stomped in qualifications — a back-10 drunk driver — but was unable to stick the landing and washed out on both attempts. An under-rotated front-10 drunk driver on her final run ended her chances of a podium finish, but the up-and-comer walked away with invaluable experience heading into a crucial 2025–26 season.

Japan swept the women’s podium with Mari Fukada taking first place, Reira Iwabuchi second and Miyabi Onitsuka third.

In his first World Cup finals appearance, Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team rider Brooklyn DePriest washed out on his first jump but bounced back with a massive switch back triple 19 mute on his second attempt to keep himself in contention. With the pressure on, DePriest dropped in for his third and final run and delivered — a clean back-18 melon that put him in third place just ahead of fellow American Judd Henkes.

After landing a competition-first front-butter 1440 in qualifications, Henkes looked to make another statement on the World Cup stage. His first jump — a front-1 nose butter to switch back-12 melon — earned a score of 79.00 and placed him in second but his next two runs, a hardway cab-12 indy and a cab-9 off the toes, while incredibly stylish, were not enough to keep pace with China’s Yiming Su and Chunyu Ge.

Japan’s Ryoma Kimata joined the hometown heroes to round out the men’s top three. DePriest finished the day in fifth — a major leap from his previous World Cup best of 24th — and Henkes took sixth.

The Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team remains in China for another round of big air competition in Beijing next weekend, Dec. 5–6.

Results
Women
Men

At just 20 years old, Hahna Norman has firmly established herself as one of the most compelling rising stars on the FIS World Cup circuit. The Truckee, California native earned her first call up to the pro team roster after a breakout 2024-25 season that included two top-8 finishes against the world’s best - signaling she’s not just climbing the ranks, but ready to contend at the highest level of slopestye & big air snowboarding.

From the backcountry to a rail jam and everything in between, Norman’s versatility is what sets her apart. Radiating equal parts determination and positivity, Hahna’s  infectious confidence is apparent every time she drops in and the 20-year-old is forging her own path in the ever-evolving industry. 

With the ever important 2025-26 season quickly approaching, Norman opens up on her mindset behind her rise and what’s fueling her focus heading into the first World Cup.

Q: What initially drew you to the sport?
HAHNA NORMAN: I loved the carefree culture. I grew up ski racing and I would always envy the snowboarders on the mountain because they always looked like they were having more fun. On my days off from ski racing I would follow my brother into the park and just have an absolute blast. There was this specific drill we would do before race team each morning where we had to take two laps with one ski on while the coaches would get organized for the day. Since the coaches weren’t around I would try and use my single ski as a snowboard by strapping my feet to it with my ski poles. That’s when I knew it was time to make the switch :)

Q: When you were younger and getting into the sport, what were your goals?
HN: To be honest I didn’t have any. I was a very “live in the moment” kid and never thought too far into the future. For me snowboarding was just a weekend gig that I think my parents partially used as daycare haha. I also got a later start to the game due to moving around a lot so I also kinda thought having a career in snowboarding was a bit off the table. It wasn’t until I was probably about 15 or 16 that I started to realize I could go far if I worked for it.

Q: What is your biggest accomplishment?
HN: I think my biggest accomplishment is learning to love myself. Not to get crazy deep but I spent a lot of time hating most parts about myself and it made me quite miserable. Maybe it just comes with age but as of late I’ve been feeling very grateful of who I am and exited to chase the never ending quest of becoming more awesome!! But besides that I was pretty stoked to make the US Pro Slopestyle team this year

Q: What is your ultimate goal?
HN: Hmmm it seems to be ever changing but probably just to make an impact in some form. Whether that means having the most dominant competitive arc the sport has ever seen or to teach a kid a new trick that they never forget.

Q: Who are your heroes? Both in & out of the sport.
HN: Mom and Dad obvi!! Coolest people around I swear. In the sport I’d say it’s a handful of people. I want to have Anna Gassers humor, koko’s style, creativity like Rene, and beast mode like Zoi. I also used to watch Susie Green Burg 270 on repeat so I think if any of those guy knew who I was I would probably go nonverbal on scene.

Questions sponsored by Zion's Bank.

Q: You win $5,000 in prize money: What do you do with it?
HN: I would probably save/invest it so I could buy a house in a few years. Depending on the scale of of this hypothetical victory in which $5,000 prize money was earned I MIGHT take out $60 to get get my nails done but realistically even then I would probably gaslight myself into thinking I need to save that money so I can buy a house in a few years.

Q: Do you budget or follow any structure related to spending?
HN: Yes! I’m in the “broke 20s” stage of life at the moment so a budget for me pretty much means don’t spend money on anything unless it’s absolutely necessary.

Q: What’s one money habit you follow?
HN: Always take note of the cheapest gas. This could mean the cheapest gas in your town or my brain takes it farther and breaks it down. First, which of the states that I spend most of my time in has the cheapest gas? Second, which location within that state has the cheapest gas? Third, out of those locations what is the cheapest gas station in that specific area?.

Keep up with Hahna on Instagram HERE!