The wind and snow cleared just in time for the mixed aerials team event at the iFIT Freestyle Ski World Cup, where the U.S. team aimed to put on a show and try new skills in front of the hometown crowd in Lake Placid. 

The Stifel U.S. Ski Team had two teams of three representing tonight; USA 1 comprised Karenna Elliott, who was the top finisher in last night's competition, Chris Lillis and Quinn Dehlinger. USA 2 was made up of Kaila Kuhn, Justin Schoenefeld and Ian Schoenwald, the first team event of his career. Team events begin with the first athlete from each nation jumping, followed by the second from each country, and the third. The top four teams make it from finals to the super finals. 

Elliott and Kuhn kicked things off for the U.S. Elliott put down another beautiful jump to follow up her sixth-place finish yesterday, and Kuhn threw her first-ever triple on snow in competition, a back lay full full. Her jump was slightly overrotated, and she was forced to put her hands down in the snow, but it was an exciting step towards consistently competing triples in World Cups. 

The entire field, including the U.S. teams, struggled with landings throughout the night. The athletes threw their hardest jumps, hoping to perform for the town that has given many of them so much. USA 2 finished the night sixth, followed by USA 2 in seventh. 

Next up, the team is heading up north to Lac-Beauport, Canada, for a set of two aerials events Jan. 25-26. 

RESULTS
Mixed Aerials Team

The event that aerials athletes have waited for over the past six years came to fruition on Saturday night, as the FIS Freestyle World Cup returned to Lake Placid for the first time since 2019. The years spent waiting were not for nothing, as the crowd, atmosphere, and competition at the iFIT Freestyle Ski World Cup were worth waiting for. 

The day began with women’s qualifications, and competitors battled inconsistent winds and overcast weather. Many women changed their jumps throughout the first round and adjusted their start positions at the last minute, with mixed success. Despite these uncontrolables, Karenna Elliott led the way for the U.S. women, qualifying in third, along with Kyra Dossa in seventh.

Dani Loeb narrowly missed out on finals, finishing 13th overall, followed by Winter Vinecki in 14th, Kaila Kuhn in 15th, Amelia Glogowski in 18th, Tasia Tanner in 23rd and Cate McEneany in 27th. 

The snow began to fall as the men started their training jumps before qualifying. The wind and snow continued to have an impact; however, the leading U.S. men remained unphased. Justin Schoenefeld took the top U.S. spot and tied with Li Xinpeng from China with the best score in qualification. Quinn Dehlinger was right behind, qualifying third, followed by Chris Lillis in ninth.

Ian Schoenwald had a solid performance but missed out on finals, finishing 17th, followed by Ashton Salwan in 18th, Derek Krueger in 20th. Park City Ski & Snowboard’s Brady Flynn made his World Cup debut at only 16 years old, finishing the day 31st.

The snow continued to fall for the remainder of the evening as the crowd started to pour into the Olympic Jumping Complex. The women’s and men’s finals were cutthroat, as the competitors started to get more comfortable with the conditions and increased the difficulty. Elliott was the lone U.S. athlete to advance to super finals between men and women.

In super finals, Elliott attempted a back full double full, with the highest difficulty score from the women. Her jump was beautifully executed in the air but, unfortunately, slightly overrotated, forcing her to lean back on her landing, putting her in sixth place.

“The crowd was awesome out here. A hometown crowd is incredible so I had to put down a big jump that’s the highest degree of difficulty that I have, so I just really had to go for it,” said Elliott. “Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for me tonight but we’ll try again!"

Dossa popped into the top 10, finishing ninth. On the men's side, Dehlinger was the top man in seventh. Lillis was ninth and Schoenefeld 10th.

Tomorrow is set to be another exciting day, as the mixed aerials team event is coming to home snow for the first time. Tune in at 7:00 p.m. ET on Outside TV to watch live from Lake Placid. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced the eight athletes representing the United States at the 2025 FISU Winter World University Games in moguls skiing, which will take place Jan. 13-23 in Torino, Italy.

The University Games are the largest international winter multi-sport event for student-athletes, showcasing their athletic abilities and educational achievements. The athletes will compete in moguls and dual moguls against the best University aged athletes in the world.

2025 FISU WINTER WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES TEAM

(Hometown; University; Club; Birthdate)

Women

• Zoe Dwinell (Park City, UT; University of Utah; Wasatch Freestyle; 12/29/2004)
• Skylar Slettene (Hunter, NY; University of Utah; Wasatch Freestyle; 2/10/2004)
• Sami Worthington (Park City, UT; University of Utah; Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 6/15/2004)
• August Davis (Tahoe, CA; Wasatch Freestyle; University of California Berkeley; 12/27/2003) 

Men

• Stephen Boone (Los Alamos, NM; University of Utah; Wasatch Freestyle; 1/4/2005)
• Jackson Crockett (Park City, UT; University of Utah; Park City Ski & Snowboard; 10/23/2002)
• Trae DaMore (Burlington, MA; Westminster University; Wasatch Freestyle; 4/20/2006)
• Jacob Spalter (Killington, VT; University of Utah; Wasatch Freestyle; 12/23/2005)

STAFF

Trevor Reilly - Team U.S. Lead // Wasatch Freestyle
Sam Tarrant - Park City Ski & Snowboard

SCHEDULE

Jan. 14 // Moguls

• Qualification // 5:00 am ET
• Finals // 8:30 am ET

Jan. 15 // Dual Moguls 

• Heats // 5:00 am ET
• Finals // 9:00 am ET

Tune in to watch any of the events live on FISU TV.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced the 12 athletes who have qualified to represent the United States in moguls skiing at the 2025 FIS Freestyle Junior Ski World Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Jan. 7-9, 2025. 

This year’s team comprises top U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes from clubs nationwide, including some of the best junior athletes in the world. Abby McLarnon, Jiah Cohen and Porter Huff all represented the United States at the 2024 Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea, where they brought home five medals (one gold, one silver, three bronze). Reese Chapdelaine and Jack Petrone are returning for their second Junior World Championships, each earning top 15 finishes prior. With a history of strong results at the junior level, this year's Junior World Championships are sure to excite. 

2025 FIS FREESTYLE JUNIOR SKI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM

(Hometown; Club; Birthdate)

Women

• Anabel Ayad (Steamboat Springs, CO; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; 9/1/2005)
• Reese Chapdelaine (Vail, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 9/3/2005)
• Katie Dreitlein (Montrose, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 2/21/2008)
• Jessica Duda (Brownsville, PA; Wasatch Freestyle; 12/12/2005)
• Eden Kruger (Hopewell Junction, NY; Killington Mountain School; 11/10/2009)
• Abby McLarnon (Steamboat Springs, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 10/16/2006)

Men

• Jiah Cohen (Minturn, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 05/28/2006)
• Nate Gendron (Park City, UT; Wasatch Freestyle; 8/25/2006)
• Porter Huff (Winter Park, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 4/2/2008)
• Chase Littlefield (Yarmouth, ME; Wasatch Freestyle; 3/9/2006)
• Freddie Mickel (Durango, CO; Wasatch Freestyle; 7/10/2006)
• Jack Petrone (Glastonbury, CT; Wasatch Freestyle; 2/2/2005)

STAFF

Ann Battelle -  Lead U.S. Coach (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club)
David Dreitlein – Medical Lead
Freddy Mooney – Ski & Snowboard Club Vail
Emerson Smith - Wasatch Freestyle

ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN 2025 COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Jan. 7 // Moguls
Jan. 8 // Dual moguls
Jan. 9 // Dual moguls team 

The longer than anticipated wait for the start of the dual moguls season was worth it, as Jaelin Kauf dominated the competition today in Bakuriani to earn her ninth career win and start the season with the coveted yellow leader bib. 

The Kokhta Moguls Course - the longest course in the world - didn’t make this an easy feat, as competitors succumbed to the mounds throughout the day due to the length and depth of the bumps in Georgia. It would have been easy for something like this to get into an athlete's head, but not for Kauf. Round after round, she continued to outdo herself with faster times, cleaner turns and bigger jumps. 

“That was the play today - to get out in front and stay out in front. Anastassiya Gorodko (KAZ) definitely gave me a run for my money earlier, but I felt like I laid down really solid runs all day, and I’m super excited to end up on top of the podium,” said Kauf. “I’m going to try to hold onto that [yellow bib] this year.”

The women shined throughout today, with all five starters advancing to the round of 16. Kasey Hogg joined Kauf in the quarter-finals, where she tied her dual moguls personal best, finishing seventh after a tough dual against Canada’s Maia Schwinghammer. In the semi-finals, Kauf took on reigning Olympic gold medalist Perrine Laffont (FRA), who is back to competition after 21 months away from the sport. Despite her time away, she has already stood atop the podium twice this season. Kauf won her semi-final 20 to 15 to advance to the big final, where she met Rino Yanagimoto (JPN). Yanagimoto is known for her consistent and clean composure in the bumps, but today, nothing stopped Kauf and her speed. Kauf won the big final 24 to 11. Alli Macuga finished 13th, followed by Tess Johnson in 15th and Olivia Giaccio in 16th. 

On the men’s side, Asher Michel was the sole U.S. athlete to advance to finals. In the round of 16, he took on Ikuma Korishima (JPN) who entered today’s competition ranked second in the world in dual moguls from last season. Though he lost his dual, Michel earned a new dual moguls personal best, finishing 10th today, a massive jump from his previous best of 23rd he learned last season in Deer Valley. 

The team is returning to the States for the holidays and a training block in Utah before they head back on the road to start their North American tour in Waterville Valley, NH, Jan. 24-25. 

RESULTS
Men
Women

The Stifel U.S. Ski Team moguls athletes took on the longest moguls course in the world in Bakuriani, Georgia, running 280m (918 ft) long, and Olivia Giaccio put down the run of her life to win her third career World Cup. Jaelin Kauf rounded out the podium in third place and Asher Michel earned a new career best in eighth. 

The men’s moguls qualification were pushed a day early to combat lighting and weather issues. Nick Page and Michel advanced for the U.S. into today’s finals competition. 

The snow front that swept through Georgia created sizeable changes to the moguls course, leading to larger bumps than the athletes are used to. There were nerves in the air throughout qualifications as the women got used to the change, while many struggled to adapt. Despite the challenges, all six U.S. women advanced to the finals for the second time this season. 

In the men’s finals, Michel put down a career-defining run, earning a new personal best of eighth place in only his second career finals appearance. Page finished ninth. 

In finals, the U.S. women continued to shine with Giaccio landing in the top spot heading into super finals, followed by Tess Johnson in fourth and Kauf in sixth. Giaccio had the fans on the edge of their seats as she entered the moguls course for her super finals run as the last athlete to drop in. Perrine Laffont (FRA) had just executed a clean run to edge out Jaelin Kauf from the top position, and Maia Schwinghammer succumbed to the bumps seconds before. All eyes were on Giaccio, and she did not stutter. She landed two beautiful cork 720 variations to earn the highest women’s air (jump) score of the day with 18 points. Giaccio’s final score was over 3.5 points higher than Laffont. 

“I really just wanted to try and make my super finals run better than the last run I skied. I think I was able to do that. I wasn’t sure where I was going to end up, so I’m very happy to walk away with the win,” said Giaccio. “I made a few changes over prep season for my jumps, and I still have more to give, which is exciting, so I’m really happy with how things are working right now.” 

Tomorrow, the team will take on the long-anticipated first dual moguls event of the season. Tune in to qualifications at 12:45 am ET on YouTube and finals at 3:00 am ET on skiandsnowboard.live. 

MOGULS RESULTS
Men
Women

It was a foggy, cold, and icy day in Idre Fjäll, Sweden, which helped athletes find extra speed and higher scores, including seven U.S. athletes who advanced to the finals, with Jaelin Kauf finishing fourth.

The fastest woman on the World Cup circuit, Kauf, set the tone early, putting down the fastest time in qualification, landing in fifth right behind teammate Olivia Giaccio. Alli Macuga, Kasey Hogg, and Tess Johnson also advanced to finals alongside Giaccio and Kauf, giving the U.S. the largest contingency. 

In finals, Kauf put down a scorcher, earning just under 18 speed points, moving her up to third in the standings. Giaccio earns her high scores from the air section of the points scoring, and she finished finals with the highest air score in the field, landing in fourth. Johnson rounded out the women moving on to super finals with her textbook turns and consistency, qualifying in fifth. 

The women’s super finals battle was intense, with competitors earning scores higher than we’ve seen so far this season. In her super finals run, Kauf put down the fastest time of the day along with an impeccable turns score but was unable to battle the air scores from Anthony (AUS), Lafont (FRA) and Schwinghammer (CAN) to land on the podium, finishing fourth. Giaccio was close behind in fifth, followed by Johnson in sixth. 

On the men’s side, Nick Page and Dylan Walczyk qualified on to the finals round. Throughout the day, Page put down consistent runs, finishing finals in fourth place. The competition was incredibly close, with just over one point separating first from fourth place. Page ended the day in fifth overall following a beautiful super finals run.  

Next up, the team takes on the first dual moguls World Cup of the season tomorrow in Idre Fjäll. Watch live at 7:30 am ET on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Men
Women

The 2024-25 FIS Freestyle Moguls circuit has officially kicked off on the iconic battery run in Ruka, Finland, where Olivia Giaccio added another podium to her resume, finishing third overall. All six U.S. women finished in the top 13. 

"I put a newer trick for me on my top jump, and it was great to see that pan out in the judges’ scores," said Giaccio. "I love the consistency of this first stop here. Our team always spends a few weeks in Ruka before the first event of the season, so it’s fun to dial in the finer details before gearing up for the big show."

Ruka is a staple on the moguls circuit. It has been held annually since 2011 and consistently provides great results for the Stifel U.S. Freestyle Team. In 2021, Giaccio earned her first World Cup win on this course. The athletes battled thick fog and freezing conditions on the bumps early in the day, proving challenging for many competitors. 

Despite the conditions, all six U.S. women advanced from qualifying to finals. Jaelin Kauf, who qualified in third, suffered some instability in the midsection, lowering her turn score forcing her out of the super finals, finishing 10th. Kasey Hogg finished just behind in 11th and Alli Macuga in 13th. 

Three women advanced to the super finals, where Olivia Giaccio secured her 13th career podium. Tess Johnson and Kai Owens also gave suburb performances, finishing fifth and sixth overall, respectively. 

On the men’s side, Charlie Mickel, Dylan Walczyk and Cole McDonald advanced to finals. This is Mickel’s first full season on the World Cup circuit, earning an individual start after winning the 2023-24 NorAm circuit. He finished 12th overall. Walczyk rounded out the top 10, finishing in ninth. McDonald gave a beautiful finals run and advanced to super finals in fifth and ended the day fifth overall. 

Next up, the moguls athletes will head to Idre Fjäll, Sweden for a set of moguls and dual moguls events Dec. 6-7. 

RESULTS
Men
Women