U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the governing body for skiing and snowboarding in the United States, has officially wrapped one of its most successful seasons in history. Throughout the organization’s 10 sports, U.S. Ski & Snowboard brought home four Nations Cups, 13 individual FIS Crystal Globes, 14 Youth Olympic Games medals, 14 Junior World Championships medals, and had two teams, cross country and freeski, end their year with their most successful seasons in history. Alongside the athletic success, the organization hosted 11 domestic World Cups and is celebrating the launch of initiatives and new partners that are reshaping the organization and celebrating a successful revenue year. 

Breaking Down the Numbers: a Historic 2023-24 Season

Four U.S. teams brought home the coveted Nations Cup this season, awarded to a nation that tallied up the most World Cup points throughout the season: the Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team in both moguls and aerials, the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team park & pipe team and the U.S. Para Snowboard Team. The women’s moguls team is the best in the world for a reason, with six of the world's top 10 spots held by U.S. women. 

The FIS Crystal Globe is awarded to the most successful World Cup athletes in their respective sports. The Globe is given on both a discipline and an overall basis and this season, the U.S. Ski & Snowboard teams brought home 13 globes. The FIS overall Crystal Globe, seen by many athletes as more prestigious than an Olympic medal, was won by four U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes, including freeskier Alex Ferreira, cross country skier Jessie Diggins and Para snowboarders Brenna Huckaby and Noah Elliott. 

On the freeski side, two-time Olympic medalist Ferreira won every halfpipe contest he competed in, a feat never seen before in freestyle skiing. He also secured the overall Crystal Globe for freeski park & pipe with his perfect season and the discipline Globe in halfpipe, with his teammates Mac Forehand and Alex Hall winning the slopestyle and big air Globes, respectively. Ferreira also won the X Games and Dew Tour halfpipe, bringing his total 2023-24 season victories to seven out of seven.

Three-time Olympic medalist Diggins took home the overall Crystal Globe for the second time in her storied career after her most successful season to date, which included setting a record for the best season in U.S. history for a cross country athlete, winning the overall Tour de Ski and bringing home six victories and 12 podiums. She also secured the distance discipline Globe. 

Two-time Paralympic medalist Elliott of the U.S. Para Snowboard Team closed out a phenomenal season, where he found the podium seven out of eight times and added six World Cup wins to his resume to secure the overall and banked slalom Globes. Teammate Brenna Huckaby, who won the first-ever gold medal in the banked slalom discipline at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, added yet another overall Globe to her resume, along with two discipline Globes. Peggy Martin also secured the Globe for banked slalom.

Despite an injury sidelining Mikaela Shiffrin for six weeks, the most dominant alpine skier of all time still took home the title of best slalom skier of the year—her eighth slalom Globe in her exceptional career. 

2023-24 Season Globes  

• Noah Elliott - Para Snowboard Overall
• Noah Elliott - Para Snowboard Banked Slalom
• Jessie Diggins - Cross Country Overall
• Jessie Diggins - Cross Country Distance
• Alex Ferreira - Freeski Park & Pipe Overall
• Alex Ferreira - Freeski Halfpipe 
• Mac Forehand - Freeski Slopestyle 
• Alex Hall - Freeski Big Air
• Brenna Huckaby - Para Snowboard Overall
• Brenna Huckaby - Para Snowboard Cross 
• Brenna Huckaby - Para Snowboard Banked Slalom
• Peggy Martin - Para Snowboard Banked Slalom
• Mikaela Shiffrin - Alpine Slalom 

The junior skiers and snowboarders also shined, showcasing the dominant pipeline making its way to the top. U.S. Ski & Snowboard secured 14 medals in skiing and snowboarding at the Youth Olympic Games, including three golds, marking a significant improvement over previous years. Notably, the team clinched its first-ever ski jumping, ski cross and mixed team dual moguls medals. The U.S. also won an additional 14 medals at the Junior World Championships and U23 Junior World Championships, including the first-ever cross country sprint and men’s ski jumping medals. 

“The success of this season is a true testament to the hard work and dedication from not only the athletes but the team behind the team,” said Anouk Patty, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief of Sport. “It takes everyone to find this level of excellence and I am confident that next season we will see even more. As we take the time to reflect on these past several months, I am so proud of what our team has accomplished and know that in many areas, we’re just getting started.”

Success Off the Snow

Off the snow, the success of U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s foundation and partnerships team has been equally as impressive during the 2023-24 season. Revenue growth surpassed expectations, reaching record level for the organization.

This season, U.S. Ski & Snowboard welcomed more key partners to the team. New partners included United Airlines, iFit, Hedlum Brewing, Knockaround and NakedCashmere. Existing partners like Stifel, Hydro Flask and Textron Aviation expanded their partnerships in a variety of ways, including sponsoring World Cup events and fundraisers, supporting more teams and partnering with individual athletes, with Stifel and Hydro Flask becoming the title sponsors of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team and Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team.

“Working with prominent brands like Stifel, Hydro Flask, Toyota, United Airlines, iFit, Kappa and more solidifies our commitment to excellence,” said Trisha Worthington, Chief Revenue and Philanthropy Officer at U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “This season, we dove deeper into what we can do with these partners by working together on marketing initiatives and enhancing what a partnership can look like.” 

This season, U.S. Ski & Snowboard introduced Easy Green, the organization’s new climate initiative. Named after an “easy green” trail at a resort, the concept embodies the idea that making sustainable choices should be easy. It included partnerships with leaders in the climate advocacy space, including Protect Our Winters, the National Ski Areas Association’s Sustainable Slopes, Keep Tahoe Blue and more. The HERoic initiative, focused on promoting women athletes and coaches, also continued. HERoic panels were held around the country at domestic World Cup events, featuring women trailblazers across various fields of sport and industry. 

With the season wrapping up, the U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes will take well-deserved breaks but the 2024-25 season is just around the corner, with more records to break and history to be made. 

“Success does not happen overnight,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “What U.S. Ski & Snowboard has accomplished this season came from years of hard work, both on and off the snow. I am proud to lead an organization that cares deeply about the athletes that represent our teams and know that coming off a season like this, the momentum is palpable and we are ready to get back to it and continue making history.”

This weekend, the country’s best up-and-coming moguls athletes flocked to Utah, for the second annual Snowbird Open hosted by Wasatch Freestyle at Snowboard Ski Resort. Over two days, 80+ athletes competed in moguls and dual moguls events. The results from this event have direct implications for next year’s NorAm tour start group, which will be finalized this summer. 

Jackson Crockett of Park City Ski & Snowboard took the top box in the men's moguls event. He was joined by Jack Petrone of Wasatch Freestyle in second and Jameson Kust of Ski & Snowboard Club Vail in third. Petrone had a great season, finishing ninth at the U.S. championships last month. 

On the women’s side, Emma Bosco, representing Australia and Park City Ski & Snowboard, set the standard with consistent performances all day to finish on top. August Davis of Telluride Freestyle took second place, followed by Isabel Powell of Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. Davis had an impressive run at U.S. championships in Waterville Valley, finishing seventh against extremely tough competition. 

On day two, the athletes took on dual moguls. Camden Lewis of the Gould Academy, who has made great strides on the NorAm circuit this year, won for the men. Lewis recently represented the United States at the 2024 FIS Freestyle Junior World Ski Championships in Chiesa in Valmalenco, Italy. The podium was completed by Issac Alva and Stephen Boone of Wasatch Freestyle in second and third, respectively. 

Julia Coors of the Winter Park Competition Center led the way for the women in duals, followed by Katie Dreitlein of Ski & Snowboard Club Vail in second and Anabel Ayad of Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club in third. 

This is the final domestic moguls event of the season across all levels, and the athletes will now head into their summer preparations for next year. 

RESULTS
Men's Moguls
Women's Moguls
Men's Dual Moguls
Women's Dual Moguls

PARK CITY, Utah (April 24, 2024) – The Stifel U.S. Ski Team announced key staffing changes for the upcoming 2024-25 season across both the men’s and women’s alpine teams. 

Both alpine teams had a strong 2023-24 season, securing 10 World Cup wins, 21 podiums and 51 top 10 results in the World Cup across 11 athletes.

“We had a very good 2023-24 season and we are excited to build upon this success with these new hires,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief of Sport Anouk Patty. “The coaches joining our organization are sure to make a positive impact on the future of our alpine programs.”

The team will be led by men’s head coach Mark Tilston and women’s head coach Paul Kristofic.

MEN

Longtime coach with the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, Ian Garner, is stepping down as the head men’s World Cup tech coach. Garner led the men’s tech team to some strong results across the board for several seasons, highlighted by River Radamus’ career best season this past year including his first podium . 

“We are so grateful for everything that Ian has done with the men’s World Cup team,” said Tilston. “His knowledge is invaluable to us and we look forward to collaborating with him as we make this transition.”

Stepping in as the head men’s World Cup giant slalom coach is Fabien Munier. Munier joins the Stifel U.S. Ski Team from the French Ski Federation where he has most notably worked with Olympic medalist, world champion and previous overall FIS Crystal Globe winner Alexis Pinterault, as well as the French Europa Cup speed and World Cup tech teams. 

Former French Ski Federation coach Claude Cretier also joins the men’s World Cup group. Cretier, an Olympic ski racer who finished fifth in the 2002 downhill, coached French greats such as Pinterault and Olympic medalist Victor Muffat-Jeandet. 

“Fabien and Claude’s background with the French Ski Federation shows that both have the experience and drive to make a positive impact on our team,” said Tilston. “We have a great group of athletes and Fabien and Claude will push our athletes to the next level of competition.”

On the men’s slalom side, Tristan Glasse-Davies joins the team as the head men’s slalom World Cup coach. Glasse-Davies most recently coached with GB Snowsports as the head men’s slalom coach for Dave Ryding as well as up-and-coming slalom skiers Billy Major and Laurie Taylor. Glasse-Davies has been key in Ryding’s slalom career, coaching him to one of the top slalom skiers in the world. Glasse-Davies was also a pivotal member of the team that claimed Great Britain’s first ever alpine World Cup win with Ryding at Kitzbühel in 2022. 

“It is exciting to have Tristan join our men’s slalom group,” said Tilston. “Tristan’s direction and experience is sure to help our slalom skiers reach their full potential.”

The men’s Europa Cup team will see new leadership under Clement Tomamichel. Tomamichel most recently coached with the French Ski Federation on the women’s development and Europa Cup teams. 

WOMEN

On the women’s alpine side, head tech coach Magnus Andersson has stepped down from his position. Andersson was a pivotal member of the women’s staff for eight years, leading the women’s tech team to a career-best season, first time podiums and Nations Cup discipline wins. “Through the years on the team Magnus has had an incredible impact on our athletes and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors” said Kristofic. Rudi Soulard has since been promoted to head women’s tech coach. Soulard was the assistant coach with the tech team in 2023-24 and made excellent strides with the staff and athletes alike.

His previous coaching experience includes head slalom coach for the French women’s team, coaching World Cup great Viktoria Rebensburg to two Olympic medals, two World Championship medals, 49 World Cup podiums and three giant slalom FIS Crystal Globes. Soulard is no stranger to the organization – he was also the head men’s tech coach with the Stifel U.S. Ski Team from 2008-10 where he worked with Ted Ligety as he secured two giant slalom Crystal Globes and a bronze medal at the 2009 Alpine World Championships.

“We are thrilled to have Rudi at the helm of our women’s tech team,” said Kristofic. “We know he will continue to build upon and raise the bar of this talented group of skiers.”  

Mikaela Shiffrin will bring in a new assistant coach this upcoming season with Janne Haarala, who most recently coached the Norwegian national team. He was the head women’s tech coach with the Norwegians for the past six years. 

“I’m super stoked to be part of the journey with the most successful alpine skier in the world,” said Haarala. “I am committed to working hard and sharing my experience and passion for alpine skiing with this team.” 

Finally, the women’s Europa Cup team will also have a new coach: Miha Kurner. Kurner joins the team from Killington Mountain School where he was the Alpine Program Director and U18 women’s coach. Kurner will bring a breadth of not just coaching experience but also his successful racing career where on the Slovenian Alpine Ski Team he raced on the Europa Cup and World Cup circuits. 

“We are very excited about the future of the alpine program with these excellent new hires,” said Patty. “These new staff additions build upon our previous success leading into a World Championships season and Olympic year on the horizon. Our teams are ready and equipped to begin prepping for the coming season.” 

A full staff announcement will be released this fall, in tandem with the official Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team announcement. 

The cross country ski season has officially wrapped and the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team is celebrating the most successful season in history. 

Looking back at the first World Cup of the season in Ruka, Finland, Rosie Brennan was on the podium twice, alongside teammate Jessie Diggins. The season was clearly off to a strong start, but if you were to tell the 20+ athletes and coaching staff that they were on the way to their most successful season in history, well, they likely already knew. 

This season, there were no World Championships and Olympics, but there was one race that felt like the two of them combined - the Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Head Coach Matt Whitcomb, in an interview with FasterSkier, remarked, "We often talk about athletes peaking for big events, but I'd never considered that our American ski culture could peak for an event." This was the first time in over 23 years that a World Cup cross country event have been held in the United States and was the first time that the U.S. athletes would get the opportunity to race a World Cup on home snow. 

Jumping into the season, with 15 World Cups and over 35 races, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team achieved remarkable success: 22 World Cup podiums, spanning 38 races with six different athletes on the podium, an overall FIS Crystal Globe, a distance Globe, fourth place in the Nations Cup, third place in the U23 Rookie of the Year category, numerous first World Cup starts, and career-best results nearly every race.

Breaking down the numbers:

• 40 American athletes started a World Cup, with six standing on the podium.
• Jessie Diggins secured the FIS Overall Crystal Globe and distance globe for the second time in her career, boasting 12 podiums and six victories in a single season, setting a record for most wins in a single American season.
• Jessie Diggins won the Tour de Ski for the second time in her career. 
• Gus Schumacher achieved the first distance victory by a U.S. male in 43 years, dating back to the Bill Koch era, with his win in the 10k skate in Minneapolis.
• JC Schoonmaker earned his career-first podium in the Östersund World Cup classic sprint, becoming the first U.S. man in seven years to reach the podium.
• Ben Ogden clinched his first podium during the Tour de Ski, securing third place in the Toblach World Cup skate sprint.
• Rosie Brennan secured five individual podiums, including two in one weekend in Ruka, Finland.
• Sophia Laukli claimed her first World Cup win and second podium, dominating the Alpe Cermis hill climb on the final stage of the Tour de Ski.
• Zanden McMullen achieved several career-best races, finishing the season ranked third in the world for men under 23.
• Sammy Smith won a silver medal at the Junior World Championships in Planica, Slovenia, becoming the first American to win a sprint medal at this event.
• John Steel Hagenbuch earned a sprint bronze medal at the U23 World Championships.
• Haley Brewster secured second place in the U23s 20k skate race.

While the points above are highlights, the 2023-24 season was bright beyond podium finishes and top 10 rankings. The Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis showcased the vibrant culture of cross-country skiing in America and offered a glimpse into the future. With approximately 40,000 fans attending the Saturday and Sunday races, the world took notice of the event. Statements like "I couldn't hear myself breathe it was so loud," "This is what all World Cups should look like," and "Magic in Minneapolis" echoed from the world's best athletes as they visited the U.S. for the first World Cup in over 23 years. Then, to have six different athletes on the podium throughout the season, met by the first World Cup starts from several young Americans to career-best results at nearly every race, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team showed that they are the team to beat. 

As the season drew to a close, it became evident that the 23 athletes making up the roster had raised the bar for what is achievable in American skiing and as athletes return to training, the 2024-25 season has already begun, with the door wide open for what can happen next. 

As the sun shines and the snow starts to melt off the mountains, it's time to reflect on the success of the 2023-24 season for the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team. 

In total, the alpine team brought home 10 World Cup wins, 21 podiums and 51 top 10 results across the men and women’s World Cup teams. With multiple career best seasons, overall ranks, first-time podiums and stellar comeback seasons, let’s take a look at how it all shook out. 

Men’s Alpine 

On the men’s tour this season, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team bagged three podiums, one World Cup win and 17 top 10 results. The season started off with a bang in Val Gardena, Italy for the men’s speed team when two-time Olympian Bryce Bennett won the first downhill of the season, his second World Cup win. Bennett did it in style coming from behind to upset speed superstars Marco Odermatt of Switzerland and Aleksander Kilde of Norway. (If you haven't seen the reaction video of this moment, it's worth a look.) Bennett followed up his win with a third place result just two days later on the same track. Also to note - Bennett made the second largest downhill rank leap this season from 37th to fifth in the world. 

Teammate and Olympic silver medalist Ryan Cochran-Siegle also had a strong and consistent season. His best result was a fourth place in Kitzbühel, Austria in the first of two downhills, finishing just 0.01 seconds off a podium result. Both Bennett and Cochran-Siegle finished their downhill season with career best rankings: Bennett fifth in the discipline and Cochran-Siegle eighth. Younger athlete Kyle Negomir also made positive strides, finishing in the top 30 for super-G.  

Overall, it was a step in the right direction for the men’s speed team as a unit, closing the season with six men in the top 20 in the final downhill in Kvitfjell, Norway. The team finished fifth in the Nations Cup for downhill—just a few points off Austria in fourth. 

On the men’s tech side, River Radamus had his best ever season. Radamus consistently posted strong giant slalom results, all leading up to his first World Cup podium on home snow at the Stifel Palisades Tahoe Cup where he scored third place. Radamus also dabbled in slalom, shooting up from bib 70 to 19th place in Adelboden, Switzerland and showed solid super-G results with a top 10 result in Garmisch, Germany. He finished his giant slalom season ranked 11th, his best rank to date. 

On the men’s slalom team, Jett Seymour continued to show his speed in the stacked men’s field with his best result coming at the Stifel Palisades Tahoe Cup in 15th. 

It was an exciting season for the team’s young guns too. Up-and-coming tech skier Ryder Sarchett won gold at Junior Worlds in the giant slalom, the United States’ first gold in the discipline since Radamus in 2019. This victory enabled him to make his World Cup debut at World Cup Finals, when he scored the third fastest second run in the giant slalom, proving that he is ready for the big leagues. Jack Smith also made his World Cup debut this season in the super-G in Garmisch, Germany. 

Women’s Alpine

The women’s alpine season was highlighted by the winningest alpine skier of all time, Mikaela Shiffrin, claiming her record-equaling eighth slalom Crystal Globe—despite being out of the circuit for six weeks due to a knee injury. This season, Shiffrin again won more World Cups than any other woman on the circuit—nine victories across three disciplines, including a downhill, a giant slalom and seven wins in slalom. She now has 97 World Cup wins to her name, with an astounding win number 100 just around the corner.

AJ Hurt had a tremendous breakthrough year on the World Cup circuit, securing her first two World Cup podiums: one in slalom and one in giant slalom. She proved that she is a force on the women’s tech circuit across both disciplines. Teammate Paula Moltzan also showed immense speed and consistency this season, highlighted by her third career World Cup podium in the Soldeu, Andorra slalom race. Moltzan closed out her season with her best giant slalom result to date at World Cup Finals when she scored a sixth place result, her eighth top 10 result in the discipline. 

Although the women’s tech team was smaller this season due to injury setbacks, the women still won the Nations Cup for slalom for the second year in a row with three different women standing on the podium in slalom. A feat that has not happened since 1970 when Barbara Ann Cochran, Kiki Cutter and Jody Nagel all stepped on the podium in slalom that season. 

The women’s World Cup speed circuit was highlighted by Jackie Wiles who made a tremendous comeback this season, landing on the podium in the World Cup downhill in Cortina—the 2026 Olympic venue. Lauren Macuga also had a breakout season, with three top 10 results in super-G, including a fifth place in Kvitfjell, Norway. Macuga ended her season ranked 13th in the women’s super-G standings and qualifying for her first World Cup Finals. 

Tricia Mangan also had a great season on the Europa Cup circuit, securing two super-G podiums and one downhill podium. 

Young Talent

The Stifel U.S. Ski Team brought a few fresh faces to the World Cup tour this season. In the opener in Soelden, Austria, sister duo Elisabeth and Mary Bocock made waves in the ski racing world as they debuted together as the first sisters to make their World Cup debut together since 1999. Dasha Romanov also made her first World Cup start in the Levi, Finland slalom and Allison Mollin made her speed World Cup debut in Crans Montana, Switzerland. 

The future is bright for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team. Along with the impressive World Juniors result by Sarchett and the number of World Cup debuts, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team claimed two NorAm Cup titles this season. Allison Mollin won both the super-G and downhill titles. 

Now the Stifel U.S. Ski Team looks to the future with a World Championships season looming and an Olympics year on the horizon. The team is fired up for a summer of prep and training to continue the fight to be the best in the world. 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced their full support for Dexter Paine in his candidacy for the International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) Council. 

As a visionary leader with a deep commitment to skiing and snowboarding and its athletes, Paine has been involved in governance at both the national and international levels for decades. He served as a member of the FIS Council Executive Committee from 2014-22 and has acted as an ex-officio honorary member from 2022 to the present. Throughout his time with FIS, Paine focused on transparency, communication and inclusivity, including championing for female representation on the Council, longer terms for athlete representatives and the inclusivity of Paralympic sports. 

Paine currently serves as a member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Board of Directors (2021-present), is on the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Foundation Board (2002-24) and is actively involved in the Salt Lake City 2034 Olympic Winter Games bid. Previously, Paine was Chairman of the Board of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Board of Directors (2006-19) and was on U.S. Biathlon’s Board of Directors (2020-24). He has extensive experience in event delivery as an Executive Committee member of the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Vail/Beaver Creek, Colorado and the 2019 Freestyle, Freeski & Snowboard World Championships in Park City, Utah. 

Paine is the chairman at Paine Schwartz Partners and has more than 25 years of investment experience and 35 years in the private equity industry. In addition to his professional achievements, Paine is widely respected for his integrity, vision and dedication to the sport. His collaborative approach and strategic mindset have positioned him as a trusted leader within the skiing and snowboarding community.

The U.S. Ski & Snowboard Board of Directors firmly believes that Paine’s extensive experience and unwavering passion make him the ideal person to represent the interests of athletes and federations worldwide, unanimously putting forward his candidacy. 

"Dexter Paine's dedication to the advancement of skiing and snowboarding is unparalleled,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, President & CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “His leadership has consistently propelled our sports forward, and we know he will bring that same level of commitment and expertise to the FIS Council. We are proud to endorse Dexter and are confident in his ability to advocate effectively for the interests of athletes and federations around the world."

Gene Sykes, Chairman of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, also voiced his support. "As an organization committed to supporting American athletes on the global stage, we recognize the importance of strong leadership within international federations,” said Sykes.
“Dexter’s proven track record of leadership and advocacy aligns perfectly with the values of the Olympic movement. We fully endorse Dexter's candidacy for the FIS Council and believe he will be an outstanding representative for skiing and snowboarding on the international level."

Olympic champion Kikkan Randall, who has served on the IOC Board, USOPC Board and FIS Council, echoed the sentiments: “Dexter has been an incredible leader and advocate for skiing and snowboarding across all levels. He understands the complex needs of all stakeholders and has always championed the athletes' voices in the process. He brings a wealth of experience, tremendous passion and dedication to making sport fair, safe and positioned for growth. Dexter is well respected across the sports universe and has been an excellent collaborator between organizations. I am proud to endorse Dexter’s candidacy.”

The election for the FIS Council takes place at FIS Congress on June 5, 2024. 

In Idre Fjall, Sweden, the Ski Cross Junior World Championships team found tremendous success both individually and in the team event, highlighted by a team event bronze medal from Morgan Shute and Jack Mitchell. 

In the individual competitions, two-time Youth Olympic Games silver medalist Shute claimed fifth place in the individual competition. The next top performer for the U.S. was Maggie Swain in 16th and Molly Hagan in 27th. On the men’s side, Jack Mitchell found the top 10 in ninth place. Walker Robinson was 21st and Sullivan Butler 37th. 

Shute, who hails from Carabassett Valley Academy, and Mitchell, from the Evolve SX/Mission Ridge Ski Team, teamed up together to snag the bronze medal in the team event. 

RESULTS
Ski Cross Junior World Championships

The Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team had the chance to leave a long-lasting mark on the freestyle world this year, an opportunity they took and ran with. Three continents, 11 World Cups and 23 events made it one of the most physically demanding seasons in recent history, but the team went in with a vision and came out to a shift in the U.S. freestyle landscape. 

Aerials

The season started with the moguls and aerials teams together in Ruka, Finland. Ruka has become a familiar starting point for the teams as they often spend weeks training just below the Arctic Circle leading into the World Cup season. This home base was the perfect place for U.S. aerials star Winter Vinecki to compete a triple for the first time, becoming one of the only women to do so on this year's circuit. This was just the beginning of what would become the most dominant season of her career. She went on to win three individual World Cups and helped lead the U.S. to a team win in Changchun, China. On top of competing triples consistently, Vinecki also perfected her doubles technique to make her hard to beat in all aspects of the sport. Vinecki finished the season second overall, only 42 points behind Danielle Scott of Australia. 

Chris Lillis, a veteran in the aerials world, was also part of the winning team in Changchun. In addition to the team win, he brought home two podiums, one of which happened the day prior in Changchun, and was in the top five in four of his six individual starts. Lillis ended the season with a third-place finish in Almaty, wrapping the year third overall. 

This season brought an incredible group of rookies to the scene. Connor Curran made his presence known quickly in his first full season on the World Cup circuit. In just six individual starts, he made his first super finals, earned his first top 10, top five and first podium. His first podium came at the Super Bowl of freestyle skiing: Deer Valley, where he finished second in front of the hometown crowd. At only 19 years old, Curran has shown great promise and will prove to add necessary depth to the men’s team moving forward.

Another name to remember is Karenna Elliott, who first came to the team three years ago. She has worked her way up the NorAm and national ranks, and this season was her first competing on the World Cup circuit full-time. Going into the 2023-24 season, Elliott’s best World Cup result was 12th - a number that she would improve immensely. Throughout the season, she earned her first top 10 result, made her first super finals, earned her first top 5, her first podium, and rounded it out with her first-ever win in Lac-Beauport, Canada. She ended the season ranked sixth in the world. Elliott’s determination and positive attitude have set her up for success, and she will play an integral role in the women’s team going into the World Championships year. 

Tasia Tanner was out of competitions for the better part of the last two seasons recovering from a trove of injuries. Tanner went into this season with no expectations and just wanted to put down clean jumps and have a bit of fun along the way. With a calm mindset and low pressure, Tanner achieved her best season and results yet, with two top fives. She rounded out her breakout season by winning the prestigious FIS Rookie of the Year Award at World Cup Finals in Almaty, Kazakhstan. 

Moguls

The U.S. moguls season was nothing short of historic. From the first event of the season, the team came out swinging. In Ruka, Finland, Elizabeth Lemley kicked off the incredible year for the team, finishing second in moguls alongside teammate Olivia Giaccio in third. Lemley would go on to have one of the most exciting seasons of her career. Lemley earned an additional World Cup podium, two Youth Olympic Games gold medals and finished things out with a podium at the U.S. Championships. 

Olivia Giaccio had the season of a lifetime with consistent performances, personal bests, and never-before-done’s across the board. Following her first podium of the season in Ruka, she earned two more back-to-back third-place moguls finishes. Giaccio earned a new personal best dual moguls result, finishing second in Alpe d’Huez alongside Alli Macuga. On top of her consistent results and technical ability, Giaccio stepped up the game this season with her tricks. Giaccio became the first woman to compete a cork 1080 in a winning World Cup run, all in front of the hometown crowd in Deer Valley. Over the season, Olivia stepped on the podium nine times and finished third in the moguls, dual moguls and overall season standings. 

Alli Macuga was another force to be reckoned with on the circuit this year. Coming off of her rookie season, where she was presented the 2023 FIS Rookie of the Year Award, Macuga was ready to continue making waves. During a training run the day before the first World Cup, Macuga broke her hand; however, she didn’t let this hinder her season. At almost every competition, Alli earned new personal bests, earning her first career podium in Alpe d’Huez, finishing third, and her first moguls podium in Almaty, landing in second. Macuga made it obvious how much talent she possesses and her ability to grow over a season. 

This season featured two domestic World Cup events for the first time since 2018, bringing the athletes back to the birthplace of freestyle skiing: Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. Across two days of moguls competition in Waterville, 18 U.S. athletes stood in the start gate, many earning their first World Cup starts. Skylar Slettene was one of those athletes, stunning the crowd by moving on to the finals in her first-ever World Cup appearance, finishing 14th. Jaelin Kauf and Hannah Soar, a Connecticut native, put on a show for the New England crowd, both landing on the podium on day one of the competition, and the U.S. women swept second-fifth place. On duals day, Kauf was back on the podium, this time alongside Giaccio. 

The most successful U.S. women’s moguls athlete is the one and only Jaelin Kauf, aka the fastest woman on the moguls circuit. Her determination, technical prowess and speed make her one of the greats in World Cups. In Idre Fjäll, Sweden, Kauf earned her eighth career World Cup victory in the dual moguls, an incredible display of perseverance and strength. Throughout the season, she earned 10 additional podium finishes, eight of which were in second place. One of Jaelin’s focuses this season was to keep her speed while implementing more complicated tricks. She accomplished this and more, perfecting her cork 7 while incorporating it into her moguls and dual moguls competition. Kauf improved upon her already impressive season last year to finish second in the moguls, dual moguls and overall standings for the 2023-24 season, just behind 2022 Olympic gold medalist Jakara Anthony. 

Nick Page also used the 2023-24 season to integrate new tricks into his skiing, blowing away the Deer Valley crowd by competing a cork 1440. On top of pushing the sport to new levels, Page is exact in everything he does. His season was highlighted by a second-place finish in Idre Fjäll moguls behind the one and only Mikael Kingsbury. Nick will admit that dual moguls is not his strong suit; however, you wouldn’t be able to tell based on his results this year. He landed on two additional podiums in Bakuriani, Georgia and Chiesa in Valmalenco, Italy, both in dual moguls. 

It was Dylan Marcellini’s first complete season on the World Cup circuit, and it was certainly one to remember. Despite a few rocky results, Marcellini became the hometown hero in Deer Valley. During the dual moguls competition, Marcellini took on veteran Page in the small final. Both athletes struggled in this run, with Page taking a fall and Marcellini almost skiing out, but in the end, Marcellini came out on top to earn his first World Cup podium, all alongside his teammate.

This season saw many other newcomers on the moguls scene. Kasey Hogg, Charlie Mickel and Asher Michel were all able to build their World Cup resumes this year, starting with the North American tour. In Val St. Come, Canada - her first World Cup start of the season - Hogg immediately impacted the sport of moguls, becoming the first woman to compete a cork 1080 in a qualification run. She went on to earn her best career finish the following day in duals, finishing 10th. With newfound confidence going into Waterville, Hogg put on a show for her hometown, finishing fourth in moguls and seventh in duals, two new personal bests. 

Michel made his first moguls World Cup start in Waterville, finishing 11th. He wrapped up the season at the Junior World Championships in Italy, where he put the pieces together to finish third in the moguls event. Mickel, a Park City native, dominated the NorAm circuit all year. He channeled his familiarity with the iconic Champion run at Deer Valley to earn his first moguls top 10 with his friends and family cheering in the crowd. Mickel and Hogg both won their respective NorAm overall trophies, securing themselves individual World Cup starts for next season. 

Team Success

In a year without a World Championships or Olympic Games, this season was all about building routines, executing consistently, and strengthening team culture. With seven wins, 40 podiums, and 150+ top-10 results, it's easy to see these athletes were successful. Both the moguls and aerials teams took home the World Cup Nations Cup, an award given to the nation with the highest number of points across all athletes throughout the season. 

Although there is no official off-season for these athletes, the summer will be spent rejuvenating with friends and family, along with dry land, team meetings, reflection, and travel across the world chasing snow.

This team is pushing the boundaries of what is possible in freestyle skiing and inspiring the next generation of skiers while they are at it. The world is watching for what they will do next.