2024-25 Season is Here: Ferreira Second, Irvings Fourth in New Zealand
In the first World Cup of the 2024-25 season, the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team had six athletes land in the top 10, led by Alex Ferreira in second and Svea Irving right off the podium in fourth.
After enduring tricky weather in Cardrona, New Zealand, the halfpipe team had a strong showing for the season's first contest. Two-time Olympic medalist Ferreira is hungry for more wins as he kicked off his campaign with a second-place finish. Ferreira put down clean second and third runs, battling with Canada’s Brendan MacKay, who ultimately won the day. Canada’s Andrew Longino finished third.
“It felt great to be back in competition testing the nerves again," said Ferreira, who had won the last seven straight World Cup halfpipes before Cardrona. "It was a challenging day for everyone due to the weather conditions but they managed to run the event. I am super grateful to be healthy and on the podium. Life is good!"
The American men showed up with solid skiing and a taste of what’s to come this season, with Birk Irving finishing fourth, Hunter Hess fifth, Nick Geiser eighth and Dylan Ladd ninth. Olympian and 2022-23 World Cup Crystal Globe winner Birk Irving put together a great run despite the tricky conditions and teammate Hess, who finished the 2023-24 season in second overall, showed off his creative and stylish run that earned him high praise from the judges. It was Geiser’s first World Cup final and the best career finish.
On the women’s side, Svea Irving led the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team women’s team and finished fourth - she was the sole U.S. woman to qualify for finals. The women’s field in Cardrona was the toughest in years with many halfpipe veterans returning after some time off. Irving’s fourth-place finish showed her ability to compete alongside the best and showed promise for the contests ahead. Teammate Riley Jacobs missed finals, coming in 10th at qualifications earlier this week.
China’s Eileen Gu ended the contest with her first win of the season, with teammate Kexin Zhang in second and Canada’s Rachel Karker rounding out the women's in third.
In the coming weeks, the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team halfpipe team will remain in the Southern Hemisphere to finish their last weeks of summer training. They will be back in action in early December for the Secret Garden World Cup in China.
