Paula Moltzan skied to match her career best on Saturday, Dec. 28, in Semmering, Austria, finishing fifth in the giant slalom.

Moltzan, who has been itching for her first World Cup giant slalom podium, finished fourth first run, just 0.56 seconds off of leader Federica Brignone after making a huge save at the last gate to save her from a potential DNF. In the end, she missed the podium by just two hundredths. Italy's Brignone clung to her lead and finished the day in first, followed by Sweden's Sara Hector in second and New Zealand's Alice Robinson in third. 

Moltzan's result is even more impressive, considering the dislocated shoulder contracted after a hard crash in the Killington slalom. The pain has not entirely ceased, but she is pushing forward despite it all. 

"I'm proud to have put down two clean, consistent runs, both times I pushed out of the start," commented Moltzan. "I'm very happy with my result overall and look forward to carrying the momentum into tomorrow on another great surface."

Nina O'Brien also fought her way out of a tenuous position, headed into the final gate of the second run, but held on to some speed and moved up the ranks from the first to second run from 17th to 15th.

AJ Hurt earned her first World Cup points of the season after taking a break from competition to tend to shoulder issues. She finished 27th, a step up from her last performance in Semmering in 2018 when she claimed she didn't even ski past the first split. Hurt's return to the World Cup was a success despite a few frustrating mistakes. She earned her first points of the season and positively impacted the overall team energy. 

"It was really nice for the team to have AJ back," said O'Brien. "We really missed her, and I'm proud of her for getting into the points her first race back; I know she has a lot more in her."

Katie Hensien also ended the day in the points, finishing 28th overall and hanging on to a strong position in the giant slalom standings. Thus far, Hensien ranks 11th in the giant slalom season standings. Moltzan ranks sixth, and O'Brien ninth.

Sisters Elisabeth and Mary Bocock also competed in Saturday's giant slalom in Semmering, both for the first time in their careers. Unfortunately, neither made the second run, but they were excited to get more World Cup start experience. 

Moltzan, O'Brien, Hurt and Hensien will compete in the fourth World Cup slalom of the season on Sunday, Dec. 29.

RESULTS
Women's giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH
4:30 a.m. ET - women's giant slalom, run 1, Semmering, Austria - live/on-demand on Peacock TV
7:30 a.m. ET - women's giant slalom, run 2, Semmering, Austria - live/on-demand on Peacock TV

On Monday’s Alta Badia slalom Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Jett Seymour closed out the 2024 year with a 13th place finish, his second best slalom result to date. 

“It was a battle but it was fun and a good fight and yeah that is what ski racing is all about,” said Seymour. 

It was a sunny yet frigid day in Alta Badia for the slalom skiers. The hill injected once again overnight to create a slick course. The conditions allowed skiers out of the top 30 to get in the mix of the race. 

Seymour running bib 32 took full advantage of this and skied strong to land the 13th first run. An outstanding jump compared to those around him on the start list. Fellow teammates Ben Ritchie and River Radamus also showed their slalom prowess. At first Ritchie seemed to be within reach of a second run but he skied a touch too conservative and landed in 31st. Radamus, historically a giant slalom and super-G skier, skied aggressively to find himself in 25th after run one. 

“I expected a lot from myself from the first two races and was very disappointed with those so it was nice to build some momentum in Val d’Isere and see it through to Alta Badia,” said Seymour. “I’m looking forward to the rest of the slalom year, especially January and to keep building on these performances.” 

On the second run the hill was somehow even icier than first run - a great opportunity to move up in the rankings. Seymour ran 17th on run two and was able to maintain his skiing from run one to stay in position for a top 15, ultimately landing in 13th overall. 

The Norwegian men once again proved their depth and talent as they claimed first and third with Timon Haugan on top and Atle Lie Mcgrath in third. Second place went to Swiss skier Loic Meillard. Radamus ended up in 27th position. 

The next men’s slalom race is in Madonna di Campiglio for a night race on Jan. 8. Meanwhile the men’s team is going to stay in Europe over the holidays with teammates, friends and family as they prepare for a packed January. 

RESULTS
men's slalom 

On Sunday’s giant slalom race in Alta Badia, Italy River Radamus landed in a solid 15th place position. 

“This is the most special track on the circuit. I always hold this one in high regard,” said Radamus. “I always try to put down a performance I can be proud of.”

Radamus is one of the many athletes who love the Gran Risa track for its technicality, length, views and optimal snow conditions. This year however the snow conditions proved to be a bit more difficult for the racers due to continuous injections on top of new snow. Regardless of the challenge Radamus was able to find the outside ski and put himself within contention on run one in 11th, just 1.13 seconds from first. 

“The conditions were a little tougher than usual with some variable conditions in the course and low visibility made it difficult to execute,” said Radamus. “I liked my approach and intensity and I am trusting the things I am doing in preparation but I did not quite flow with the course the way I wanted to today.” 

On the second run a second challenge was added to the slope - bad light. The sun was nowhere to be seen on Sunday and the light continued to fluctuate as snow lightly started to come down. This again added a new layer of difficulty for some racers. Radamus on run two was not able to link his turns the way he wanted and ultimately moved down to 15th place overall.  

“It’s frustrating to have to wait another year to come back here but I will be thinking about this one as I go through my training this season to next season.” 

The winner of the day was none other than Swiss phenom Marco Odermatt who claimed his 41st World Cup victory, second place went to first time podium winner Leo Anguenot of France and third place was Norwegian Alexander Steen Olsen. Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Tommy Ford did not finish the first run and Isaiah Nelson and Bridger Gile did not qualify for a second run. 

Radamus is now switching gears to slalom on Monday, a discipline he says himself and the rest of the slalom team is ready to conquer. 

RESULTS
men's giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH
Monday, 12/23
Run 1 - 4:00 a.m. ET, - slalom - LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live
Run 2 - 7:30 a.m. ET - slalom - LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live

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 FIS Freeski World Cup circuit returned to the United States this week for the first event this season on home soil. The Stifel U.S. Freeski Team went all out in the halfpipe for the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, Colorado with Alex Ferreira taking the win and Nick Goepper third.

The U.S. men threw down in qualifications, moving seven Stifel U.S. Freeski Team athletes to the 10-person finals. Nick Goepper and Matt Labaugh led their respective heats.

It was a heavy-hitting final on Saturday, with Ferreira continuing his podium streak to stand on the top step again after his perfect 2023-24 season. He had finished second in the last two World Cups. Ferreira is committed to perfecting every bit of his run, shown clearly by his winning 94.75 on run two and landing back-to-back double cork 1620s. It was the first time anyone has done a 16 with a tail grab. 

"One of the better feelings in my life, no doubt. I feel fantastic right now," said Ferreira. "I'm kinda speechless. Back on top - the champ is back, baby!"

Goepper continued to prove his commitment to halfpipe is no fluke, taking third place with an 89.25 on his second run. The result marks Goepper's third halfpipe podium since he came out of retirement for halfpipe last season. Canada's Brendan Mackay finished second with a 91.25. 

David Wise finished fifth, Birk Irving sixth, Hunter Hess seventh, Matt Labaugh eighth and Aaron Blunck 10th. Blunck took a massive hit on his first run and sat our the second run, but came back to put down a strong third run to the crowd's cheers.  

Svea Irving put on an impressive show, and finished just off the podium in fourth with an 85.75 on her first run. China's Eileen Gu, Great Britain's Zoe Atkin and Canada's Cassie Sharpe went 1-2-3 in one of the most competitive fields the women have seen recently.

The Toyota U.S. Grand Prix also marked Hanna Faulhaber's return to competition after a knee injury last year, but took a crash in qualifications and did not make finals. 

Next up, the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team heads to Austria for the Klagenfurt and Kreischberg big air World Cup to kick off 2025. The halfpipe squad will take some much deserved time off before they head to Aspen for X Games and the next Toyota U.S. Grand Prix.

RESULTS
Women's halfpipe
Men's halfpipe

Saturday, Dec. 21, eight women of the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team started in the first European World Cup of the women’s speed circuit in St. Moritz, Switzerland, led by Lauren Macuga, who finished the day in seventh. Lindsey Vonn had her first race back from retirement and finished in 14th. 

Macuga, affectionately known by Cougs by her team, was the first to experience the ever-changing track. Even though the sun was shining on Saturday, heavy snowfall on Thursday and Friday provided more of a challenge than the women’s field anticipated.

"From the point of view run, it looked like it was going to be easy, and I think the whole field agreed; however, it turned out to be very, very busy," reflected Macuga. "It was challenging. I think the [new] snow added another factor in, and the speeds were a little higher than we expected. You really had to be on your toes and always moving."

That was the message Vonn sent back to her teammates in her course report about her first World Cup race after returning from retirement. The snow was getting choppy and active; aggressive skiing was the only way to conquer the course that saw 11 women in the field DNF.

The Swiss crowd welcomed Vonn back with open arms, roaring their approval as she skied to the finish in 14th. To Vonn, retirement in 2019 is a distant memory; it truly feels like she never left.

"[Ski racing] feels very normal," Vonn said with a smile. "It feels like it always has; it's like second nature to me, and I think the most fun part of ski racing is being in the starting gate and feeling like you have to perform at this moment. I love the pressure, and I love that feeling in your stomach and having to focus. Downhill and super-G are two very special disciplines and I'm so happy that I get to race them again."

Of the women running later in the start list, Tricia Mangan and Keely Cashman broke forward into the point-scoring range. Mangan, wearing bib 44, finished 25th overall. Cashman, in bib 50, finished 30th.

On Sunday, Dec. 22, the women have another shot at the track in St. Moritz, although incoming weather forecasts predict much darker, snowier conditions in contrast to Saturday's clear blue skies. Strong winds and visibility challenges are anticipated, and the team has prepared for a much different day of racing and potential course delays.

RESULTS
Women's super-G

HOW TO WATCH
5:00 am ET - women's super G, St. Moritz, Switzerland - live/on-demand: skiandsnowboard.live

On Saturday’s Val Gardena downhill on the classic Saslong slope, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Ryan Cochran-Siegle landed the Americans yet another podium in third place, just 0.01 off second place. Previous two-time Val Gardena World Cup winner Bryce Bennett also had a strong day, landing in eighth place. 

“It feels good. Gardena is a really challenging hill to ski,” said Cochran-Siegle. “You really never know until you cross the finish line so I was just focusing on carrying the speed as much as possible.” 

The downhill stage was set with a chilly breeze and sunny skies as the downhillers descended upon the Saslong. After the Americans started the weekend off with an incredible super-G performance by Jared Goldberg, one could say there was a calming presence in the air as the classic American performance had already been checked off the day prior. Now it was time to block out the noise and ski downhill the way the Americans know best. 

The course was a touch slower than the training run days due to the new snow from two nights before, which enabled the skiers to become a touch more aggressive with lines, the best times going to those with the most risk. 

Bennett was the first of the Americans to go down the track with bib 11. He was a bit safe on the top but nailed the bottom to come through into third. Cochran-Siegle was right behind him in the green all the way down. He crossed the line into second place by a mere hundredth. But the race was far from over. 

“I don’t feel about today,” laughed Bennett. “I think it was good. I honestly over skied a little bit in the middle section and I think there are times where experience hurts you a little when you expect something different but I am just so stoked for our entire team right now. Goldy on the podium yesterday, Ryan today - our whole team is skiing well. It's cool to see it pay off.” 

Swiss skier Marco Odermatt nailed his run to take the win by almost a half-second from the rest of the field; no one else was close to his time. However, the next hour would be excruciating for Cochran-Siegle as the track got faster for the back of the pack. More than a dozen skiers bumped it into the top 15 from bibs far outside the top 30. Finally, Cochran-Siegle could breathe a sigh of relief when bib 64 crossed the finish line. 

“When I ski my best I keep my skiing very basic and simple,” said Cochran-Siegle. “I think we just enjoy skiing the slope here; we trust that what we do here is the right preparation. It is a special place for us.” 

Teammate Erik Arvidsson also had a promising day in 23rd. He was ecstatic to claim some points as he returned from a knee injury that took him out a year ago. 

“I am super happy after the injury last year to be back in the top 30 since the injury so I am ready to keep working on it,” said Arvidsson. 

The men’s speed team takes on the last series before the new year in Bormio, Italy, Dec. 28-29. 

RESULTS
Men's downhill

Two-time Olympic champion Chloe Kim led the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix halfpipe contest at Copper Mountain, finishing just off the podium in fourth place. Maddy Schaffrick was close behind in fifth.

It was a stunning sunny Colorado day at Copper Mountain, with three Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team women competing in the 22-foot halfpipe. Sara Shimizu of Japan was first for the women, followed by Xuetong Cai of China and Mitsuki Ono of Japan.

It was Kim’s first comp back from injury and she threw down in standard form. Her first run was a stunner, but a hip bump on the ground as she slowed into the finish resulted in a low score. She put down both of her following two runs but it wasn’t quite enough to crack the top three.

Schaffrick landed her second two runs to take fifth place in front of friends and family. It was the first time many of them had seen her compete since she made the decision to return to competition after retiring in 2016. “It was really cool to have the support from my friends and family at the contest today,” said Schaffrick, who hails from nearby Steamboat Springs. “Coming off of the podium in China, I am excited to be back competing at a high level and it meant a lot to have the community support.”  

After hitting the halfpipe deck on her final hit in qualifications, Maddie Mastro put down a safe and clean first run that had her in fourth place and in a good podium position. However, battling a sore ankle, she decided to play it safe and pulled out of the comp in order to compete at 100% the rest of the season.

The U.S. men had a strong day, but couldn’t top the impressive Japanese team, who swept the podium. Ayumu Hirano was first, Yuto Totsuka second and Ruka Hirano third.

Jason Wolle was the top U.S. man, finishing in seventh and tying his career best result. Joey Okesson put on a stylish run for eighth place and Chase Josey once again showed composure under pressure for a solid performance in ninth place.

The halfpipe team takes a well-deserved break for the holidays before returning to the iconic Laax Open in January.

Watch the tape delayed version of the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix finals on CNBC and Peacock on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 12 p.m. ET, or on demand on Outside TV with an Outside+ membership.

RESULTS
Women’s halfpipe
Men’s halfpipe

HOW TO WATCH

Friday, Dec. 20
8:00 pm –women’s Next X snowboard street style – LIVE on XGames.com
8:45 pm –men’s Next X snowboard street style – LIVE on XGames.com

Saturday, Dec. 21
12:00 pm – women and men’s Toyota U.S. Grand Prix snowboard finals – TAPE DELAYED on CNBC/Peacock
8:00 pm  – women’s X Games snowboard street style – LIVE on XGames.com
8:45 pm – women’s X Games snowboard street style – LIVE on XGames.com 

The weather in Courchevel started the same way as it ended yesterday: foggy and wet; however, the cloud cleared just in time for Audrey Crowley to earn her second career podium in the same number of days, finishing third overall to wrap up the French Tour. 

The positive turn in the weather led to more successful finishes today across classes, allowing for more consistent competition. The men kicked things off, and Jesse Keefe followed up his 11th-place finish yesterday with a top 10 today, landing in ninth in the men’s standing class. Patrick Halgren was close behind in 13th, followed by Tyler McKenzie in 17th and Spencer Wood in 20th. Zach Williams finished the day 16th in the men’s sitting classification. 

The women stole the show today, with all three athletes finishing in the top eight. Crowley used the newfound sunlight to her advantage, putting down a clean run two to cement her spot on the women’s standing podium. The entire podium was a repeat of yesterday, with Ebba Aarsjoe (SWE) and Anna-Maria Rieder (GER) taking the top two spots again. Allie Johnson finished the day eighth. Saylor O’Brien finished just off the podium in fourth place in the women’s sitting category, adding to her third place finish yesterday. 

Next up, the team is taking a short break split between the U.S. and Europe for the holiday before getting back to racing in Santa Caterina, Italy Jan. 8-9. 

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