All-Star Cast of U.S. Freeskiers at FIS World Championship Big Air
The first freeskiing event of the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, presented by Toyota, will kick off at the Canyons Village in Park City, Utah, with big air competition Saturday. The Americans competing include some of the U.S. Freeski Team’s biggest stars, including Park City locals Alex Hall (Salt Lake City, Utah) and McRae Williams (Park City, Utah). In addition, Willie Borm (Chaska, Minn.) and two-time Olympic medalist Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) are ready to compete.
“The big air is definitely big air,” said Olympic silver medalist Goepper. “The venue at the Canyons area is perfect. It’s so awesome that Park City Mountain is hosting the big air for the World Championships. Hopefully, they will continue to host awesome events like this for years to come.”
For the women, Olympians Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.), Julia Krass (Hanover, N.H.) and Caroline Claire (Manchester Center, Vt.) are set to compete.
“I’m so excited to be able to represent the U.S. at World Championships for the first time and to have it be at our home mountain is just unreal,” said Krass. “It’ll be so fun having so many people I know watching, including my family. Park City has done an amazing job building everything. Having the big air jump at the base of the Canyons is such a sick spot, and the jump is riding really nice. I’m looking forward to a good week!”
Voisin and Krass both have double corks in their arsenals, putting them in contention for the podium. They have each had a chance to warm up these tricks at previous events this season. Krass was able to land her right side double cork 1080 in training at the Seiser Alm, Italy, World Cup event and Voisin landed her left double cork 1260 at X Games in Aspen, Colo., last week. Claire has also been having a strong season as she’s currently second in the FIS World Cup standings for big air behind Canada’s Elena Gaskill.
In addition, Alex Hall is coming off the performance of a lifetime in Aspen, Colo. where he earned his first ever X Games medal with a gold in slopestyle. He is currently sitting in fourth place in the big air World Cup standings, but the U.S. will have their work cut out for them as the team is going up against some of the world best big air freeskiers in the world. Tune in to catch all the action on NBC.
HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
Saturday, Feb. 2
9:00 p.m. - FIS World Championships men and women’s big air - Park City, Utah - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
