Kauf Wins at Home at Deer Valley
Jaelin Kauf of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team put on a show in front of the home crowd on Thursday, winning the moguls competition at the Intermountain Health Freestyle International presented by Stifel at Deer Valley. It is Kauf’s seventh consecutive World Cup podium and her 43rd career podium.
The course was tricky, with an odd warm and rainy weather cycle hitting the traditionally cold and dry Utah mountains. The snow froze then thawed, with many saying it was the most difficult conditions they had seen on the hill. But the conditions didn’t seem to phase Kauf, who launched down Champion with her signature speed to take second in the finals and nail the win in super finals over World Cup moguls leader Perrine Laffont.
“It was pretty spectacular,” said Kauf, who hails from Wyoming, but now lives in Utah. “This crowd, this course – it’s all so amazing. To take the top spot tonight is incredible. This place is so special.”
The crowd roared with delight at Kauf’s run, including her family and friends, who carried large signs with the letter J, as is the tradition at Deer Valley.
“I can see them all bouncing around down here,” Kauf laughed. “I know I have a huge mob down here supporting me. It’s so special to share this with all of them. They’re the ones that make all of this happen for me. It’s so special.”
The last time Kauf won at Deer Valley was seven years ago when she took the victory in the moguls in 2018. The win puts her into second place overall behind Laffont.
Tess Johnson was just off the podium in fourth place, while Kai Owens did not finish her super finals run to finish sixth. Alli Macuga was eighth, Kasey Hogg ninth, Kylie Kariotis 11th and Olivia Giaccio was 15th.
Behind Kauf on the podium, Laffont finished second and Maia Schwinghammer of Canada was third.
On the men’s side, Charlie Mickel and Nick Page were the top dogs, both making super finals—it was Mickel’s first ever super finals. Mickel’s run was stunning, nailing him fifth place to clinch his career-best result. Page was gunning to the podium, but a hiccup in his run veered him off course and he finished sixth.
The podium was led by Ikuma Horishima of Japan in first, Pavel Kolmakov of Kazakhstan in second and Benjamin Cavet of France in third.
Rounding out the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, Dylan Marcellini and Dylan Walczyk also made finals, finishing 13th and 14th.
The Intermountain Health Freestyle International presented by Stifel continues on Friday with aerials before the moguls team is back on snow on Saturday for dual moguls.
RESULTS
Women’s moguls
Men’s moguls
HOW TO WATCH
All times in ET
Friday, Feb. 7
9:30 p.m. – women’s and men’s aerials – LIVE on Outside TV (free), on demand on Outside+
Saturday, Feb. 8
9:30 p.m. – women’s and men’s dual moguls – LIVE on Outside TV (free), on demand on Outside+
Sunday, Feb. 9
2:00 p.m. – women’s and men’s dual moguls (tape delay) – NBC/Peacock
