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

The Stifel U.S. Ski Team men’s speed crew added to their storied history in Val Gardena on Friday, as Jared Goldberg claimed his first podium in super-G, just 0.01 off the winning time.

“I was mobbing, I felt fast and skied the way I wanted,” said Goldberg. 

It was a snowy start to the day, with upwards of 15 centimeters of new snow on the track. Despite the new snow, the dedicated course workers worked tirelessly overnight to clear the track, making way for the best super-G skiers in the world. Yet, when race day presented itself, it was not the snow that was a factor but the wind. Wind became a factor throughout the day when it was not snowing, causing variable conditions for many racers. 

The first Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete to go was Olympic silver medalist Ryan Cochran-Siegle (RCS). Cochran-Siegle set the pace for what seemed to be a solid run. However, about five racers in the speed started to show and many racers came in with the new fastest time. 

Approximately 25 racers, a brief course hold and some snow later, it was time for Goldberg. Goldberg came out of the start on fire. Each split in the green. The crowd was on their feet as the Americans could once again upset the field in Val Gardena, which they've done for years past--it's no secret that the American men have found great success on this track.

Back to the races, Goldberg flew down to cross the line a mere 0.01 hundredth from the win. Despite not claiming the official win, Goldberg, his teammates and the stands cheered as if it were gold. Notably, it was his first podium and career-best result. 

“I am fired up, I skied how I wanted to and everything felt really good,” said Goldberg. “I was able to ski hard and not overthink anything, especially after that brief hold. I was holding a tuck whenever I could.”

Goldberg’s podium marks the 13th podium for Americans in Val Gardena. Due to the track's gliding ability and similarity to free skiing back in the U.S., success is often found here. 

“The key to Gardena is that it is flat with a lot of steep to flats and very close to freeskiing,” said Goldberg. “I grew up free skiing in Utah at Snowbird and I think that background helps here.” 

The victory went to first-time World Cup winner Mattia Casse of Italy and third place to Swiss Marco Odermatt. Teammate Ryan Cochran-Siegle ended up 20th, Erik Arvidsson and Sam Morse landed 31st and 32nd, Wiley Maple 43rd, River Radamus 47th and Bryce Bennett 50th. 

Saturday is the main downhill event. The race that current team member Bryce Bennett won dramatically just last season.

RESULTS
men's super-G

HOW TO WATCH 
Saturday, 12/21
5:45 a.m. ET - downhill - LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live

On the first day of racing in Courchevel, the final stop of the French Tour, Stifel U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team athletes Audrey Crowley and Saylor O’Brien battled the fog, rain and snow to finish on the podium, each in third place. This is Crowley’s first career podium in only her seventh World Cup start. 

The stage was set at the famed Emile Allais Stadium in Courchevel, and run one began in a thick cloud of fog. The technical course set by the French coach proved challenging for many, with DNFs plaguing run 1. Throughout the day, the conditions deteriorated, and with an extremely turny run two course set, run two times were roughly 10-20 seconds longer than run one. 

The weather and turns were no match for the women. Crowley, the youngest on the team in only her third World Cup event, delivered a career-best performance, landing on her first World Cup podium. The women’s standing podium was completed by Ebba Aarsjoe (SWE) and Anna-Maria Rieder (GER). Allie Johnson of the U.S. finished sixth.

“[This] podium means everything to me; competing against the best women in the world is truly special,” said Crowley. “This podium not only reflects my skiing today but the hard work throughout the season and over the summer. This past season, I’ve been working on becoming more consistent, trying to have good runs more often, and using the strength I’ve gained over the summer to be able to recover when mistakes do happen. Congratulations to Ebba [Aarsjoe] and Anna-Maria [Rieder]; they skied great. And to my teammate/roommate, Saylor O’Brien, I am so proud of you.”

O’Brien, who is back skiing on the World Cup circuit for the first time in over a year, landed on her first podium since 2022 in the women’s sitting classification. Anna-Lena Forster (GER) and Momoka Muraoka (JPN) ended the day first and second overall. Laurie Stephens did not finish run two. 

On the men’s standing side, Patrick Halgren led the way finishing 10th, closely followed by Jesse Keefe in 11th and Tyler McKenzie in 17th. Zach Williams was the only U.S. sitting man to finish both runs, ending the day 13th.

Tomorrow, the team wraps up the French Tour with a second giant slalom race. Tune in to run one at 3:30 am ET on FIS TV and run two at 7:00 am ET on FIS TV. 

Giant Slalom Day One Results
Men
Women

BEAVER CREEK, CO (Dec. 16, 2024) – CNBC, TOGETHXR and the Stifel U.S. Ski Team partnered to celebrate a historic moment in women's skiing: the inaugural women’s Stifel Birds of Prey race, Dec. 13-15. The event marked the first time women competed on the iconic Birds of Prey downhill, traditionally a men’s World Cup circuit race for the past 27 years.

This groundbreaking occasion brought together the Stifel U.S. Ski Team’s HERoic program, media company TOGETHXR and CNBC’s Senior Media & Technology Correspondent and author of “When Women Lead,” Julia Boorstin, who leads the CNBC Changemakers list. CNBC Changemakers recognizes female leaders who are impacting society, challenging established business practices and driving industry-wide change. TOGETHXR is the fastest growing and most comprehensive platform devoted to women’s sports. The HERoic program, spearheaded by U.S. Ski & Snowboard, is a movement aimed at empowering women in skiing and snowboarding by fostering leadership, inclusivity and opportunity within the sport.

The weekend’s events explored the intersection of women’s leadership in business and sport. CNBC’s Julia Boorstin moderated the event, joined by Olympic champion alpine skier Picabo Street and Olympic champion freestyle skier Hannah Kearney, alongside a distinguished group of top media, music, sports, tech and finance executives from the Lioness Network, a curated community of women executives brought together by LionTree. These leaders engaged in meaningful discussions about advancing opportunities for women and breaking barriers in traditionally male-dominated spaces. The discussions aligned with the mission of CNBC Changemakers, TOGETHXR and the HERoic initiative: to inspire the next generation of women leaders and athletes.

"The inaugural women’s Stifel Birds of Prey is a historic moment for our sport, and we’re thrilled to have CNBC, TOGETHXR and LionTree as partners in celebrating this milestone,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “Collectively, we’re breaking barriers and creating more opportunities for women in sports and in business, inspiring the next generation to chase their dreams."

“We’re excited to partner with U.S. Ski & Snowboard and LionTree for such a significant weekend for women ski racers,” said KC Sullivan, President of CNBC. “As part of our focus at CNBC, we look to share accomplishments of women who lead in business and in sports. This weekend and this partnership perfectly showcased these efforts.” 

"The goal for all of women's sports on and off the field of play has to be to continue to expand the scope of awareness and investment, and the only way to do that is to proactively tell the stories and the opportunity to a larger audience who is looking to both invest and understand the global opportunities," said Betsy Morgan, operating partner and investor of TOGETHXR. "This weekend was the next logical step in expanding the funnel of opportunity through sharing information, and presenting a solid road ahead. Thanks to all who helped bring this together and we are looking forward to more positive growth and engagement going into 2025 and beyond."

“At Cloudflare, we believe that breaking barriers, whether in technology, business, or sport, drives progress,” said Stephanie Cohen, Chief Strategy Officer at Cloudflare, who attended the event. “The inaugural women’s Stifel Birds of Prey race is a groundbreaking moment that showcases the power of excellence. We are proud to stand alongside such incredible athletes and leaders, championing a future where women are empowered to lead and succeed in every arena.”

This collaboration underscores the shared commitment of CNBC, TOGETHXR, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team and LionTree to advancing women’s leadership and visibility in both business and sports, setting the stage for continued innovation and progress in the years to come.

On the final day of the back-to-back Stifel Birds of Prey weekend races, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Lauren Macuga again led the way with a top 15, finishing in 12th in the super-G. Teammates Keely Cashman and Breezy Johnson also scored 21st and 28th. 

“It was really good skiing, but I kept getting late so I was not sure how fast it would be when I came down, so I was excited to see that it was a pretty decent run,” said Macuga. 

The weather finally changed from the non-stop Colorado sunshine to overcast skies, wind and some light snowfall. Regardless, the best women speed skiers in the world were ready to bring it for the super-G. Macuga ran first for the U.S. squad in bib three. Coming off her career-best result in Saturday's downhill, she sent it down the course. Despite getting low and late in a few spots, she took the lead and sat smiling in the leaderboard chair for about five racers. 

“It’s nice because I know I had good skiing. I just wasn't on the line so I know if I had executed better I would have been right in there,” said Macuga. “I knew it was not a podium-contending run but I know what I have to do to get there.” 

The top group of super-G skiers put down high-speed runs with each skier outdoing the other. Ultimately, Italian skier Sofia Goggia claimed the victory, knifing her run to take the win by almost a half-second. Goggia celebrated in style with a short samba dance, reminiscent of the same dance performed by Brazilian skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen the week before. Swiss skier Lara Gut-Behrami claimed second place with Austrian Ariane Raedler in the third spot. 

The next group of U.S. racers ran after bib 35. Each skier did their best to fight the wind and changing weather conditions to claim some World Cup points. Cashman was one skier who broke through the tough conditions with a stellar run moving from bib 44 to 21st. The fans were brought to their feet as Cashman not only started her season with a bang, but also took home a pretty penny, winning the $5,000 Stifel Bibbo Award.  

“I got pretty lucky with the light. The sun was coming in and out for me and standing in the start for a little while sort of helped me calm down and gave me time to gather my thoughts,” said Cashman. “Some sections felt good and others did not feel great, but super-G can be tricky sometimes where you need to be right on the edge to be super fast.”

Johnson also had a solid performance on Sunday, claiming 28th place. It was her first race back on the circuit in a year, and she was pleased to start off with two World Cup points-scoring results in Beaver Creek. Tricia Mangan, Jackie Wiles, Bella Wright and independent athlete Haley Cutler also raced, placing 37th, 38th, 40th and 42nd, respectively. 

The speed women will now head back to Europe to prepare for a pair of super-G races in St. Moritz, Switzerland where teammate and Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn is poised to make her official World Cup race comeback. 

RESULTS
Women's super-G