Jaelin Kauf's incredible season is officially historic as Saturday’s win in Almaty clinches the overall and dual moguls Crystal Globes, becoming the first American to win a globe since Hannah Kearney in 2015. 

Thankfully, the fog and clouds from the moguls event left the Yuka G course for the dual moguls World Cup in Almaty, Kazakhstan. In the qualification round, all five U.S. women advanced to the round of 16. Due to a smaller competitor pool in the last two World Cups, the women started in the round of 32 and Jaelin Kauf and Tess Johnson automatically qualified for the finals, allowing them more time to prepare. On the men’s side, Nick Page and Charlie Mickel advanced to the finals. Asher Michel had an incredible close battle against Joey Dubuc (CAN), who advanced 18 to 17. Michel finished the day 18th and Dylan Walczyk in 24th. 

In the round of 16, Kauf, Johnson, Kai Owens and Kasey Hogg all won their duals. Kylie Kariotis took on number 10 ranked Rino Yanagimoto (JPN) and kept things incredibly close but ultimately lost 17 to 18, the closest a dual can be. Kariotis landed in ninth, her fourth top-10 finish of the season. Cooper Woods of Australia bested Page in the 1/8th final, while Mickel advanced to the quarterfinals. Page finished ninth. 

Kauf and Johnson continued to impress in the quarterfinals to advance, putting them in medal contention. Mickel was paired with one of the best in the world, Ikuma Horishima (JPN). Mickel doesn’t shy away from intimidating duals and chooses to embrace them to gain meaningful experience. Horishima moved on to the semis, and Mickel finished sixth, another excellent performance for the young athlete. 

Kauf went up against hometown hero Anastassiya Gorodko (KAZ) in the semifinals, and despite coming across the line tied, Kauf prevailed and moved on to the big final. Johnson took on Yanagimoto, who had been on a tear all day taking out higher-ranked opponents, and the semis were no exception. Yanagimoto advanced to the big final, and Johnson was on to the small final against Gorodko. 

In the small final, Gorodko had everything to prove to her hometown crowd, and her performance showed her intensity. She earned the third place finish, her second podium of the season. Johnson finished fourth, her eighth top-five finish of the year. 

In the big final, Kauf, the queen of speed, was ready for anything, and her pace was untouchable. Once again, her opponent could not keep up, leading Yanagimoto to ski out of the course to keep herself from going out of control. Kauf beat Yanagimoto 29 to six, earning her seventh win of the season and 15th of her career. This win cements Kauf’s position as the dual moguls and overall World Cup leader, clinching the two globes.

“That’s [clinching the globe] pretty incredible,” said Kauf. “I’ve been working at that for a long time, and I’m stoked with the win today. It was a super fun competition, I'm really excited about those titles, it's really special." 

Next week at World Cup Finals in Livigno, Kauf has the opportunity to secure the moguls globe as well. She currently leads the moguls standings by six points over Perrine Laffont (FRA). 

“I’m going to give it my all at those events [in Livigno], and it should be really fun,” said Kauf.  

Athletes ranked in the top 30 per gender per event are invited to the 2025 World Cup Finals in Livigno, Italy, which will also serve as the Olympic test event for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina. Watch the event live Mar. 11-12 on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

On Saturday’s giant slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, Stifel U.S. Ski Team’s River Radamus was the top performer for the U.S. squad in 12th place with a blazing fast second run. Patrick Kenney snagged his career-best World Cup result in 22nd and Bridger Gile claimed his first World Cup points in 24th. 

“Huge day for the boys all around. I'm beyond psyched to see Bridger collect his first World Cup points,” said Radamus. “I know how hard he’s been working for this and how hard it is to break through. I think this gives the whole team confidence seeing the hard work is paying off.”

Gile and Kenney both moved up from behind to snag a second run. It was the first second run of Gile’s career in a World Cup giant slalom. 

“Getting two runs feels like ski racing is great and I’m glad I got to ski race today,” said Gile. “I’ve watched River do second runs for a while now and it feels really good to be able to join him and PK in the second run. But this is just the beginning.”

On the second run, all of the men were firing to move up in the rankings. Kenney and Gile both jumped a few spots to ultimately land in 22nd and 24th overall - both personal bests. Then Radamus came down, smoking the tight giant slalom field with the second fastest second run to move up eight spots and land in 12th place overall. 

“I made a costly mistake on first run and felt lucky to get a second,” said Radamus.  “I gave everything I had to take advantage of the opportunity on the run two and was able to salvage a solid result, but I hope to leave behind the mistakes for the last few races of the season.”

Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway was first with his former teammate Lucas Pinheiro Braathen of Brazil in second. Marco Odermatt was third.

Pleased with their performance in the giant slalom, the men will now send those positive vibes and energy to the slalom crew who will hit the track on Sunday. 

RESULTS
Men's giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH 
3:30 a.m. ET - men’s slalom run 1, Kranjska Gora, SLO - skiandsnowboard.live
6:30 a.m. ET - men’s slalom run 2, Kranjska Gora, SLO - skiandsnowboard.live 

On Saturday’s downhill in Kvitfjell, Norway, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Lauren Macuga shined bright as she claimed her first ever World Cup downhill podium in second place. Teammate Breezy Johnson also skied well to a top 10 finish. 

“I feel like it wasn't me yesterday and today I went out there charging and my tuck over some terrain, and got over the outside ski and just sent it,” said Macuga. 

It was not quite as sunny as Friday, but the vibes in Kvitfjell were top notch as the best women speed skiers in the world got ready to send it down the downhill track for the second time this weekend. The snow locked up from the colder temperatures the night before, leading to a very strong surface for the race. 

Macuga ran wearing bib three and after skiing the track three times through training and Friday's race, she knew exactly what she needed to do to find the coveted green light once again. At each split she was cooking, making up a lot of time compared to the two previous skiers to punch her fist through the line into first place. 

“I think it was a solid run for me. No matter what happens today, I'm really happy with my skiing,” said Macuga. “I was also trying to be clean and trying to be smart over the jump because that is such a crucial part of this course.”

Next up for the team was Johnson. Fresh off her first World Cup podium in three years on Friday, Johnson was on the hunt for more success. A few bobbles in some key areas led Johnson to fall to 10th place overall - but still a solid result for the downhill skier. 

“I did my best this weekend, and I'm happy with that,” said Johnson. “It's really cool being part of a team that's doing this well. It's really cool being able to know that all of us can put it in there on any day of the week.”

The next threat to Macuga’s time was Germany’s Emma Aicher who landed her first podium ever the day before. Aicher skied fast, fierce and cleanly to bump Macuga by just 0.03 seconds to take the lead and eventually her first win of her career. Third place went to the previous day’s winner, Austrian Cornelia Huetter. 

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes Jackie Wiles, Lindsey Vonn and independent skier Haley Cutler also had strong days in 14th, 16th and 30th, respecitvely. Notably it was Cutler's first time in the points. Bella Wright did not finish but is OK. Tricia Mangan landed in 42nd place.

Now the women will prepare for the super-G and final race of the weekend on Sunday. 

RESULTS
Women's downhill

HOW TO WATCH
4:30 a.m. ET - women’s super-G, Kvitfjell, NOR - skiandsnowboard.live

For the first time in seven years, Tess Johnson stood atop the World Cup podium in Friday’s moguls competition in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Jaelin Kauf continued her hot streak, finishing just behind Johnson in second place.

The day started with sunshine and close-to-windless skies, the perfect combination for moguls skiing. The Stifel U.S. Ski Team women started the action on the iconic Yuka G moguls course, where all five athletes advanced to finals. Johnson qualified in the top spot, earning the highest air score of the day. Johnson’s signature venom grab on the bottom air, and new addition of a cork seven safety grab on the top air set her apart from the competition. Kauf qualified in second, followed by Kai Owens in seventh, Kasey Hogg in eighth and Kylie Kariotis in 13th. On the men’s side, Charlie Mickel continued his impressive season, qualifying in sixth alongside Nick Page in ninth. Dylan Walczyk was 21st.

“I’m super happy with the run I put down, it was a solid top to bottom,” said Johnson. “I ran first out of the gate, which I’ve only done once in my career, so that was a good way to start the day early, and I’m really looking forward to finals.” 

The beautiful overcast sunshine from qualifications quickly turned to dense clouds mixed with snow, creating extremely difficult conditions for the athletes. The women continued with the round of 16, where Johnson continued to shine, pushing the difficulty in the air mixed with quick and clean turns. Kauf put down a heater in the finals, earning the best time score of the day by almost two points. Hogg moved up four places in the finals. The men attempted to complete their finals, but unfortunately, the weather worsened, creating unsafe conditions and cutting the competition short. The women’s results came from the finals round of 16 and the men’s from qualification. 

Johnson’s final run earned her second career win and second podium this season, winning by 0.02 points over teammate Kauf. Kauf finished second, earning her 11th podium in a row, looking back all the way to December. Hogg tied her personal best World Cup result, finishing fourth to earn a new season’s best. Kariotis ended the day in 12th and Owens in 15th. Mickel’s qualification run earned him his third career top six finish, all of which have come this season. Page finished ninth. 

“I was pretty excited to get my first podium of the season last week and I’m hoping to build on that and put some good runs down,” said Johnson. “The outcome is always in the back of our minds as competitors, but I’m keeping my focus on my skiing and what I can control.”

On March 1, the athletes are back on Yuka G for dual moguls starting at 4:00 a.m. ET. Follow along on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

On Friday’s make-up downhill in Kvitfjell, Norway, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Breezy Johnson led the charge for the U.S. women with her first World Cup podium of the season in third place. Jackie Wiles, Lindsey Vonn and Lauren Macuga rounded out the top 15 in eighth, 12th and 15th place, respectively. 

“It definitely treated me kinder than I deserved. I risked a lot,” said Johnson. 

The skies finally turned blue with a sun overhead - a welcome sight for the crew who had been skiing under clouds in the fog the past week. The track firmed up overnight, making for higher speeds, which meant the women speed skiers needed to lock in and focus. 

First up for the U.S. team was Wiles who was pushing hard running bib two. She flew through the finish over a second ahead of her competitor, hopeful that this time would be a solid result. Wiles stayed up on the top of the board for a while until some fast Italians and Austrians knocked her down to what would end up being a great top 10 result. 

“I'm really excited to have a solid result,” said Wiles. “It's been kind of an off and on season with results, so it feels good to have a solid result here at a venue that I haven't done a downhill yet.”

Johnson was next for the team, fresh off her recent World Championships gold medals. She had the speed, confidence and drive to push through some mistakes while still gaining speed. She came down in podium position and a look of disbelief crossed her face as she saw her rank. 

“I definitely made some mistakes, so I'm kind of surprised by the results,” said Johnson. “I feel good, all things considered. You have to push and try things out. You must risk things and considering all that I risked and all that I paid for, I feel like I did pretty good.” 

The surprise of the day was Germany’s Emma Aicher who came blazing down into second place. Aicher, who is consistently a top 10 skier in tech and speed found her groove Friday just 0.15 behind the winning time of Austrian Cornelia Huetter. 

Vonn and Macuga also showed strong results in 13th and 15th. Bella Wright found herself in the points in 23rd place. Overall the women feel confident heading into the next two days of racing for one downhill and one super-G. 

RESULTS 
Women's downhill

HOW TO WATCH 
4:30 a.m. ET, women’s downhill, Kvitfjell, Norway - skiandsnowboard.live 
4:30 a.m. ET women’s super-G, Kvitfjell, Norway - skiandsnowboard.live 

The 2025 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships kicked off in front of an electrifying crowd of 25,000 fans, with 66 nations represented and 308 athletes—187 men and 121 women—taking the course for the individual skate sprint. The Stifel U.S. Ski Team delivered, with all eight American athletes advancing to the sprint heats for the first time in years at a major championship. Julia Kern took home her first top five of the season, landing in fifth on the sport's biggest stage. Ben Ogden led the way for the men, finishing in 12th. 

The atmosphere in Trondheim was electric, with tens of thousands crowding the sprint course. During the qualifications, the sound was almost deafening - and it only got louder as the day went on, creating a similar atmosphere to what the athletes experienced in Minneapolis last February at the Stifel Loppet Cup.

Kern headlined the American results, finishing fifth overall—her best result of the season and her first time making it through to an individual World Championship sprint final. Kern’s performance highlighted a strong day for the U.S. women’s squad, which was led by defending world champion Jessie Diggins, who embarked on her eighth World Championships campaign. Rosie Brennan, who is in her sixth World Championships, also delivered a solid performance after a month off of the World Cup, while first-time World Championship racer Kate Oldham impressed with a 22nd place finish in her debut.

On the men’s side, Ogden led the way for the U.S. squad, finishing 12th overall. He was followed by teammates Gus Schumacher, JC Schoonmaker and first-time World Championships competitor Jack Young. Notably, all Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes placed inside the top 30, marking a successful opening day for the team.

"One of my goals today was to dig deep and push hard over the sections where the race will be decided," said Kern. "And with yesterday's race prep, I fixed all of the mistakes I made then and skied the downhills and corners well. I owe a lot of that success to my teammates because yesterday, I was learning from Kate (Oldham), who was showing us how to ski them well - and that was cool to have that younger teammate show us. It really shows the depth of our team!" 

Kern and Ogden were firing on all cylinders in the sprint heats. Ogden was paired with teammate Schumacher in the third quarterfinal heat, with only Ogden qualifying by being in the top two. Schoonmaker and Young made up heat four, and though neither advanced, it was a solid day of racing, especially for Young, who was skiing in his first World Championships and will now travel back to the U.S. to represent Colby College at the NCAA Championships. 

For the women, Kern was in the second heat and was second across the line, nailing it to secure a spot in the semis. Brennan did not advance out of heat two. Then, Diggins skied a strong race into the third quarterfinal heat and held her own in the fastest women's heat of the day, where the two lucky losers advanced from that heat; Diggins, unfortunately, did not qualify. Oldham's day was already won by advancing through to the heats in her first-ever World Champs start and gave it her all in the quarterfinals and landed fifth in her heat. Though she did not qualify to the semis, it was a strong showing by the Montana State University skier. Then, through the semifinals, Kern was the lone American and skied a strong and fast race. Crossing the line in fourth, she thought her day was over, yet her heat was the faster of the two semifinals and secured her a spot into her first final of the year. In the final, it was a cat-and-mouse game, but Kern skied a savvy and tactful race despite the snow worsening as the day went on. 

She was fifth, "but that felt like a win today," she said, post-race while hugging her coach Kristen Bourne and wax technician Eli Brown. 

The day belonged to Norway’s hometown hero Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, who captured yet another sprint World Championship gold in front of his home crowd, marking his 10th World Championships medal. Italy’s Federico Pellegrino secured silver, while Finland’s Lauri Vuorinen pulled off an upset to claim bronze. In the women’s race, Sweden’s Jonna Sundling dethroned the Norwegian favorite Kristine Stavaas Skistad to win gold, while Switzerland’s Nadine Fähndrich rounded out the podium with bronze.

The U.S. results were Kern in fifth, Oldham in 22nd, Diggins 23rd and Brennan in 30th. For the men, Ogden was 12th, Schoonmaker in 15th, Young 18th and Schumacher 27th. 

The Championships continue on Saturday, March 1, with the men’s 20k skiathlon. Watch live on skiandnowboard.live at 8:00 a.m. ET.

HOW TO WATCH (All times ET)

• Saturday, 3/1
  • 8:00 a.m. - men’s 20k skiathlon - skiandsnowboard.live
• Sunday, 3/2
  • 8:00 a.m. - women’s 20k skiathlon - skiandsnowboard.live
• Tuesday, 3/4
  • 7:00 a.m. - men’s 10k classic - skiandsnowboard.live
  • 9:30 a.m. - women’s 10k classic - skiandsnowboard.live
• Wednesday, March 5
  • 8:30 a.m. - team sprint - skiandsnowboard.live
• Thursday, March 6
  • 6:30 a.m. - men’s 4x7.5k relay - skiandsnowboard.live
• Friday, March 7
  • 8:00 a.m. women’s 4x7.5k relay - skiandsnowboard.live
• Saturday, March 8
  • 5:30 a.m. men’s 50k - skiandsnowboard.live
• Sunday, March 9
  • 5:30 a.m. - women’s 50k - skiandsnowboard.live

RESULTS
Women
Men

LOS ANGELES, CA // PARK CITY, UT (Feb. 26, 2025) – TOGETHXR  – the media and commerce company that originated the trademarked slogan “Everyone Watches Women’s Sports” – has joined forces with U.S. Ski & Snowboard to announce the exciting debut of The Drop In, a two part docuseries that pulls back the curtain on the 2023-24 women’s FIS World Cup park and pipe season and shows what it takes to be at the top of the sport. The Drop In will be available beginning Wednesday, Feb. 26 on TOGETHXR.com and YouTube.com/TOGETHXR.

The docuseries features six Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team athletes, including Olympic silver medalist Julia Marino, Olympian and World Cup winner Maddie Mastro and Olympian Courtney Rummel along with up-and-comers Bea Kim, Sonora “Sonny” Alba and Rebecca Flynn. The episodes provide valuable coverage of women’s halfpipe, slopestyle and big air snowboarding that is often overlooked in traditional sports media.

TOGETHXR was co-founded by Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team’s own Chloe Kim in collaboration with fellow women’s world champion athletes and sporting icons Alex Morgan, Simone Manual and Sue Bird, and is leading the charge in increasing women’s sports storytelling and representation across various media platforms. The Drop In aims to do just that for women’s World Cup snowboarding.

"At U.S. Ski & Snowboard, we are committed to further elevating women’s sports and ensuring these athletes get the recognition they deserve,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt. “Women’s snowboarding continues to push the boundaries of progression, and The Drop In provides an inside look at the dedication, resilience and sheer talent of these incredible athletes on the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team. We’re thrilled to partner with TOGETHXR to bring their stories to the forefront and inspire the next generation of riders."

“TOGETHXR remains committed to authentically telling the stories of incredible women athletes across a multitude of platforms," said Jessica Robertson, TOGETHXR Co-Founder & Chief Content Officer. "In collaboration with great partners at U.S. Ski & Snowboard, The Drop In provides an unfiltered perspective on the journey to greatness as both people and competitors."

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

Maddie Mastro; two-time Olympian, halfpipe: “I’m so stoked for this docu-series to come out and for women’s halfpipe snowboarding to get the recognition it deserves. I think people get excited every four years when they see the sport in the Olympics but forget that we are competing in non-Olympic years too. We are a step behind the men as far as visibility of the sport goes and so I hope The Drop In can help to get more eyes on the sport.” 

Sonora (Sonny) Alba; halfpipe: “The Drop In gives a real, unfiltered look into our world and I can’t wait for everyone to experience the passion and energy that drives us. It will give women’s snowboarding a spotlight which it so rightfully deserves. I’m especially excited for people to get this inside look at what it’s really like: the highs, the struggles, the dedication, and the friendships that make this world so unique.”

Bea Kim; halfpipe: “When I was little there wasn’t a lot of women’s snowboarding represented in traditional media, so it’s great to see outlets like TOGETHXR highlighting the sport. I hope this documentary inspires other young girls to go snowboarding, and maybe even push the boundaries of the sport in the future, but always remembering that  at the end of the day, it’s all about having fun.” 

Rebecca (Becca) Flynn; Youth Olympic Games big air silver medalist; slopestyle/big air: “Snowboarding is such a unique sport and the dynamics of the team are a lot of fun. I’m excited for people to get a behind-the-scenes look into our World Cup season as it’s not as widely followed as the sport is during Olympic years. I’m stoked for people to see just how cool our sport is – we are putting ourselves at risk every time we drop in and I’m excited to show off just how badass all the riders are.

SYNOPSIS

The Drop In is a two-part documentary series following six rising stars of the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team as they push their limits in a sport where skill and visibility define success. Competing at the highest level isn't just about landing on the podium—it's about proving they belong in an industry where opportunity for women is still hard-earned. 

Through events like the Olympics and X Games, snowboarding has taken center stage on the global sports scene. But for these women, the journey to money and notoriety isn’t made on those podiums—it starts long before, in the relentless FIS World Cup season. This is where opportunities are won, reputations are built and performances determine who gets the chance to break through. We’re taking you behind the scenes of a high-stakes, tightly connected world where earning your place is as much about perseverance as it is about talent. Featuring halfpipe athletes Maddie Maestro, Sonny Alba and Bea Kim and slopestyle and big air athletes Rebecca Flynn, Courtney Rummel and Julia Marino, The Drop In captures the intensity, camaraderie and stakes of a season where one run could change everything.

Episode 1: The Climb
Maddie, Bea and Sonny each have different paths, but the same goal: winning. This episode explores the highs and lows of competing at the top level, balancing personal challenges, friendships and the relentless pursuit of progress. From career-defining moments to setbacks that test their resolve, they push forward, determined to leave their mark on the sport.

Episode 2: The Breakthrough
Rebecca, Courtney, and Julia know that success in snowboarding isn’t just about talent—it’s about proving they belong, over and over again. As they fight for recognition and opportunity, they navigate the physical and mental grind of the sport, chasing not only podiums but a lasting legacy in snowboarding.

###

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic and Paralympic National Governing Body of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, based in Park City, Utah. Started in 1905, the organization now represents nearly 240 elite skiers and snowboarders competing on 10 teams: alpine, cross country, freestyle moguls, freestyle aerials, snowboard, freeski, nordic combined, ski jumping, Para alpine and Para snowboard. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org

About TOGETHXR
TOGETHXR is the fastest growing, most popular, and most engaging women's sports brand. The media and commerce company was co-founded by sports media veteran Jessica Robertson alongside four of the world’s greatest professional athletes: Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim, Simone Manuel, and Sue Bird. TOGETHXR originated the trademarked slogan "Everyone Watches Women’s Sports," boldly declaring an undeniable truth that the entire industry has embraced. With a focus on rich storytelling rooted in lifestyle and youth culture, TOGETHXR highlights a diverse and inclusive community of game-changers, culture shapers, thought leaders, and barrier breakers—finding and sharing the stories of women doing the same. As one of the most compelling platforms for women in sports and culture, TOGETHXR’s in-house production studio has developed a slate of premium scripted and unscripted content, streaming on platforms such as Amazon Prime, FuboTV, Bleacher Report, among others. In 2023, TOGETHXR was recognized as one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies.
 

Media Contacts

U.S. Ski & Snowboard

Sadie Texer, Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team Press Officer

sadie.texer@usskiandsnowboard.com

TOGETHXR

Christa Mann; CMS PR Consulting

cmann@cmsprconsulting.com

PARK CITY, Utah (Feb. 27, 2025) - U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced changes to its Alpine Development program effective in the 2025-26 season. The new model seeks to enhance competitive performance at all levels through more regional programming, which will better prepare more athletes for success on the World Cup. 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard will take a broad approach with youth development opportunities to inspire and educate the younger generation. This program will focus on developing junior athletes who typically specialize in one discipline to excelling in multiple disciplines, designed to build more athletes toward elite rankings and eventually become contenders on the World Cup. 

As athletes rise in talent, U.S. Ski & Snowboard will provide focused FIS performance opportunities for those identified as elite performers. In addition, named Regional Development Teams consisting of the best 14-21 years old in the country will have regional, national and international training and racing opportunities. Having removed the D Team in October from the criteria, these Regional Development Teams serve to support elite development athletes seeking to ultimately make the Stifel U.S. Ski Team. The key to the new approach is flexibility, allowing entry points at various ages and levels at any time based on recent results. 

Key points of the new development strategy:

• Focused National Team: Naming elite athletes who achieve podium results at Stifel Success NorAm Series, Europa Cups and World Cups.
• Performance-Based Regional Development Teams: Top-performing development athletes will be named by region. 
• Expanded Regional Programming: Offering regional, national and international training and racing opportunities to the top athletes of each region. 
• Robust Regional Coaching: Each region will have a dedicated men's and women’s Regional Development Team coach, two of whom will serve as national development coaches to ensure collaboration between other regional teams and up into the national team.
• Flexible Athlete Pathways: Athletes will be invited into regional programming based on recent performance at various levels and ages throughout the year. 
• Emphasis on Fitness: Strength and conditioning support from U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s High Performance team.
• Sports Medicine Support: Assistance for injured Regional Team athletes, including return-to-snow programs.
• Pathway to the National Team: High-performing athletes will be elevated to the Stifel U.S. Ski Team.
• Support for Collegiate Skiing: College athletes will receive supplemental elite level training within their respective regions.
• Elite Training Venues: U.S. Ski & Snowboard will leverage its position to secure top-tier training locations.
• Cost Reduction for Top Athletes: Financial support will be provided to high-performing athletes.
• U.S. Ski & Snowboard Regional Rebranding: A stronger and more unified identity for U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s regional programs.

The criteria for the Regional Teams has been posted here and the general programming for each respective age group (U16, U18, U22) can be found here.

QUOTES
“We are very excited about these changes and want to say thank you to the club and program leaders who have provided valuable insight and feedback as we’ve developed this program. We will continue to seek to improve and fine-tune our efforts and always welcome feedback. Together, as a nation, we can provide best-in-class ski racing experiences and opportunities for the champions of tomorrow.”
-Chip Knight, Alpine Development Director, U.S. Ski & Snowboard 

“To be successful on the World Cup, we needed to re-look at our Development program. By injecting coaches and capital into the regions and providing performance-focused programming for the top development athletes, we will yield a denser pool of multi-disciplinary athletes making it to the top.”

-Anouk Patty, Chief of Sport, U.S. Ski & Snowboard

The Toyota U.S. Para Snowboard Team took advantage of their first home snow World Cup start since 2017 by landing six on the podium in Steamboat Springs, including Mike Schultz, who earned his first World Cup win of the season. 

"It's been a long time since we've raced a World Cup here in the U.S., and it felt amazing to land on top of the podium today," said Schultz. "It was a beautiful day, exciting racing, and a fun course to ride."

The conditions were picture-perfect at Steamboat Ski Resort, with warm weather and winds to keep the course intact. The women kicked things off in qualification, where Brenna Huckaby took the top seed heading into the finals with the best women’s time of the day. Huckaby would stay in the top spot throughout the day, all the way to the top of the podium. Kate Delson qualified in second place, Rebecca Johnston in fourth, Jackie Hamwey in fifth, Courtney Godfrey in sixth and Dennae Russell in seventh. 

In the men’s LL-1 qualification, Schultz led the way, qualifying in second place just 0.3 off the top spot. Noah Elliott qualified in third. Zach Miller was the top qualifier in the men’s LL-2 class, finishing in fourth, followed by Aleks Godowski in eighth and Joe Pleban in 10th. Colby Fields qualified in fifth for the men’s UL. 

In the semifinals, Huckaby and Delson both took the top spot in their respective heats, sending them to the big final along with Johnson. Godfrey, Hamwey and Russell comprised the small final. Due to the number of competitors in the men’s LL-1 class, there was a preheat to determine who would advance to the big final. Elliott won the heat to secure the final spot in the big final alongside Schultz. In the LL-2 preheat, Joe Pleban earned his way into the semifinals. Zach Miller continued to shine, advancing to the big final. Pleban and Fields advanced to the small finals.

Anticipation was building among the athletes as the finals neared. Huckaby was unphased, and won the women's LL big final by a considerable margin, earning her second win and fourth podium of the year. Delson came in second, her third podium of the season. Johnson finished just off the podium in fourth, followed by Godfrey in fifth, Russell in sixth and Hamwey in seventh. Isabelle Hicks was the lone competitor in the women’s UL class but put down great runs all day, earning experience and the win on the way.

Elliott and Schultz went head to head in the men’s LL-1 big final, both vying for the top spot on the podium. Despite Elliott’s best efforts, Schultz found that next gear to earn his first win of the season in front of his family cheering in the finish. Elliott finished in second, his seventh podium of the season.

"It's been too long since I took the top spot, so this one feels incredible, especially since my family was here to experience it," said Schultz. "They haven't seen me race since 2018, so this one was special. "Right now, I'm focused on the race tomorrow, followed by World Championships in Canada next week, which carries a lot of weight for us as we head into the Paralympics in Italy next year."

Miller was the sole U.S. representative in the men’s LL-2 big final, going against some of the toughest competitors in the race. In the closest battle of the day, Miller finished on the podium in third place, his first snowboard cross podium of the season. Pleban finished eighth in the small final. Fields finished seventh in the men’s UL small final. 

On Feb. 26, the team does it all again for the second World Cup in Steamboat Springs. Tune in at 12:10 pm ET on live timing. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

On Sunday, February 23, 2025, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete and greatest alpine skier of all time Mikaela Shiffrin won her 100th World Cup win in Sestriere, Italy with teammate Paula Moltzan just behind in third place. 

“Today was just a amazing day in the middle of some really tough months, but I'm very thankful for this day,” said Shiffrin.  

It was poised to be a special day when the snowy skies turned sunny the afternoon of the slalom race. The Italian fans came out and were ready to cheer on what would eventually become a historic day. In the first run, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team showed promise with three athletes heading to run two. Shiffrin ran bib four and knifed her run to take the lead by 0.09 seconds. Moltzan, who has had an up-and-down year in slalom races, showed no signs of slowing down as she glided right into fourth place - a great spot for a potential podium leap. 

AJ Hurt also skied well to make run two. Katie Hensien and Nina O’Brien did not finish the first run but are OK. Youngster Liv Moritz started in her first slalom World Cup and skied great at the top but lost a little time down near the bottom to land outside of the 30. 

The second run was set by Shiffrin’s coach Janne Haarala and it featured a lot of tricky rhythm sections, hairpins and flushes - but it caused no trouble for the U.S. gals. Hurt absolutely nailed her run, gaining time at every split, to cross the line well over a half-second in the lead and set the pace for the women’s team. Hurt would end up 13th overall and second on the second run. 

“It's not so steep anywhere so you have to go as hard as you can and that’s what I tried to do today,” said Hurt. “I am feeling good about today and my weekend overall.” 

Young Swedish skier Cornelia Oehlund held the lead for more than 10 racers, but Moltzan attacked - wanting that top rung. While she lost a chunk of her lead down to the bottom, she saved enough to take the new lead and eventually move to third place. It was her third podium of the season and first slalom podium of the season. 

“I think there were still a lot of mistakes in the second round but I just kept trying to keep my skis down the hill,” said Moltzan. “I knew that everyone in front of me was coming behind Cornelia, so I just wanted to lay everything on the line and see how it played out.” 

Finally all eyes were on Shiffrin. She did not have a lot of time to play with, so she had to lay down a run that would give her the victory. At every turn, Shiffrin was skiing to win, gaining time at each interval to clinch her 100th victory. A look of disbelief lay on her face as the emotions set in. 

“I feel like the mountain ahead of me is steep and long,” said Shiffrin. “If I get there and when I get there it will be very sweet but for now I just have to take this day and be grateful for it. Because it's a small moment in the middle of many tough moments that makes me feel like maybe I can be good again.” 

Shiffrin was notably out of competition for 2.5 months from a brutal injury she sustained in Killington while on her way to her 100th victory in November. It has been an intense road back to victory for Shiffrin - yet on Sunday, she defied the odds and ended up on top. Shiffrin now had 63 slalom wins, 100 wins and 155 World Cup podium finishes. 

“It certainly feels like I've been fighting a lot lately and it's been hard to find the right momentum and the right flow,” said Shiffrin. “So to come back and compete with these women who are skiing so strong and so fast is amazing.” 

In the finish area her teammates and family greeted her wearing their new “MIK100” shirts to show support of her incredible accomplishment. Drenched in champagne, full of emotions and smiles, Shiffrin walked away from the Sestriere weekend with her illusive 100th win done and dusted. 

The next stop on the World Cup tech tour will be in Are, Sweden for a slalom and giant slalom March 8-9. 

RESULTS 
Women's slalom