The Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athletes kicked off the second period of their competition schedule under the lights in Val St. Côme, Canada. Jaelin Kauf led the way for the United States, landing in second place and earning her 29th World Cup podium. 

It was a cold, crisp evening with temperatures hovering around zero degrees Fahrenheit, making it the coldest competition of the season so far. The bumps were soft, proving challenging for many athletes, leading to more DNFs than the average competition. 

The U.S. women have dominated the circuit this season, and today proved no different despite the conditions. All six Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team women’s moguls athletes qualified for the finals alongside two U.S. men. Just off the podium was Alli Macuga, tying her personal best moguls result in fourth, followed by Hannah Soar in fifth, Olivia Giaccio in sixth, Tess Johnson in seventh and Kasey Hogg in 11th. 

"Honestly, it took a little bit to figure it out again and put all the pieces together. It felt like I’d been out of competing for a while, but I felt like that last run I finally hit my stride again," said Kauf. "I think tomorrow I'm focusing on hitting that top air takeoff and let it go from there - trust that I have the pace and turns in the middle to win every run. I think it was a little bit of a weird event for everyone, but this girl's team especially really crushed it out there, even with not hitting everything how we wanted. Kasey started off the day stomping a cork 10 in qualifications, and Olivia followed suit in finals. It was super inspiring to see our girl's team continuing to push the field."

Cole McDonald and Nick Page qualified for finals for the men, finishing 10th and 11th, respectively. Just outside finals was Dylan Walczyk in 18th, Landon Wendler in 30th, Nash Lucas in 31st and Dylan Marcellini in 36th. Today was Lucas’ first World Cup start after earning the spot during the 2024 U.S. Freestyle Selections in December. 

The team has spent the last few weeks at home in Park City, Utah, having a successful training camp. This training and focus on tricks paid off, as during today’s event, Kasey Hogg became the first woman to throw a cork 10 in a qualification. Hogg followed in the footsteps of her teammate, Olivia Giaccio, who was the first woman to ever do a cork 10 in a competition.  

"I am so excited to be back in World Cup competitions. That atmosphere is always awesome, and skiing with the rest of the World Cup team is super fun," said Hogg. "It felt incredible to throw a cork 1080 in both my qualifying and finals run today! It has been a goal of mine to compete this trick, and I felt like the time was right. Only having done a 1080 in my full top to bottom run just the day before comp was a challenge, but I’m so glad I decided to compete it today. I’ve spent a lot of time practicing this trick on the trampoline, water ramps, and snow, and competing at the World Cup level was a dream come true. I am so eager for the rest of the season and improving even more as the season goes on!"

Tomorrow, the team takes on the dual moguls in Val St. Côme starting at 7:00 p.m. ET, live on skiandsnowboard.live.  

RESULTS
Women
Men

New Hampshire’s Waterville Resort, the birthplace of freestyle skiing, has announced that tickets for the United Airlines Waterville Freestyle Cup presented by ID One USA are now available for purchase at waterville.com. On January 26-27, Waterville will host the best men’s and women’s moguls skiers in the world for a set of moguls and dual moguls events. Olympic silver medalist Jaelin Kauf and top-ranking American Nick Page are both set to compete alongside New England natives Olivia Giaccio and Hannah Soar, who have both found themselves on the podium this season. 

Festivities kick off Friday morning with the single moguls qualifications slated to begin at 9:10 am ET, followed by dual moguls on Saturday. The festival village will also be open during competition. 

The event will feature an athlete bib presentation and autograph signing on Friday night. No ticket is required for the Friday night activities, which are free to the public.

Spectator Ticket - $10 Fri / $20 Sat

• Admission to the World Cup arena, lift ticket not included

Foot Passenger Ticket - $20 Fri / $20 Sat

• Admission to the World Cup arena, Valley Run lift ticket included (access to the World Cup arena via Valley Run Quad). 
• Ride up Valley Run Quad as a foot passenger. From the top of Valley Run Quad, you can walk to the arena by following a short path. 
• Lift ticket is limited to Valley Run Quad and is not valid on any other aerial or surface lifts. 

VIP Ticket - $250 Fri / $250 Sat

• Admission to the World Cup VIP Tent, including premier viewing area, access to VIP cash bar, complimentary continental breakfast, lunch buffet and snacks.
• One (1) Priority Parking Pass
• Includes full mountain lift ticket for skiing/snowboarding. You also have the option to ride up and down the mountain on the Valley Run Quad as a foot passenger. 

BUY TICKETS HERE

The Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athletes wrapped up the first part of their season with a dual moguls event in Bakuriani, Georgia, landing two on the podium, with Jaelin Kauf and Nick Page both in third.

Continuing their strong start to the 2023-24 season, today’s competition was no different. Going into the finals, the moguls team sent all six women and two men to the finals, despite the challenging weather conditions.

For the first time this season, none of the U.S. women had to go head-to-head in the qualification rounds, giving the U.S. the best chance to make an impact in the finals, which they ultimately took advantage of. 

Kauf and Alli Macuga - coming off her first dual moguls podium and career best individual result in yesterday’s event - made it to the semi-finals for the U.S. women and Page advanced for the men. 

In the end, it was a battle for third place for Kauf and Macuga, with Macuga crossing the line first but Kauf taking home the third place finish. Just outside the semis was Olivia Giaccio, who finished fifth, followed by Hannah Soar in ninth, Tess Johnson in 11th and Elizabeth Lemley in 13th.

“I’m stoked to finish this part of the tour with a podium, and I’m very excited to be headed home for Christmas! I’m really happy with putting down some solid skiing throughout today, especially after last week's duals,” said Kauf. “Right now I’m focusing on getting home for Christmas and will reevaluate the plan for the second part of the tour, but will probably be focused on bringing in some more tricks.”

At the end of the day, Page once again showed his skill and consistency by putting down consistent run after consistent run, which led him to the podium. Outside the quarter-final was Cole McDonald, finishing 15th, along with Dylan Walczyk in 18th, Landon Wendler in 20th and Dylan Marcellini in 21st. 

“Today was a great day - it felt like I found a new level of consistent intensity that I was really happy with. The guys I skied against today are so good; the level of competition is so high, and every run took everything I had,” said Page. "I’m lucky to have them pushing me to the next level. It will be nice to have a moment to come up for air after a long two months on the road. I’m excited to get back to training before we pick it up again in Val St. Come.”

The team is returning to the United States for a break before heading to Val St. Come, Canada Jan. 19-20.

RESULTS
Women
Men

The Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athletes took on the bumps in Bakuriani, Georgia this morning for the first time since the 2023 Freestyle World Championships, with Hannah Soar landing on the podium in third. Seven finished in the top 10. 

It was overcast with light snowfall today, and the U.S. women started off the day strong, with all six competitors making it to finals. Alli Macuga had a slow start to the day qualifying last in 16th place, but turned things around in finals to qualify for her first career individual moguls super finals. Three made the finals for the men: Dylan Walczyk, Dylan Marcellini and Nick Page. 

In super finals, the U.S. women once again showed their consistency and depth across the board, with Soar earning her first podium of the season, finishing third, followed by Macuga in fourth, a moguls personal best, and Jaelin Kauf in sixth. Just outside the super finals was Elizabeth Lemley in eighth, followed by Tess Johnson in 10th and Olivia Giaccio in 12th. 

"Getting fourth today was another huge step for me in the right direction," said Macuga. "Qualifying 16th was hard for me to accept, but had to remember that the only way to go from there was up. I’ve been figuring out a lot about my skiing and was very proud of it, especially to get fourth place."

"It was great to get a podium at the end of these seven weeks on the road. It’s a Christmas miracle!" said Soar. 

Page finished in fourth place in a tight competition on the men's side, bouncing back from his results last week in Alpe d'Huez, France. Dylan Walczyk was just outside super finals in seventh overall. Dylan Marcellini landed in 13th, Landon Wendler in 21st and Cole McDonald finished 26th. 

“Today’s event was another step in the right direction that I was happy with. I liked how I was building through the training days and was able to stay on that trajectory for the contest," said Page. "With conditions getting more challenging this afternoon, it showed a few weaknesses that I am still working on in a way that’s kind of exciting. It’s giving me a framework and allowing me to have conversations on what I need to do to improve. There’s something really special about learning, growing and finding ways to get better every single day. I love that process and am excited to keep building to what’s next.”

Tomorrow, Dec. 23, the team takes on the dual moguls event in Bakuriani, Georgia before taking a break for the holiday. Watch live at 4:30 a.m. ET on skiandsnowboard.live 

RESULTS
Women
Men

Today in the mixed aerials team event in Changchun, China, Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team aerials athletes Winter Vinecki, Chris Lillis and Quinn Dehlinger put on an aerials masterclass to land atop the podium. 

The athletes have been battling extreme cold and heavy winds in China the entire week, and today was no exception. Despite the conditions, Vinecki, Lillis and Dehlinger put down near-perfect runs to win the mixed aerials team competition by more than 30 points over the second-place finishers. There was additional focus on Winter Vinecki today, as she is working to improve her triples on snow and it has never been more clear that her hard work is paying off. She appeared cool, calm and collected as she put down a clean back-lay-full-full to help the team secure their victory. 

The U.S. also had two other teams jumping in today’s competition: USA 2, made up of Kaila Kuhn, Connor Curran and Justin Schoenefeld, who finished in fourth, and USA 3 of Karenna Elliott, Tasia Tanner and Derek Krueger who came in sixth. While the U.S. is known for mixed team aerials, having won gold medals in both the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and the 2023 World Championships, for many of these athletes, this was the first aerials team competition they had ever started. It was a great experience and training for them to prepare for upcoming events, and look for USA to keep dominating. 

The team is now moving into a holiday break back in the United States for training in preparation for their domestic World Cup at Deer Valley Feb. 1-3.

RESULTS
Mixed Aerials Team

The Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team women’s moguls athletes once again showed their speed and strength in today’s dual moguls event, landing Olivia Giaccio and Alli Macuga on the podium in second and third, each earning new personal bests. 

It was another bluebird day in Alpe d’Huez, France, and emotions were high across the board. Olivia Giaccio put on yet another stunning performance today to put herself in the big final against World Cup leader Anthony Jakara. They were neck and neck throughout the entire run, but Jakara was just a bit quicker, landing Giaccio in second place. Although it wasn’t a win, this second place was still incredibly meaningful to Olivia as it was her best career finish in a dual moguls event, improving upon her previous top finish in third last year in Almaty. This podium was particularly special because Giaccio’s parents were there to witness it in person. 

Just behind Giaccio was Alli Macuga, who finished in third place, capturing her first career World Cup podium. Macuga smiled ear to ear from the moment she finished her last run till she stepped off the podium. 

“I can nearest put into words how much I’ve worked for this; ever since I knew mogul skiing was a thing, I’ve looked forward to the day I would get my first podium,” said Macuga. “I am beyond happy with my performance and such fun duals today! I am so grateful for my family always cheering me on and pushing me to get there and my coaches for guiding me; finally, my teammates/best friends cheered me on and pushed me to do my best!”

Just off the stacked podium was Tess Johnson who finished in fourth, followed by Elizabeth Lemley in fifth and Hannah Soar in sixth. Jaelin Kauf unfortunately DNFd during her 1/16 final run, finishing in 27th. 

Nick Page led the pack for the U.S. men, finishing in 13th, along with Dylan Marcellini in 15th, Dylan Walczyk in 22nd and Cole McDonald in 24th. 

The team is headed to Bakuriani, Georgia, for another set of moguls and dual moguls events Dec. 22-23.

RESULTS
Women
Men

The Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team aerials athletes kicked off their second World Cup of the season today in Changchun, China, highlighted by Winter Vinecki’s second career win and a podium for Chris Lillis. 

This is the first time the aerials team has been back in China for a World Cup since the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, where the U.S. took home the aerials team gold medal. The rare daytime event was a change of pace for the team, but one that they took in stride. 

During qualifications, Karenna Elliott and Quinn Dehlinger both finished first, setting themselves up nicely for the finals. Elliott ended the day with a new personal best, finishing in ninth place and scoring a personal best score of 88.51, improving upon her previous record of 12th from Engadin last yearm

“I’m very happy with my performance today. I did some of the best jumps today that I’ve done this season,” said Elliott. “It was incredible to qualify in the top position against so many great competitors. Even though I didn’t get a super high score on my final jump, I’m proud of myself for putting down another nice jump and landing it in competition. Walking away from this competition with a new personal best score and placement has given me confidence, and I am looking forward to future competitions. Since we have a month of training before our next competition at Deer Valley, I think I will be throwing some new tricks and am confident that this will be my best competition season yet!"

Tasia Tanner also scored a new personal best, landing in eighth place.

“Getting that new personal best today was really exciting. It was nice to take the momentum from Ruka and just keep moving forward,” said Tanner. “I was able to get my highest score ever and put down a clean jump. Obviously, there’s still room for improvement, but overall, I’m really happy with how I performed today. It’s been a long road to get where I’m at today, with this being my first healthy season in over two years. I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the season goes, and I can’t wait to compete on home snow again at Deer Valley!”

In finals, Winter Vinecki showed how much her triples have progressed since she started training them on snow only a few weeks ago in Ruka. Her newfound skills and perseverance helped her earn her second career victory. This is the first win from a U.S. woman in about three years. 

"It was not easy out there today, but I am so excited to have made the most of it and put my triples to my feet for the win," said Vinecki. "We were battling some brutally cold temperatures and strong winds all week and today was no exception. With still only having a handful of days of triples under my belt, I cannot thank my team around me enough for giving me so much encouragement and support so that I could get triples done again in this World Cup here in China. It has been a big few weeks for me so to top it off with a win and put on the yellow bib for the first time in my career feels incredible. I am excited for a little family time over the Holidays and then get some solid training in before the Deer Valley World Cup, where I am eager to keep this momentum going!"

Finishing behind Vinecki was Kaila Kuhn in seventh, followed by Tanner in eighth, Elliott in ninth, Megan Smallhouse in 14th, and Dani Loeb in 17th.

Olympic gold medalist Chris Lillis, who won his gold medal in China in 2022, also had a strong showing today, finishing in second place to earn his seventh career podium.

"I'm absolutely amped to put down another solid competition in some very tough weather and land on the podium," said Lillis. "I feel I'm in a great position to get back to home base and get some solid training in to continue my push for the Crystal Globe. Sharing a podium today with Winter was also super exciting as we have been teammates for eight years and it was a pleasure watching her get rewarded for taking the step up to the triple kicker. After a small Christmas break, all my focus will be on crushing Deer Valley!"

Quinn Dehlinger finished in seventh, Connor Curran in 17th, Justin Schoenefeld in 18th, and Derek Krueger in 20th. 

The team is headed into a training block before their next World Cup event in Deer Valley Feb. 1-3. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

The Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team kicked off the weekend with a moguls event in Alpe d’Huez, France, and Jaelin Kauf and Olivia Giaccio landed on the podium.

Men’s qualification was Thursday, where two U.S. men, Dylan Walczyk and Dylan Marcellini, qualified for today’s finals. 

It was a beautiful bluebird day in Alpe d’Huez, with soft snow conditions favorable to the U.S. team. The morning started with women’s qualifications, where all seven women competing moved on to finals, showing the depth and skill of the team. 

Four women made it to super finals where Jaelin Kauf finished in second, and Olivia Giaccio snagged third place for the third week in a row. Jakara Anthony of Australia won the event. Also in the top 10 were Hannah Soar in fifth, Liz Lemley in sixth, and Tess Johnson seventh. Alli Macuga was 12th and Kai Owens 16th. 

“Today was a lot of fun,” said Kauf. “The course was skiing super well, and I was stoked with my skiing in the middle. I still feel like I have a lot of improving left to do, but I am moving in the right direction. I’m excited for another duals comp tomorrow!”

The men had another solid day of skiing, with Dylan Marcellini finishing in 11th and Dylan Walczyk in 14th. Cole McDonald finished qualifiers in 23rd, followed by Nick Page in 49th. 

Next up, the men and women compete in dual moguls on Saturday.

RESULTS
Women's moguls
Men's moguls 

Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athlete Jaelin Kauf secured her eighth career World Cup win and fifth dual moguls win on Saturday, Dec. 9, in Idre Fjäll, Sweden. 

Kauf is known as one of the fastest women on the World Cup moguls circuit, which was on full display today in Sweden. Early in the heats, Kauf started knocking out the best of the best, including the most dominant women’s moguls skier in the world, Jakara Anthony. 

"I’m super happy with today; I had so much fun skiing," said Kauf. "The first few events [this season] I didn't bring the skiing to competition that I wanted, but today I finally hit that skiing I’d been searching for. It felt really good to lay down some really fun skiing and just let it go."

Despite low visibility, it was a battle of the Americans today with multiple U.S. head-to-head heats. Olivia Giaccio and Alli Macuga battled in the round of 16, pushing each other to ski faster and having fun in the process. The women motivate each other on and off the snow, cheering each other on even when skiing side by side. 

The U.S. women once again packed the top 10 with Johnson just outside the small final in fifth, followed by Giaccio in sixth, Hannah Soar in seventh, Kai Owens in eighth, Liz Lemley in ninth and Alli Macuga in 13th. 

Nick Page led the men with a seventh place finish. Dylan Walczyk followed in 14th, Cole McDonald in 19th, and Dylan Marcellini in 28th. 

Next up the team is headed to Alpe d’Huez, France for another set of moguls and dual moguls events Dec. 15-16. 

RESULTS:
Women
Men 

The Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athletes had another successful day in Idre Fjäll, Sweden, with Nick Page snagging second place and Olivia Giaccio bringing home third for the second week in a row. 

"I tried to keep things simple and focus on my process and execution run after run; it was sweet to have things pan out results-wise," said Giaccio. "I'm very proud of the effort and process focus I've been putting into my performances, and I am hungry for more in duals tomorrow!"

Idre Fjäll is a favorite stop for many U.S. athletes, as Page and Liz Lemley earned their first World Cup wins at the venue in 2022, and Page has now podiumed there four times. 

“Today was special," said Page. "It felt really nice to bounce back after last week and compete with the guys at the top again. There’s a lot to be said about learning from mistakes and growing from them. Last week offered me an opportunity to understand what went wrong — and once I processed all that I was able to adjust for this event. I’m happy with how I competed today and am excited to keep it rolling into duals tomorrow!”

Page sat in first after his superfinals run but was bumped into second by moguls World Cup leader Mikael Kingsbury.

This event setup differed from most, with women’s qualifications happening the day before finals instead of the same day. Some of the women were nervous about how this would impact their performance, along with the low visibility and snow throughout today’s finals; however, this did not stop the U.S. women from shining once again.

Just off the podium was Tess Johnson in fourth, followed by Jaelin Kauf in fifth, Lemley in sixth, Hannah Soar in seventh and Kai Owens in 12th. Alli Macuga finished qualifications in 33rd. 

On the men’s side, Cole McDonald finished finals in eighth, followed by Dylan Walczyk in 17th, Landon Wendler in 21st, and Dylan Marcellini in 30th. 

The team is looking forward to the first dual moguls World Cup of the season tomorrow in Idre Fjäll. 

RESULTS
Women’s moguls
Men’s moguls

HOW TO WATCH
Saturday, Dec. 9 
6:30 am ET - Idre Fjall dual moguls - skiandsnowboard.live