The Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team has announced that Steve Desovich will join the moguls coaching staff for the upcoming 2024-25 season. 

Desovich, hailing from Killington, Vermont, had an incredibly successful World Cup career, including nine wins and 18 podium finishes. Following a fifth-place finish at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Games, the first time moguls appeared in the Olympics, Desovich made the pivotal decision to transition to coaching. His coaching journey began with the Canadian National Team, a role he held for eight years. In 1998, he took his expertise to Melbourne, Australia, where he coached the Australian National Team until 2022. His leadership led to significant milestones, including coaching the first Australian woman to win a World Cup medal in 2001 and guiding Australian stars Dale Begg-Smith to an Olympic victory in 2006 and Matt Graham to a silver medal in PyeongChang in 2018. 

“Desovich’s strengths lie in his extensive coaching knowledge and experience, which will profoundly impact the performance management of the athletes he works with,” said Matt Gnoza, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Freestyle Sport Director. “We are confident that his collaboration and ability to teach at the micro level will elevate our team to new heights.”

The team’s performance in the 2023-24 season was outstanding, earning the Nations Cup and securing 32 podiums across eight athletes, five women and three men. This remarkable achievement sets a high standard for the upcoming season.

Desovich will serve as the primary coach for the men’s World Cup moguls team alongside Head Moguls Coach Bryon Wilson.

The moguls team will kick off their season in Ruka, Finland, on Nov. 30, 2024. The athletes will spend a few additional weeks competing in Europe before heading back stateside for the North American tour, stopping in Waterville, NH, Val St. Come, Quebec, CAN, and Deer Valley, UT, from Jan. 24 to Feb. 8, 2025.

The best freestyle athletes from around the world will gather in Engadin, Switzerland, for the 2025 FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships from Mar. 18-30. Each country will nominate four athletes per gender, per discipline. Complete nominations will be made later this season; however, this year, the U.S. athletes had the opportunity to prequalify based on their standings from the 2023-24 season. According to prewritten criteria, ‘U.S. Ski & Snowboard will nominate the top one (1) U.S. athlete, respective of gender, ranked in the top three (3) on the 2025 FIS Base List.’

The 2025 FIS Base List has been released, so let’s look at the first athletes nominated to the 2025 Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team World Championships Team.

MOGULS

(Hometown; Club; College/University; Birthdate)

Jaelin Kauf

(Alta, WY; Grand Taghee Ski & Snowboard Foundation/Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; University of Utah; 9/26/1996)
2022 Olympic silver medalist - moguls
2023-24 season standings: 2nd - moguls, dual moguls, overall

Olympic silver medalist Jaelin Kauf of Alta, Wyoming, is a force to be reckoned with on the moguls World Cup circuit. Her relentless pursuit of victory in every event she competes in is truly inspiring. Kauf’s track record is a testament to her skill and dedication, with eight World Cup victories, 36 World Cup podiums, four World Championship podiums, seven U.S. Championship titles, and an Olympic silver medal. 

Off the slopes, Kauf is a passionate advocate for women and girls in sports, actively supporting the Women’s Sports Foundation. In 2019, she achieved a personal milestone by being featured in a Warren Miller film, “Timeless’. Her motto, “Deliver The Love,” serves as a constant reminder to enjoy the sport and stay focused on her passion and love for skiing.

Kauf finished the 2023-24 season ranked second in the moguls, dual moguls, and overall standings, with a win and 10 additional podium finishes. 

AERIALS

(Hometown; Club; College/University; Birthdate)

Winter Vinecki

(Gaylord, MI; Park City Ski & Snowboard; St. Mary’s University School of Law; 12/18/1998)
2022 Olympian
2023-24 season standings: 2nd Overall

Winter Vinecki, from Gaylord, Michigan, is not just an aerials skier but an all-around athlete. Her achievements extend beyond the slopes, as she holds two World Records: the youngest person to run a marathon on seven continents and the first mother-daughter duo to do so. Her determination and versatility are truly admirable. She has earned multiple podiums, Olympic and World Championship starts, and more in aerial skiing. In 2021, she snagged her first World Cup podium in Moscow, Russia, and stood on the podium three more times that same season. 

Outside of skiing and running, Winter is the founder of Team Winter, a non-profit organization for prostate cancer research and awareness in honor of her late father, who passed away from an aggressive form of the disease. 

During the 2023-24 season, Vinecki made waves in aerials, becoming one of the only women to compete triples on the World Cup circuit. She finished the year ranked second overall, tying her career-best finish. 

Chris Lillis

(Rochester, NY; Bristol Mountain Freestyle Team; 10/4/1998)
2022 Olympic Champion - aerials team
2023-24 season standings: 3rd Overall

Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team aerials athlete Chris Lillis made a significant mark on the world of aerial skiing when he won an Olympic gold medal in the aerials team event at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. 

Not only was Chris the youngest man to win a FIS aerials World Cup, claiming the top spot as a 17-year-old in 2016, but he also earned 13 NorAm podium finishes, four of which he took first place. Chris has been on the podium eight times on the World Cup circuit, winning two. Lillis is also a three-time World Championship medalist, winning the gold in 2023 in the aerials team event and a silver and bronze in 2021. Fun fact: Chris is the first American since Jeret “Speedy” Peterson to complete a quintuple (five twists, three flips) in a competition.

This season was a roller coaster for many aerials athletes, but Lillis brought home two individual podiums and a team win to finish third overall. 

“The early qualification process is designed to allow top performing athletes to best prepare for peak performance at the event,” said Matt Gnoza, U.S. Ski & Snowboard Freestyle Sport Director. “Early nomination allows the athletes ample time to prepare mentally and physically for large stake events. The freestyle staff and I are excited to see how this procedure can enhance our World Championship outcomes.” 

This early qualification process will be implemented again in preparation for the 2025-26 season to secure spots for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy. Four athletes (one per gender, per discipline) will have the chance to qualify for the 2026 Olympics based on their performance in the 2023-24 overall season standings. 

Tentative Freestyle World Championships Schedule

Moguls Qualification - Tuesday, March 18
Moguls Finals - Wednesday, March 19
Dual Moguls - Friday, March 21
Mixed Team Aerials - Thursday, March 27
Aerials Qualification - Saturday, March 29
Aerials - Sunday, March 30

PARK CITY, Utah (June 4, 2024) – The International Federation of Skiing & Snowboarding (FIS) has officially confirmed 11 FIS World Cups in the United States for the 2024-25 season, headlined by the first ever back-to-back men’s and women’s FIS Alpine World Cup speed races on the historic Birds of Prey track at Beaver Creek and the FIS Alpine World Cup Finals at Sun Valley Resort.

In addition to the men’s Birds of Prey that has been hosted by Beaver Creek since 1997, the women will have the chance to race the renowned speed track in December the weekend after the men at the women’s Stifel Birds of Prey presented by United Airlines. It will be the first time the women have raced on the iconic Birds of Prey course. The race will mark the first time many of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team women will race a World Cup on home snow, including top speed athletes Lauren Macuga and Bella Wright. The resort is also poised to welcome back the winningest alpine skier of all time Mikaela Shiffrin as she chases her 100th World Cup win just a few miles from her home in the Vail Valley. 

“I love racing in the States—racing at Killington has been so important for our sport, and now the women get to have several stops in North America,” said Olympic champion and 97-time World Cup winner Mikaela Shiffrin. “I have a lot of great memories skiing in Beaver Creek, particularly from World Champs in 2015. It’s an iconic World Cup speed track with a best in the world course crew – the Talon Crew – and the surface is always incredible. It’s so great we’ll be closing the season at Sun Valley with Stifel Sun Valley Finals too. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of the next generation of skiers seeing and experiencing the World Cup in our country. It is so impactful and essential for the growth of our sport here at home.”

The men will race at Beaver Creek the weekend prior, kicking off their speed season with the annual Stifel Birds of Prey presented by United Airlines, racing super-G, downhill and giant slalom. The giant slalom race is back in Beaver Creek for the first time since Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Tommy Ford found his first World Cup victory on the track in 2019. The races will highlight local favorite River Radamus, top downhill skier Bryce Bennett and Olympic silver medalist Ryan Cochran-Siegle.

“The opportunity for women to race speed on the historic Birds of Prey course in Beaver Creek is thrilling!” said Olympic gold medalist and most successful U.S. downhiller in history Lindsey Vonn. “I love that the women will be racing on the same track as the men, and I can’t wait to cheer them on in a place that is very special to me.”  

The alpine World Cup Finals are also returning to the U.S. for the first time since 2017 with Idaho’s Sun Valley Resort hosting the Stifel Sun Valley Finals. The event invites the top 25 athletes from each alpine discipline, likely including Swiss phenoms Marco Odermatt and Lara Gut-Behrami, Italian force Sofia Goggia, Brazil’s Lucas Braathen, and many Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes.

“Bringing the World Cup Finals back to the U.S. and to a storied resort like Sun Valley is exciting for the U.S. fan base,” said six-time Olympic medalist Bode Miller. “As someone who grew up with World Cup races nearby, having U.S. Ski & Snowboard continue to host events like this and raise the level of competition regularly is crucial for the continuation of our sport and inspiring the next generation of skiers. I can’t wait to watch.”

“Finally a World Cup Finals on home soil!” said two-time World Cup winner Bryce Bennett. “I’m excited to have the Finals in Sun Valley Idaho this season! It couldn’t be in a better location with a community that values and supports World Cup skiing with the same enthusiasm as the Europeans.”

The 2024-25 U.S. FIS World Cup circuit will again begin on the east coast in Vermont with the alpine women racing giant slalom and slalom at the Stifel Killington Cup. 40,000-plus fans are expected to cheer on the Stifel U.S. Ski Team women, including six-time Stifel Killington Cup champion and winningest skier of all time Shiffrin, and tech podium stars AJ Hurt and Paula Moltzan. 

In addition to the four alpine events, the United States will have three freestyle World Cups. An aerials World Cup heads to the historic 1980 Olympic site of Lake Placid Jan. 18-19 for the first time since 2019. New Hampshire’s Waterville Valley Resort, known as the birthplace of freestyle skiing, will host a moguls and dual moguls World Cup Jan. 25-26. This comes after the mountain’s successful first freestyle World Cup last season. Competition continues with the fan favorite Intermountain Health Freestyle International at Deer Valley Feb. 6-8 with moguls, aerials and dual moguls World Cups. This event is a staple on the freestyle schedule and draws an enormous crowd year after year. Both events will be headlined by the strong women’s Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team, who regularly finished on the podium throughout the 2023-24 season.

The FIS Ski Jumping World Cup circuit will head to Lake Placid for the third time since 1990, Feb. 8-9. For the first time, the event will feature both men and women for mixed team and individual jumps. The women’s event will be an addition to last season’s calendar. Top U.S. athletes to watch include Erik Belshaw and Josie Johnson, both silver medalists at the 2024 Junior World Championships. 

Additionally, there will be three freeski and snowboard World Cups in the U.S. this season, with locations to be confirmed. 

“We are thrilled to have a robust domestic World Cup calendar once again,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt. “To have 11 events on home snow spanning across the country, is a testament to the growth of our sports and the fanbase following our athletes. Plus, the addition of two alpine events, including a two-weekend Birds of Prey with both men’s and women’s races and the Stifel World Finals in Sun Valley, showcases the significant value in bringing the world’s best to the U.S.” 

“As a proud supporter of the skiing community, we are thrilled to partner with U.S. Ski & Snowboard to bring more World Cup events to the United States,” said Ron Kruszewski, chairman and CEO of Stifel Financial, the title sponsor of all four alpine events this coming season. “These events not only showcase the incredible talent of athletes from around the globe but also provide an opportunity for American fans to experience the excitement of world class competition on home soil. We are committed to fostering the growth of winter sports in the U.S. and are honored to play a role in making that happen.”

2024-25 U.S. WORLD CUP SCHEDULE

ALPINE
Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2024: Stifel Killington Cup, Killington, Vermont; women’s slalom/giant slalom
Dec. 6-8, 2024: Stifel Birds of Prey presented by United Airlines, Beaver Creek, Colorado; men’s super-G/downhill/giant slalom
Dec. 14-15, 2024: Stifel Birds of Prey presented by United Airlines, Beaver Creek, Colorado; women’s super-G/downhill
March 22-27, 2025: Stifel Sun Valley Finals, Sun Valley, Idaho; men’s and women’s downhill/super-G/giant slalom/slalom

FREESTYLE
Jan. 18-19, 2025: FIS Freestyle World Cup, Lake Placid, New York; aerials
Jan. 25-26, 2025: Waterville Freestyle Cup, Waterville Valley, New Hampshire; moguls/dual moguls
Feb. 6-8, 2025: Intermountain Health Freestyle International, Deer Valley, Utah; moguls/aerials/dual moguls 

FREESKI AND SNOWBOARD 
Dec. 14, 2024: Toyota U.S. Grand Prix, TBC; halfpipe
Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2025: Visa Big Air presented by Toyota, TBC; big air
Feb. 2-5, 2025: Toyota U.S. Grand Prix, TBC; slopestyle/halfpipe 

SKI JUMPING
Feb. 7-9, 2025: FIS Ski Jumping World Cup, Lake Placid, New York; individual large hill HS 128/super team large hill HS 128. 

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