In the final FIS snowboard cross World Cup of the 2024-25 season and first official qualifier for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team’s Nathan Pare earned his first career World Cup podium with a third place finish at Mt. St. Anne.

Pare found himself in an unfamiliar spot during Thursday’s qualifications, leaving it up to his second run to earn a spot in finals. An aggressive second run earned him the 26th fastest time of the day and a coveted spot in Friday’s big show and the young American looked to redeem himself infrant of the loud Canadian 

Joining pare in the round of eight finals was top American qualifier Senna Leith, with the 10th fastest time in qualifications, Olympic Gold medalist Nick Baumgartner and Olympian Jake Vedder. Leith and Baumgartner were taken out in the first round of heats but Pare and Vedder kept the American hopes alive, making it all the way through to the quarterfinal round where the two teammates were forced to race in the same heat. Pare bested veteran Vedder to take second place in the heat and moved to the round of semis, where another second place results set up the 20 year old for the first World Cup big final of his career. Up against the likes of Austria’s Jakob Dusek and Canada’s Eliot Grondin, Pare took to the start gate and put on a show, racing toe-to-toe with the world’s best riders and edging out France’s Loan Bozzolo for a spot on the podium.

Earning such an accomplishment at the Mt. St. Anne track is special for Pare, who won the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year honor at the same track last season despite not being able to race in the World Cup due to a broken jaw.

“This race is so special and it means so much to podium here after last season,” said the Maine native. “It made me so hungry to come back and crush it this year and to have my friends, family and everyone who has supported me my whole life here to watch me earn my first podium- it just means everything”

The Canadian double header caps off a successful season for the snowboard cross team, who will now take a well deserved break before heading into summer training camps ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim made history at the 2025 FIS Snowboard World Championships, earning her third career World Championships gold to match the all-time record for most world titles in women’s halfpipe snowboarding.

A wind-blown pipe and white out skies forced a two-hour delay on the women’s halfpipe final, forcing riders to anxiously await an update from event organizers on whether the contest would run. Despite significant snowfall and windy conditions, officials deemed the pipe worthy to ride and the competition was on. Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team teammates Maddy Schaffrick and Maddie Mastro competed alongside Kim for the U.S.

Kim set the tone early on with a dominant first run, executing a switch double cork 1080, two back-to-back 900s, a frontside 720 and a massive switch 1080 stalefish to earn a score of 93.50. With the win locked in before her second drop, the crowd lining the pipe watched as Kim decided to forgo the victory lap and proved why she’s the most successful female rider in women’s snowboard halfpipe history, attempting to land a 1260 on her final hit, a feat she has only completed in the run that earned her the 2024 X Games gold medal.

“I wanted to take a victory lap to progress the sport and try to do the craziest run I’ve ever done,” said Kim. “I was really hoping to put that down here, but next time.”

“I was just happy I was able to land something,” Kim joked. “Today was a big mental battle for off of us- I definitely had a couple of mental breakdowns during practice.”

Mastro, the 2024-25 FIS Crystal Globe champion, put down a solid performance in her fourth career World Championships, throwing her signature double crippler and crowd pleasing Haakon flip to post an 81.00 on her second run. Despite a top-to-bottom pull, the snowy conditions and slow pipe got the best of Mastro who finished the day in sixth place behind a second to fifth Japanese sweep.

Rounding out the American women was veteran Schaffrick who held strong and put down her first attempt but slipped out on her second to take 11th place.

Japan’s Sara Shimitzu and Mitsuki Ono rounded out the women’s podium. 15-year-old Shimitzu took silver and Ono bronze.

On the men’s side of halfpipe competition, all four Americans named to the World Championship quad were set to drop, led by two-time Olympian Chase Josey who headed into finals fourth overall after earning a massive 90.00 score in qualifications. The tough riding conditions got the best of Josey, who was unable to follow up his performance in qualifications and landed in 12th overall. Olympian Lucas Foster was the top American male, ending his second career World Championships in eighth overall. 16-year-old teammate Alessandro Barbieri earned ninth and Jason Wolle 16th in their first World Championships appearance. 

The conclusion of World Championships marks the end of the 2024-25 halfpipe season. The team will return home for some well-deserved rest before heading back on the road to Aspen, Colorado for an airbag camp in April.

RESULTS
Women
Men