Stifel U.S. Freeski Team member Matt Labaugh is on the rise this season. The Rye, NY native ended the 2023-24 season sitting 14th in the world. Labaugh finished last season with three top twelve finishes (out of the five events in the season) and his career-best fifth place finish at Mammoth Mountain for the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix. We chatted with Matt to discuss his passion for halfpipe skiing and what inspires him.

Q: What initially drew you to halfpipe skiing?

Matt Labaugh: I grew up skiing slopestyle on the East Coast before moving to Vail, where everyone skied both slope and halfpipe. I started halfpipe as well, so I could be like everybody else and wanted to prove I could do it too. I really fell in love with the process of working through tricks in the pipe, and here we are years later.

Q: What are your biggest goals around halfpipe skiing? What about beyond skiing?

ML: The Olympics have always been my number one goal. After that, I want to make the X Games, compete under those lights, and find sponsors I really connect with. Outside of skiing, I want to make sure I graduate from college and one day I would really like to own a home.

Q: What is one thing that you’re most proud of in your career so far?

ML: One of my proudest moments was during the FIS Freeski Junior World Championships in Leysin, France, in 2022. I took home second in both halfpipe and slopestyle, which felt huge. I also walked away with a fifth in big air. Since Junior Worlds, I’ve been competing mainly on the World Cup circuit, which is serious competition. Last season, I feel like things really clicked for me, and I am proud of the drive I found to work hard and push myself, even on tough days.

Q: Are there any moments that you’ve experienced in your career that didn’t seem real?

ML: I was on the alternate list for the 2022 Beijing Olympics and that felt pretty crazy. I never thought that would happen. Also every single time a brand sends me skis...that never gets old.

Q: Who were the athletes that you looked up to when you were younger, or who are they now?

When I was younger, I always looked up to Tom Wallisch and Bobby Brown. One year, Smith sent me Bobby Brown’s pro model goggles. I was riding Breckenridge one day, and both of them were there. I was the weird little kid following them. I finally got on the lift with them, and Bobby was like, “Oh, sick goggles,” and it made my whole year. These days, Alex Hall is definitely someone I look up to; he has such a great perspective on skiing and building runs in general. Outside of skiing, I have always admired Tiger Woods and his grit. 

Follow Matt on Instagram here

The Stifel U.S. Freeski Team kicked off the 2024-25 World Cup season today in Switzerland for Big Air Chur. Chur is an iconic venue that combines freeskiing, live music and great vibes.

Troy Podmilsak, reigning big air world champion and X Games big air gold medalist, wrapped up the day in eighth. Though it was not the result Podmilsak hoped for, he put down an exciting new trick that had never been done in competition. Podmilsak's coach calls it a left flat 360, right pretzel 720, and the highlight of this trick is the rotation change Podmilsak does in midair. The judges loved this innovative move and rewarded Podmilsak with a 91.00 for run two. Unfortunately, he could not put down another clean run today, ending with 115.25 in eighth place.

Rell Harwood, another X Games big air medalist, had a clean first run that resulted in a 70.00 from the judges. After run one, Rell elected to sit out the rest of the event and received a DNS for runs two and three. Harwood also finished the day in eighth.

Cody Laplante narrowly missed qualifying for finals and finished the event in 13th.

When asked to name his new trick today, Podmilsak says, "I don't really know, to be honest, there are hundreds of different names you could call it...The Berco Flip, Dean Bercovitch, he made this trick." Bercovitch is a Canadian freeskier who competed in big air and slopestyle through 2017. 

Head Coach Dave Euler said, "Super proud of Rell, Cody, and Troy this event. Results aside, they all skied amazingly and are putting together new tricks. Excited to keep the momentum building as we head into Stubai Camp and the first World Cup slopestyle of the season next month."

Next, the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team will be back in action on Nov. 23, 2024, in Stuabi, Austria, for a slopestyle event.

RESULTS
Women’s big air
Men’s big air