Gearing up for the slopestyle season opener in Stubai

With just over five weeks away from the beginning of the FIS Freeski slopestyle World Cup season everything is gearing up for the 2019/20 campaign to switch into winter mode.

Entering the second half of October, many national teams are currently training on European glaciers with many of them expected to soon head to Stubai (AUT) for the Prime Park Session, where they can give their tricks finals touches before the slopestyle World Cup tour officials kicks off on November 21-23.

For the third straight year the DC Stubai Zoo snowpark will host the Northern Hemisphere’s inaugural FIS Freeski slopestyle World Cup event and based on a big success of the previous editions, also this year some of the top athletes confirmed their presence in Austria.

Riders’ line-up include the 2018 Winter Olympic Champion and winner from 2017 in Stubai, Oystein Braaten (NOR), who will try to regain his crown from Stubai after Henrik Harlaut (SWE) took it last season. Among early entries there is also three-time FIS Freeski World Cup winner Andri Ragettli (SUI), Ferdinand Dahl (NOR), Alex Hall (USA) and Nick Goepper (USA), just to name a few of those athletes expected to spice things up in Stubai.

Also count on the Austrian team with Lukas Muellauer and the young local hero Daniel Bacher in squad. Especially for the 15 year-old newcomer Bacher making a World Cup debut at his home resort is something special.

“I wasn’t sure myself if I can compete in World Cup this season, so I’m excited to be able to start at home in Stubai,” said Bacher, “It’s my big goal to compete against the best in the world, and while I don’t expect to get on the podium it will be a great experience and a lot of fun too”.

Also for the women’s competition the preliminary starting lists promise plenty of top-tier action. Starting with the Austrian fan favourite Lara Wolf, 2019 World Champion Tess Ledeux (FRA), Kea Kuehnel (GER), Caroline Clair (USA) and the 2018 Winter Olympic respective silver and bronze medallist Mathilde Gremaud (SUI) and Isabel Atkins (GBR), the field is chock-full of talents and it will be interesting to see who will walk away with the Stubai crown in a couple of weeks.

The qualifications are slated to go down on Friday,  November 22, while the finals will take place the following day starting from 11:15 local time. Detailed schedule is available HERE.

More information about the World Cup event in Stubai is available on the official website.