Cardrona halfpipe primed for Freeski World Cup season-opener
Sep 05, 2024·Freeski Park & Pipe)
The 2024/25 FIS Freeski World Cup season is set to open this weekend at New Zealand’s Cardrona Alpine Resort, where halfpipe competition will close out the Winter Games NZ from 6-8 September, with qualifications moved up to Friday from the original Saturday plan due to an incoming weather system.
Friday’s qualifications will be getting underway at 8:00 local time with men’s heat one, followed by heat two at 9:40, and the women at 11:10. Sunday’s finals are then slated for 11:00 local time, if all goes according to plan. Both qualies and finals will be streamed live on FIS TV, the FIS Freestyle YouTube channel, and the Winter Games NZ YouTube channel.
There’s a strong international field on hand here in Cardrona to open up the season, with a slew of Olympic medallists, World Championships medallists, crystal globe winners, and ready to open the season with a bang at what is perhaps the best halfpipe in the southern hemisphere.
EILEEN GU LOOKS FOR ALL-TIME FIS FREESKI WINS RECORD
For the women it’s the inimitable Eileen Gu (CHN) leading the way, as the reigning Olympic gold medallist, X Games winner and crystal globe looks to lock down her 15th World Cup victory and take sole possession atop the all-time FIS Freeski wins rankings.
Gu claimed the first halfpipe World Cup podium of her career here in Cardrona at the last time the resort hosted World Cup action five years ago, and throughout pre-event training it’s clear the just-turned 21-year-old is laser-focused on taking the W this time around.
Along with Gu, look for the likes of the Canadian trio of Amy Fraser, Rachael Karker and Cassie Sharpe to make some noise this weekend, with Fraser coming off a second-overall finish on last season’s halfpipe World Cup, and Olympic medallists Karker and Sharpe set to kick off comeback seasons.
2023/24 third-overall competitor Zoe Atkin of Great Britain, Estonian star Kelly Sildaru, 2019 Cardrona winner Zhang Kexin of China, and the USA’s Svea Irving are a few of the other names to watch out for on the women’s side of things.
CAN ANYONE BEAT ALEX FERREIRA?
For the men it’s halfpipe genius Alex Ferreira of the USA leading the way, as he rolls into Cardrona just a few months removed from wrapping up an unprecedented, perfect 2023/24 season. With wins in seven-out-of-seven starts last winter - including X Games, Dew Tour, and all five World Cups on his way to the halfpipe and FIS Freeski overall crystal globes - 29-year-old Ferreira cemented his status as one of the greatest of all time. He’ll be looking to grow his legend further this season, and it all starts this weekend in Cardrona.
With the likes of last year’s second-overall Hunter Hess, 2019 Cardrona winner Birk Irving, two-time World Champion Aaron Blunck and Dylan Ladd also flying the Stars and Stripes (amongst others), it could be a big weekend for the U.S. squad here in New Zealand.
However, the host New Zealanders themselves could have something to say about that in the men’s competition, with Beijing 2022 Olympic champ Nico Porteous back in the mix and ready to rumble on home soil.
Porteous essentially took a full season off of competition after his Olympic win in Beijing, only to return to competition at beginning of last season at the same Secret Garden halfpipe, take a hard fall in qualifications, and effectively end his World Cup season before it began.
While the 22-year-old was able to return for last season’s X Games and claim the silver medal, this week’s start in Cardrona will be just his second World Cup start in nearly three years.
Along with Porteous, the host Kiwis will also have high hopes for the likes of youngsters Luke Harrold, Finley Melville-Ives and Gustav Legnavski, as well as showtime specialist Ben Harrington, giving them a whole slew of podium possibilities this weekend.
Finally, watch out for Canada’s Brendan Mackay, as the Bakuriani 2023 World Champion is back for season start after taking the first half of last winter off. One of the biggest-boosting halfpipe skiers on the planet, Mackay also boasts a sneaky deep bag of tricks, and could very well put Ferreira to the test this weekend in Cardrona.
QUICK LINKS
Cardrona data page (start lists, live scoring, results)
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