Mobaerg hoping Veysonnaz 'simplicity' can help turn his fortunes around

First-time father David Mobaerg is hoping the "simplicity" of the Veysonnaz course can help turn his fortunes around as we approach the halfway mark of the FIS Ski Cross World Cup tour.

Mobaerg's partner gave birth to their first child on Saturday, and the men's defending Crystal Globe champion says he struggled to leave home when preparing for this week’s upcoming races on Saturday and Sunday.

"It was tough leaving my Luna and girlfriend at home having just being a dad for a few days," the Swede said. "Thinking of them makes me strong and happy! It's different for sure. My perspective's changed, it's not only ski cross on my mind anymore."

It's a contrast from the laser-focussed man who mounted a late charge at the end of last season to claim his first Crystal Globe, winning each of the last three World Cup races. The first of those came on the same Veysonnaz track in March, in what was his third victory on the Swiss slope in as many years.

"Yeah I have a good win streak here in Veysonnaz, I have just been able to hit the terrain and make fast skiing through all runs. I like the simplicity of chasing speed all the way," the 25-year-old said.

However, this season hasn't started the way he wanted. Mobaerg finished third in the night race in Arosa, but otherwise has not made it to a big final, and has made only one small final in Innichen.

"Not the way I hoped for to start the first races of the season," he says.

"I've always felt I have the speed but it hasn't shown too much yet. It's far from easy to be consistent racing the most high level skiers out there. I don't want to say bad luck but the margins of make it or not is so small.

"I don't really think too much about the overall. Every race is just an opportunity to chase speed and go for podiums for me.

"Racing ski cross is just the most fun and I want more of it. I've learned last season the cup standings can change pretty much in few races. I just want to put down my fastest skiing and have a good time. The results will come."

The results have certainly been coming for current Men’s Overall leader Florian Wilmsmann, who is yet to finish outside the top six in a race so far this season and has not finished outside the top four in qualifying across seven races.

As a result, the German has stretched to a 70 point lead over Italy's Simone Deromedis in second place, with Youri Duplessis Kergomard of France in third - 80 points behind Deromedis and just one ahead of Switzerland's Alex Fiva in fourth.

Wilmsmann was also the last man to win on this track before Mobaerg's run of dominance began, winning in 2021 in his second World Cup appearance in Veysonnaz. The 29-year-old has only failed to make one big final on the Swiss slope since then, having finished fifth in 2022.

It’s a track that rewards good qualifying: last year’s women’s big final featured all four of the athletes who qualified fastest, while the men’s big final contained four of the top five qualifiers. It's no surprise therefore that it’s a track that Wilmsmann loves, but it's also a track that Deromedis enjoys.

"I'm happy to be coming into the second half of the season where the tracks are mostly more about ski cross - more roller, more structures and more of that stuff. Less turny," Deromedis told FIS.

"Here in Veysonnaz is really cool. This year is a bit different, it's a bit more twisty in some parts, but I like it very much and I hope to do well."

Deromedis had held the golden bib at the early stage of the season before Wilmsmann managed to wrestle it away, but the Italian still has confidence in himself and his skis.

"For sure Florian is doing super well this year and it's not easy to keep up with him, but I'm confident that in the next races we will fight again and hopefully I can make some points back," Deromedis said.

"Quick and aggressive skiing is always a good solution to win races, so we just go full gas every race and try to do my best every race.

"I think it's still open because the gap is not that big. He's very good in any track this year and it's challenging to beat him but I think in the next races I will do my best - I will perform."

Another looking to perform is Fiva, who raised eyebrows just by arriving in Veysonnaz this week. The Swiss skier ended up in a horrible collision with Mobaerg's brother Erik in the semi-finals of day one in Reiteralm, necessitating a visit to the hospital for "a lot of physio to make sure my head is good again, and a lot of training for my brain and a lot of stuff like that," he says.

"I feel pretty good after the big crash. I'm happy to be back," he continued.

Veysonnaz, where Fiva came second last year, presents the Swiss man with a chance to win in front of his compatriots, but he says he's more interested in getting through each heat before looking at the bigger picture.

"A home victory is always really special," he said.

"It would be amazing to get this bell here, but right now it's more a case of seeing how it feels with my body and concentrate day by day then see at the end what it looks like.

"I'm just keeping focussed and trying not to make mistakes and avoid crashes like last week."

‘I just love this place’

Similar can be said of Fanny Smith, who is heading into this week's races on Saturday and Sunday with more confidence after suffering a crash of her own earlier in the season.

Smith collided with team-mate Saskja Lack in the semi-finals of Arosa, which saw her opt out of competing in the small final later in the night.

The 32-year-old then went to Innichen, but the effects of the crash were still evidently taking their toll. However, at the start of the year Smith found her rhythm again in Reiteralm, coming second in both races to put her season back on track.

"I tried on Christmas and New Year to just spend good time enjoying my time at home and coming back from the New Year full of energy and with no pain and all good with my body after the crash at Arosa," Smith says.

"Reiteralm I was really happy about my skiing. I still need to do a bit less on the qualy so I do less mistakes, but I was even happier on this course that I don't really like - or at least, it's not my favourite course.

"I was also feeling that my sensation, my feeling, my agility and the willingness to want to pass, to want to be fast and to win is coming slowly back.

"That was the first time since a long time, in the second race when I was behind India (Sherret), that my head said 'OK Fanny, let's go. Let's try and win this race.'

"That was nice to feel that I still have that inside of me."

The results have put Smith within touching distance in the Women's Overall. The current leader is Canada’s India Sherret, who has been putting down runs similar to Wilmsmann in terms of consistency of results and blistering seedings in qualification.

In second, 61 points behind Sherret, is Daniela Maier of Germany, who was in possession of the golden bib over the New Year but endured a difficult first stop of 2025 in Reiteralm.

Defending champion Marielle Thompson lies third after coming out the traps at the beginning of the season with two wins and a podium in the first three races, but since then has not quite maintained the same results.

Smith is in fifth place, though will shortly pass Hannah Schmidt in the standings after the Canadian’s season was ended by a collision in Reiteralm as well. Either way, like Fiva, Smith’s focus lies on each race rather than the bigger picture, and is looking forward to “all the good vibes” of a home race.

"Now I'm really looking forward to Veysonnaz because it's the course which is the nearest to my home, so a lot of friends, family and some of my fan club is coming," Smith continued.

"I just love this place, it's always a nice spirit.

"It's always sunny here and all the good vibes. I like the course too, there's a lot of possibilities to pass so I know that I will need to just be focussing on myself, skiing like I know I can ski, not doing too much and just enjoying this course and these feelings. We'll see where it brings me."

Qualification in Veysonnaz takes place on 30 and 31 January, with World Cup races on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 February.