Park & Pipe Europa Cup recap 2023/24
Apr 24, 2024·Snowboard Park & Pipe
The FIS Freeski and FIS Snowboard Park & Pipe Europa Cup has finally wrapped up for the 2023/24 season, first with the final slopestyle and big air competitions in Corvatsch two weeks ago, and then this past weekend in Austria’s Kitzsteinhorn resort with a weather-effected week of halfpipe action to wrap up the EC campaign.
An impressive collection of international riders have been on hand through the last few weeks of the Europa Cup season, looking to get a few more competition days in before hanging up the bib until 2024/25. As always, a lucky few of those riders earned themselves a quota spot on next winter’s World Cup start list by claiming the overall EC wins for the season.
However, since the World Cup season finale in Silvaplana at the end of March, the weather in the Alps has been challenging at best, with winter refusing to release her grip on the mountains, and stormy weather subjecting athletes and organisers to some frustrating difficulties.
The Corvatsch Europa Cup competitions two weeks ago were able to go down in full for both snowboard and freeski, with halfpipe, slopestyle and big air for both disciplines finishing with successful results.
But organisers and officials at this past weekend’s Europa Cup season-ender in Kitzsteinhorn were not so lucky, as the persistently bad weather through the week lead to the cancellation of big air events for both snowboard and freeski, and for the cancellation of the freeski halfpipe competition, as well.
While the last few weeks were oftentimes difficult, overall it was another successful Europa Cup season, showcasing consistent progression and commitment from organisers and athletes alike, with some of the very best competition action we’ve ever seen at the Continental Cup level on display.
VAN VREDEN, ALLEMAND, LOETSCHER AND MELVILLE IVES FINISH TOPS ON EC SNOWBOARD RANKINGS
Punching their tickets to full-time action on next season’s FIS Snowboard World Cup were Romy van Vreden of the Netherlands and France’s Romain Allemand, who topped the women’s and men’s slopestyle + big air rankings, respectively. Meanwhile, Isabelle Loestcher (SUI) and Campbell Melville Ives (NZL) took the the overall wins on the halfpipe Europa Cup.
For van Vreden, 2023/24 was all about consistency, as the 18-year-old finished in the top-10s in all but two of her seven EC starts on the season, While she was consistent throughout, it was one week of standout success that powered her to the top - the first week of January, 2024, where she took the slopestyle victory and runner-up in the big air competition at the Font Romeu Europa Cup.
For Allemand, 2023/24 was a breakout season on several levels, as the 17-year-old earned three victories and four total podiums in seven Europa Cup starts to take the overall title, while also claiming medals at both the Gangwon 2024 Youth Olympic Games and Livigno 2024 Junior World Championships. On top of that, Allemand also earned the first World Cup podium of his career, with a second-place finish at the Tignes (FRA) slopestyle World Cup.
On the halfpipe side of things, it was Switzerland Isa Loetscher capping off a strong season with the Europa Cup title and a quota spot for the 2024/25 World Cup, after earning a win, a second and a third place finish in her three EC starts this past season. On top of that, Loestscher stomped what was a competition first switch crippler in in Corvatsch two weeks ago, combining progression with results on a way to solidifying her status as a World Cup regular.
For the men it was New Zealand’s Campbell Melville Ives eking out the overall EC halfpipe win, finishing just 10 points ahead of David Habluetzel (SUI). With Campbell’s twin brother Finley taking top spot on the freeski Europa Cup rankings, it was a hugely successful season for the Melville Ives family, and 2024/25 is looking exciting for Snowsports NZ.
TOP EC FREESKI SPOTS GO TO RAGETH, WILI, KIRIYAMA AND MELVILLE IVES
It was a big Europa Cup season for the Swiss Freeski squad on the big air + slopestyle side of things, with Michell Rageth and Thierry Wili winning the overalls and assuring their World Cup spots for 2024/25.
20-year-old Rageth was dominant on the women’s side of things, taking three wins and seven total podiums while finishing in the top-10 in all 11 of her EC starts. Also scoring two World Cup top 10s in 2023/24, Rageth looks well on her way to becoming the next big thing on the always-strong Swiss team.
For 23-year-old Wili, this past season was an important one to reestablish himself as World Cup regular. Wili has 17 career World Cup starts, but aside from a podium at the thinly attended Bakuriani slopestyle World Cup in 2021/22, hasn’t seen a lot of success on the big tour.
With podiums in six of 11 EC starts, including two victories, Wili was on one this past season, and will look to take things to the next level on the World Cup in 2024/25.
On the halfpipe side of things it was an encouraging - and somewhat surprising - result for the Japanese freeski squad, as 27-year-old Nanaho Kiriyama took the women’s Europa Cup in what was he first season of EC competition.
While it was Kiriyama’s first go on the European circuit, she is a World Cup veteran of over a decade, with the first of her 21 career starts coming back in the 2012/13 season. It will be interesting to see what she does with her World Cup spot secured for next season as the Japanese team builds towards the Milano-Cortino 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
And, finally, back to the freeski Melville Ives brother, as Finley locked his overall win down by taking top spot at the lone halfpipe European Cup Premium competition of the 2023/24 season in Laax.
The 17-year-old has been knocking at the door of a World Cup podium for two seasons now, with several top-3 qualification results and a fourth-place finish at the season finale in Calgary. Look for Finley to make some series noise on the big tour next season.
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