Calgary, AB –Braving extreme temperatures below -22°C, eight Canadian athletes competed in the finals of the 2025 Snow Rodeo under the bright lights of Winsport, Calgary. The home crowd cheered on as Canada’s best showcased their skills, with Rachael Karker leading securing her seventh consecutive medal at Winsport with a bronze in the women’s halfpipe.
Canada’s Cassie Sharpe, competing on home soil for the first time in two years, narrowly missed the podium with a fourth-place finish. Dillan Glennie and Amy Fraser also delivered strong performances, placing sixth and seventh in the eight-woman final.
In the women’s event, China’s Li Fanghui scored 90.50 in her second run to claim her first-ever World Cup victory. The moment was further highlighted by Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin finishing second, making for an unprecedented season finale—both Li and Atkin shared the FIS Crystal Globe, the overall season title, marking a first in FIS Freeski World Cup history.
On the men’s side, USA’s Alex Ferreira finish first on the night. His teammate, Nick Goepper, claimed second place, while New Zealand’s Finley Melville Ives, just 18 years old, took his first-ever World Cup victory on the frigid Calgary evening.
Brendan Mackay finished 5th, just missing the podium at his home venue for the first time in three years. Fellow Calgarian national team skiers, Andrew Longino (9th), Dylan Marineau (11th) and Noah Bowman (15th) struggled with the hard, cold snow conditions on one of their two runs and couldn’t improve their scores despite strong efforts.
With their 1 – 2 finishes at the final WC halfpipe event of the year, Alex Ferreira and Nick Goepper claimed the top two spots in the Men’s Halfpipe overall standings. Brendan Mackay secured third place, thanks to hi strong performances over the five World Cups this season. This marked his return to the top three after a season off the podium.
Quincy Barr earned a career-best World cup result, finishing 19th, followed by NextGen teammates Benjamin Lynch in 22nd and Steven Kahnert in 29th.
With limited halfpipe venues and competitions for developing skiers, FIS and Freestyle Canada agreed to give provincial-level athletes the opportunity to compete in the Canadian-hosted event. Alberta’s Ava Dittmer made her World Cup debut, finishing 20th. Also competing under their province or club’s banner were Ontario’s Gavin McManus (31st), Alberta’s Daniel Spate (32nd), and Camden Skinner (45th), while BC’s Lochlan Wilson finished 35th.
Freestyle Canada’s Director of High Performance, Todd Allison, praised WinSport’s efforts:
“Last May, WinSport invited Freestyle Canada and Canada Snowboard to collaborate on a strategic alliance. We discussed how we could enhance training and competition opportunities while keeping athletes at home on one of the best venues in the world. Through those discussions, we developed a plan that leverages WinSport’s world-class facilities, alongside the gym and performance staff at CSI-Alberta, to create a hub for Canadian halfpipe development and, more broadly, for freeskiers.
The effort to build the pipe early in the season and now deliver a world-class competition pipe is truly appreciated. This pipe will serve as a critical training ground as we prepare for the World Championships and the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.”
Reflecting on the event, Canadian coach Trennon Paynter praised the team’s perseverance:
“Rachael earning her way back to the podium was such a great moment for us. She’s pushed through a lot of injuries this season, and it’s so great to see her hard work paying off. Brendan finishing third in the World Cup standings was another high point of the evening. We’re always aiming for the top of the podium, especially at our home event, so we are already looking forward to next year’s Snow Rodeo to see if we can add more hats to the team’s collection.”
With the conclusion of the 2024-25 FIS Freeski Halfpipe World Cup season, Canada’s freestyle athletes will now set their sights on the upcoming World Championships in Engadin, Switzerland, from March 16-30
