It was a night to remember for Canada’s freestyle ski team at Val St. Côme as Maia Schwinghammer earned her first World Cup victory, while veteran Mikaël Kingsbury extended his legendary career with a record-extending 95th career World Cup win.
The last time a Canadian woman won a World Cup moguls event on home soil was on January 20, 2018, when Justine Dufour-Lapointe claimed victory at Mont-Tremblant. On that same day, Mikaël Kingsbury stood on the podium with a second-place finish in the men’s competition. Nearly six years later, Maia Schwinghammer ended the drought in spectacular fashion, delivering a career-best performance in front of a home crowd, including her father and friends, to capture her first-ever World Cup victory. Schwinghammer dominated the women’s big final with an impressive score of 80.07, marking a milestone not only for her but for Team Canada. Val St. Côme, the only Canadian stop on this year’s World Cup circuit, featured moguls on Friday and dual moguls on Saturday.
On the men’s side, Mikaël Kingsbury added yet another win to his legendary career, scoring 87.42 points to extend his record-breaking legacy. His teammate Julien Viel delivered a remarkable performance to secure his first-ever medal in a single mogul event, finishing second with 80.56 points. Viel’s silver-medal effort was even more impressive considering he had been up sick all night and was far from 100% physically when he stepped into his skis. Already a dual mogul medalist, this result marked Viel’s best of the season and another highlight for Team Canada. Finland’s Olli Penttala rounded out the men’s podium with 78.28 points, earning his first-ever World Cup top three finish.
Viel’s silver-medal performance marked the second World Cup podium finish of his career, following his third-place result in Dual Moguls in 2023.
“I want to say a big congrats to Maia. It was super cool being at the top and knowing we had a good opportunity,” said Kingsbury. “I’m super stoked about my skiing tonight, and what a night to be a Canadian.”
The 32-year-old, who dropped into the mogul course as the final skier of the event, reflected on the unique energy of the moment.
“It feels amazing, and it’s pretty silent up there so the crowd is the only thing you can hear,” said Kingsbury. “When you’re dropping last at Val St. Côme, it’s quite special.”
Kingsbury’s victory marks his fifth win of the 2024/25 FIS season and his sixth podium in eight starts. Of his remarkable 95 World Cup wins, 61 have come in moguls, the rest in dual moguls.
For Schwinghammer, the win was a breakthrough moment in her career.
“Wow, first (win) in front of a home crowd, I can’t believe it. I’m so happy,” the 23-year-old said. “Just to be able to improve on my runs as I went throughout the day – I’m so happy with my skiing and how far we’ve come as a team.”
Her triumph comes on the heels of a podium finish in December when she placed third at Idre Fjäll, Sweden. Schwinghammer admitted to feeling the weight of the moment leading up to the competition.
“Coming out this morning, I was definitely the most nervous I’ve been for a World Cup, I think, ever,” she said. “It was my first time qualifying first as well, I was a little bit uneasy, definitely. I was able to calm those nerves and ski how I’ve been training.”
Schwinghammer edged out Jaelin Kauf of the U.S., who earned second place with 77.85 points, while Kauf’s teammate Olivia Giaccio, narrowly finished third with 77.71 points.
Canada’s depth in moguls was on full display, with strong performances across the board. On the men’s side, Elliot Vaillancourt finishing 15th, Sam Cordell 17th, Gabriel Dufresne 18th, Sam Goodison 20th, Joey Dubuc 28th, Charles Beaulieu 31st, Louis-David Chalifoux 37th, and Cole Carey 43rd.
In the women’s event, Laurianne Desmarais-Gilbert reached the big final, finishing 14th. Other Canadian results included Maya Mikkelsen (18th), Florence Laroche (24th), and Sina Clegg (29th).
With this outstanding performance at Val St. Côme, Canada’s freestyle moguls team continues to prove themselves as a force on the international stage, setting an exciting tone for the rest of the season.
