Calgary, AB – Canada’s NextGen freeski team shone brightly at the Aspen NorAm, capturing two gold medals and showcasing their incredible depth and talent on the renowned X Games slopestyle course. Brynn Johnston and Alec Henderson delivered standout performances, securing top spots on the podium and proving why Canada continues to be a powerhouse in freestyle skiing.
This marked the third event in a row on these world-class features, originally built for the X Games. Following last week’s World Cup on the same course, the next wave of champions had their chance to shine, delivering incredible performances on one of the most challenging and iconic venues in the sport. Conditions were ideal for competition, with temperatures hovering around -2°C, firm snow, and no wind, allowing athletes to push their limits.
Brynn Wins Gold, Naomi Lands on the Podium
On the women’s side, Brynn Johnston claimed a commanding first-place finish with a technical and stylish run that wowed the judges. Her rail section included a right foot forward, front sweep forward, front four, and back four, while her jumps a switch right nine mute grab, left cork nine Japan grab, and a switch left nine mute grab. Brynn’s amplitude and clean execution earned her the top spot.
Teammate Naomi Urness also had a strong showing, landing in third place with a polished performance. Her rail section included a right two-on to four to two forward, left foot forward front two, and a switch right two-on to forward. She followed up with massive tricks in the air, including a big cork nine blunt, switch misty nine mute, and a double ten safety to secure her spot on the podium.
Alec Dominates Men’s Event Despite Injury
On the men’s side, Alec Henderson overcame adversity to perform a near-flawless run, clinching gold despite battling back pain throughout training. His technical rail section featured a switch left four bring-back to switch, switch right two pretzel four, left three swap, and another pretzel four. Alec’s jumps were nothing short of extraordinary: a left-side double cork 14 mute grab, right-side double cork 16 safety grab, and a switch double cork 18 tail grab.
“It’s an unreal feeling,” said Alec after his victory. “I put down the run of my life, and I’m just happy to be healthy. Coming out on top is just an extra bonus.”
Alec strategically opted out of his second qualification run to conserve energy and only needed one finals run to secure his victory. His resilience and near flawless execution earned his first NorAm gold.
Strong Overall Performance by Team Canada
Canada’s success didn’t stop with Brynn, Alec and Naomi. On the women’s side, NextGen skier, Evelyn Mullie was 7th while provincial skiers, Avery Krumme finished 5th, Eliza Bell 11th, and Jordan Peet 13th.
In the men’s event, Bruce Oldham narrowly missed the podium, finishing 4th, while Charlie Beatty (10th). Other Canadian provincial rising stars were Malcolm Farris (11th), and Jacob Durepos (12th) who also made the finals. Other notable Canadian results included Mattheus Heslop (13th), Matthew Lepine (14th), Misha Litvinenko (15th), Landon Owen-Mold (18th), Avery Macyk (19th), Cody Oldham (25th), Joel MacNair (44th), Tate Garrod (48th), and Ty Kargus (49th).
What’s Next for Team Canada?
Looking ahead, the team is gearing up for their next competitions, including the Stoneham World Cup, Stoneham NorAm, and stops in Calgary and Mammoth. With momentum on their side, Freestyle Canadas’ NextGen team is poised for continued success on the international stage.
