The Canadian Freestyle Ski Team wrapped up their season with a medal and three other top 8 placings at the FIS World Championships Halfpipe event in Engadin, SUI. With nine athletes—four women and five men—qualifying for the competition, Canada fielded a full squad, bolstered by reigning world champion Brendan Mackay’s personal spot.
Perfect Qualifying Round
In Friday’s qualifiers, the Canadians delivered an impressive performances, with all nine athletes advancing to Sunday’s finals. This set up a strong opportunity for medals, as both the men’s and women’s fields were stacked with world-class talent. A scheduled break on Saturday, due to snowboard finals, allowed the team to rest and prepare for the biggest competition of the season.
Women’s Finals: Sharpe Claims Bronze
Under bright blue skies, the women’s final started the day, but the Canadians faced an early setback. Amy Fraser and Dillan Glennie both took hard falls in warm-ups and were unable to start, reducing the team’s presence to two competitors. Cassie Sharpe and Rachael Karker rose to the occasion, finishing third and fourth, respectively.
Sharpe’s bronze marks her third career World Championships medal, reinforcing her status as one of the sport’s most decorated athletes. With another Olympic cycle approaching, she has her sights set on adding to her hardware collection next winter in Livigno.
Men’s Finals: A Deep Field of Talent
The men’s event saw a fierce battle, with a deep international field pushing the limits. The Canadians skied well, but they couldn’t edge past rising New Zealand star Findlay Ives or the experienced American duo of Nick Goepper and Alex Ferreira, who took the top spots.
Mackay led the Canadian squad in seventh, followed by Dylan Marineau in eighth. Marineau’s twin brother, Evan, had also qualified for the event but was sidelined due to lingering effects of an earlier-season injury. Andrew Longino finished ninth, Noah Bowman 10th, and Quincy Barr, the team’s youngest competitor, posted a career-best performance in 12th.
Looking Ahead: Spring Training in Calgary
With the World Championships in the books, the team now heads into the offseason. Some athletes will take time to recover and reset, while others will continue training in Calgary, where Canada’s national Halfpipe program partners with WinSport and Canada Snowboard for an exclusive spring camp.
Held at Canada’s purpose-built, world-class Halfpipe, the camp offers a rare opportunity to train at home alongside snowboarders and utilize an airbag system for progression. With the Olympic Winter Games in Livigno less than a year away, this camp will be a crucial stepping stone for the team as they look to peak at the right time.
