Australian teenager Indra Brown and American veteran Nick Goepper claimed victories at the FIS Freeski Halfpipe World Cup in Calgary, Alberta, on January 3, marking a milestone moment for both athletes as the Olympic qualification window narrows ahead of Milano Cortina 2026.
Brown’s win capped a remarkable rise on the World Cup circuit, with the 15-year-old earning her first career World Cup victory in just her third start. After opening her first World Cup race with third place at Secret Garden, China, the Melbourne-native went on to claim second place at Copper Mountain, Colorado, and has now completed a perfect podium progression with a first place in Calgary. She took an early lead with a first-run score of 85.20, holding off China’s Zhang Kexin, who finished one point back on 84.20, while American Svea Irving claimed bronze with 83.20.
The result made Brown the youngest Australian ever to win a World Cup event and only the second freeski athlete in history to podium in their first three World Cup starts, matching a feat last achieved by Sweden’s Jennie-Lee Burmansson in the 2017–18 season. She now leads the World Cup halfpipe standings at the midway point of the season with 240 points and sits second in the overall park and pipe rankings.
“Calgary is so special to me,” Brown said after the win. “This is where I first tried skiing halfpipe, and I have the most wonderful friends here. The atmosphere here is amazing, and it’s so fun to embrace the whole Snow Rodeo theme.” While Brown is yet to be formally named to Australia’s Winter Olympic team, her performance came at the penultimate Olympic qualification event, with final selections to be decided at the World Cup in Aspen Snowmass, Colorado, from January 8–10.
On the men’s side, Nick Goepper topped the podium in Calgary to secure Olympic qualification for his fourth Olympic Games, and his first as a halfpipe skier. The 30-year-old—a three-time Olympic slopestyle medalist with gold from Sochi 2014 and silvers from PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022–retired after the Beijing Games before making a surprise return, this time fully committing to halfpipe over slopestyle.
Goepper’s comeback has gathered momentum over the past year, highlighted by X Games halfpipe gold in January 2025 and now a decisive World Cup win in Calgary. The victory marked his sixth career World Cup halfpipe podium, including two wins, and confirmed his place on the highly competitive U.S. men’s halfpipe team alongside two-time Olympic champion Alex Ferreira.
Team USA’s Birk Irving also had an unreal second run to finish third, matching his sister Svea in the women’s competition. It marks Birk Irving’s first podium since 2023. He has been consistent throughout the 2025-26 season, with a top 10 finish at every event thus far. Goepper and Birk Irving were joined on the podium by New Zealand’s Finley Melville Ives in second.
With Calgary now in the books, the focus shifts to Aspen Snowmass, the final stop for Olympic qualification. For Brown, it’s a chance to cement an extraordinary debut season; for Goepper, another opportunity to prove that his return—on a different stage—belongs among the world’s best.
