Industry News
U.S. Freeskier Alex Ferreira claimed the 23/24 season Halfpipe Crystal Globe after the FIS Freeski World Cup in Calgary, Alberta. The World Cup was held at the Calgary Snow Rodeo and as it was the fifth and last Halfpipe competition of the season, Crystal Globes were awarded in the men’s and women’s competition. The women’s Crystal Globe went to Chinese-American Freeskier Eileen Gu.
It was a historic night in Calgary on Saturday, February 17, as Ferreira claimed his fifth consecutive victory of the season, earning him a total of 500 points for the season. It is the first time a male freeskier has won every single Halfpipe event in a World Cup season. The previous men’s World Cup Halfpipe win streak was set by Finland’s Kalle Leinonen, who had claimed three consecutive wins from the 05/06 season across into the 06/07 season. No skier in history had previously knocked off three victories in one World Cup season in the men’s field. Ferreira’s dominance in the Halfpipe is without precedence or even close-second rival. Second in the 23/24 Halfpipe rankings is Ferreira’s teammate Hunter Hess with 290 points, who unfortunately did not qualify for the finals on Saturday.
“It feels absolutely spectacular. I can’t even believe my eyes, but maybe it’s just like how I saw it in my dreams. The goal is to go to Dew Tour next and close the season out with a perfect seven-for-seven [including his X Games win]. I’m not going to change anything, I’m going to just keep doing me.”
— Alex Ferreira
Meanwhile, in the women’s field, Gu had won four of the five events this season, and, having placed second at Mammoth Mountain, California, earlier this month, earned a total of 480 points, more than 100 points ahead of Canada’s Amy Fraser. This marks Gu’s 14th career victory and ties her with Norway’s Birk Ruud for the most FIS Freeski World Cup victories.
“Everything went perfectly here tonight.First off, a huge thank you to the crew here in Calgary. I’ve made it clear that I love this place, it feels like home for me, so huge shout-out to the people who make this event happen.And yeah, to be tied with Birk Ruud for number one, he’s an incredible athlete and I’m honoured to be tied up there at number one with him. I’d like for it to be just me soon, but we’ll see!”
— Eileen Gu
The Freeski Park & Pipe Overall World Cup Crystal Globe is still up for grabs for the season, and Ferreira is leading the men’s rankings. No men’s halfpipe skier has ever won big, overall Crystal Globe, but Ferreira is poised to be the first man to do so with 500 points to his name. His biggest competitors for the Overall Park & Pipe Crystal Globe are his teammates Alexander Hall and Mac Forehand, with 336 points and 310 points, respectively. Hall and Forehand compete in Big Air and Slopestyle, which still have events scheduled for March, so a decision for the Overall Crystal Globe. In the women’s field, Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud leads the rankings with Eileen Gu ranked second.
