Industry News
French mogul skier Perrine Laffont is slated to make her return to the FIS Moguls World Cup circuit for the 2024-25 season. The “Queen of Moguls” is one of the most successful mogul skiers in freestyle skiing history, with 30 World Cup victories, 9 Crystal Globes, 5 World Championship Gold medals, and an Olympic Gold. The French athlete took a year off from competing to take a break from the mental and physical strain of competing.
In an interview with the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), Laffont stated: “Taking last season off was the best decision for me. It gave me time to recover both mentally and physically, and now I’m hungry for competition again. I’ve missed the adrenaline, the fans, and being out there with my team. I feel stronger and more prepared than ever to fight for my place.”
Laffont was not the only athlete to miss the 2023-24 FIS Moguls World Cup season, which saw Australian Jakara Anthony dominate the field. Japan’s Anri Kawamura was also absent due to recurring injuries that have plagued the 20-year-old athlete since the 2022-23 season. This left Anthony with a near-flawless streak of first places throughout last season. Anthony won the 2023-24 season Moguls Crystal Globe, Dual Moguls Crystal Globe, and Overall Moguls Crystal Globe after clocking up 14 victories during the season. This marked a new record for most Freestyle wins in a single season, a record previously held by U.S. mogul skier Hannah Kearney. Anthony earned CHF 192,750 (USD 217,082) in prize money, setting a new record for any athlete across both freestyle and snowboard disciplines.
Perrine Laffont’s comeback will surely bring new excitement to the 2024-25 Moguls season. In March 2025, Laffont will defend her 2023 World Championship title at the Freestyle World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland. This could mark the most intense rivalry in Mogul skiing history, with Laffont and Anthony battling for supremacy.
The 2024-25 season will kick off in Ruka, Finland, on November 30. Ruka has been a staple on the FIS Moguls calendar. After three further events in Europe in December, the Moguls tour will head across to North America in the new year, with two events scheduled in Waterville Valley, two events in Val St. Come, Canada, and two further events in Deer Valley, Colorado.
