Industry News
A public vote elected American ski racer AJ Hurt with the title of season warrior. The poll was taken by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), and Hurt won the title with 33% of votes. Hurt finished the 23/24 World Cup season with her first-ever World Cup podiums, one in Slalom and one in Giant Slalom.
The 23/24 season was the best World Cup season for the 23-year-old American skier. In January this year, Hurt skied to her first-ever career podium at the FIS World Cup Slalom race in Kranjksa Gora, Slovenia. Hurt had finished the first run in 16th place, more than two seconds behind the leader, but managed to put down the fastest second run of the day, catapulting her into third place. This was not only her first-ever podium, it was also her first-ever top-15 in any World Cup event.
Just one week later, the Palisades Tahoe athlete skied to her second-ever career podium, claiming third place in the Giant Slalom at Soldeu, Andorra. “I was hurt all last season so I was excited to come back at all, so this is really crazy to have this,” AJ Hurt, whose initials stand for “Amelia Josephine,” admitted after the race. She was referring to her tough 22/23 season in which she had to miss the majority of races due to an ankle injury. In January 2023, Hurt had surgery to repair ligaments in her left ankle. November 2023 marked her comeback to the World Cup circuit.
Hurt grew up in North Lake Tahoe and her father is a ski patroller at Palisades Tahoe. She has been skiing since the age of four and was invited on the National Training Team at age 14. She made her World Cup Debut shortly before her 17th birthday at Killington, Vermont, and earned her first FIS points at age 19 when she came 18th at the Giant Slalom in Courchevel, France.
