GAME 11 || Ferdinand Dahl vs. Alec Henderson || SLVSH CUP GRANDVALIRA '25

Profile and significance

Alec Henderson is a Canadian freeski athlete specializing in slopestyle and big air, born in Penticton, British Columbia. He entered the national scene as part of the NextGen program in 2022 and is still early-career but showing strong upward trajectory. He is sponsored by Line Skis and featured in media projects and park/rail formats—signifying that his relevance stands not only in competition results but also in content and ski culture. According to his Freestyle Canada athlete bio he began skiing at age 2 and shifted focus to park and pipe around age 12, choosing this discipline over moguls. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

Competitive arc and key venues

Henderson’s recent competitive data shows he won the NorAm Slopestyle event at Aspen Mountain in the 2024-25 season, placed 3rd at Mammoth Mountain (NorAm Slopestyle) and 4th at Copper Mountain. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} He also made his first full World Cup slopestyle and big air starts: 17th at Laax, 19th at Tignes, and 28th at Silvaplana for slopestyle during the 2023-24 season. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2} Key training and park venues for him include his home region in British Columbia for early development and major North American park venues like Mammoth, Aspen and Copper for high-level starts. These venues reward amplitude, execution and contest composure—areas Henderson is actively developing.

How they ski: what to watch for

Henderson’s skiing suggests a park/rail-heavy background with smooth transition into jump tech. From his bio, he joined a freestyle club at age 9 and shifted into park/pipe by age 12 after initially doing moguls. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3} On jumps, his runs show he’s developing depth: strong take-offs, mid-air stability and clean landings—but as with many young athletes moving into elite load he still appears in the mid-teens of results. What to watch: his switch landings, how he maintains grab integrity under higher rotation and how he links varied features in slopestyle runs (rails, jumps, transitions). On contests you’ll see whether he can convert a strong NorAm cadence into consistent top-10s in World Cups.

Resilience, filming, and influence

Although Henderson hasn’t yet stood on major global podiums, his profile is bolstered by media presence and selective events. He is part of the Canadian NextGen program and appears in features/edits (his Line Skis “Summer Vacation | Alec Henderson | Mt. Hood” edit is one example). :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4} His influence for progressing skiers lies in the model of combining competition progression (NorAm → World Cup) with media output, style-driven skiing and brand alignment, which is increasingly how modern freeski careers are built. The fact he chose park/pipe over moguls early underscores intentionality in his career path.

Geography that built the toolkit

Henderson’s background in Penticton, BC gave him access to local club skating terrain and freestyle starts, then his participation in the Apex Freestyle Ski Club built early fundamentals. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5} As he transitioned to higher levels, he traveled for heavy park venues in North America: Aspen (USA), Mammoth (USA) and Copper Mountain (USA). These venues provide different snow conditions, park setups and competitive pressure compared to his domestic development terrain. That mix builds adaptability: amplitude in high mountains, precision in large park builds, and composure under contest lights.

Equipment and partners: practical takeaways

Henderson rides with Line Skis, which is a brand known for strong twin-tip park and all-mountain models suited for switch landings, grab-driven tricks and rail transitions. For progressing skiers following his path, lessons include: use a twin-tip ski with a flex profile compatible with park and slopestyle (not only big air); mount near center or slightly back if you do rails and switch landings; train both ways spins early (switch + natural) to match modern judging criteria; and build content / exposure alongside competition since that increases visibility and sponsor appeal.

Why fans and progressing skiers care

Henderson matters because he represents the upcoming tier of freeskiers who are crossing the threshold from junior development into elite competition, while integrating style and media presence. For fans, he offers fresh runs with visible improvement, and for progressing skiers his trajectory is tangible: local club → NorAm podiums → World Cup starts. His clear choice of park/pipe over moguls also models specialization and intentional development. As he continues to evolve, he could become a consistent top-10 athlete and a meaningful voice in the sport.

Profile and significance

Ferdinand “Ferdi” Dahl is a Norwegian freeski original whose blend of contest pedigree and culture-building has made him one of the most influential park and street skiers of his generation. Born in 1998 and raised around Oslo, he broke through on the biggest stages with multiple medals at the X Games—slopestyle bronze in 2019, slopestyle silver in 2021, and slopestyle bronze again in 2023—while stacking nine FIS World Cup podiums and two Olympic appearances, including an eighth place in slopestyle at PyeongChang 2018. Those results alone would secure his status. But Dahl’s impact extends further: he co-founded the rider-led Jib League series that reframed what a freeski “contest” could be, and he channels his design sensibility into the apparel label Capeesh Supply. The result is a rare dual footprint—elite competitor and thoughtful scene shaper—whose skiing reads clearly at full speed and whose projects elevate the wider culture.

Today, Dahl’s priorities span performance and stewardship. You’ll still see him under stadium lights at Buttermilk in Aspen during X Games week or dropping mid-winter edits from Europe and North America. You’ll also see him building spaces for others to shine, whether that’s hosting a jam-style Jib League stop with fellow founders James “Woodsy” Woods and Øystein Bråten, or releasing small-batch garments that carry Capeesh’s playful, skaterly aesthetic. He skis for Vishnu Freeski and rides with Monster Energy, a sponsor mix that mirrors his commitment to rider-run creativity and broadcast-level execution.

Competitive arc and key venues

Dahl’s contest résumé maps the modern freeski ladder. Early Europa Cup and World Cup starts led to a breakout Olympic debut at the PyeongChang 2018 Games, staged at Korea’s Phoenix Park, where he placed eighth in men’s slopestyle. World Cup consistency followed, culminating in nine podiums and back-to-back seasons ranked among the very best in slopestyle overall. In Aspen, the X Games medals arrived across four winters, validating a trick vocabulary and run composition that judges reward and fans replay.

Venue context explains why his skiing travels so well. Buttermilk rewards multi-feature flow and line design under heavy camera pressure; Phoenix Park’s Olympic stage compresses everything into immaculate takeoffs and unforgiving landings; Austria’s in-city Nordkette Skyline Park demands cadence on dense rail panels; Sweden’s Kläppen serves long spring laps where measured speed and early commitments separate a good run from a great one. As Dahl pivoted some focus toward film and rider-led events, he didn’t abandon competition; he reframed it. Jib League’s jam format—skier voting, style-forward criteria—moved the needle while keeping the difficulty and clarity that defined his World Cup and X Games success.

How they ski: what to watch for

Dahl’s skiing is a case study in readable difficulty. On rails, approaches are squared early, body position stays stacked, and lock-ins look decisive rather than dramatic. Surface swaps resolve cleanly; presses have shape instead of wobble; exits protect momentum into the next setup. On jumps, he favors measured spin speed and deep, functional grabs—safety, tail, or blunt held long enough to stabilize the axis. That early grab timing keeps shoulders quiet and landings centered, so the outrun breathes instead of becoming a last-second save. Directional variety—forward and switch, left and right—shows up without breaking cadence because every choice serves the line.

Two tells help you “read” a Dahl run in real time. First, spacing. He leaves room between moves, so each trick creates setup for the next one rather than stealing from it. Second, grab discipline. The hand finds the ski early and stays there long enough to influence rotation, not just decorate the frame. That’s why even his bigger spins look calm, and why editors can present his clips at normal speed without resorting to slow-motion rescue.

Resilience, filming, and influence

Longevity at the top level requires adaptation. After years of traveling the World Cup and major-event circuit, Dahl broadened his canvas: spring projects in the Alps, on-camera head-to-heads in SLVSH games, and the co-creation of Jib League with Woods and Bråten. The through-line is composure. Whether the setting is a single-hit scaffolding jump, a multi-feature slopestyle course, or a dense rail garden at Nordkette, he protects speed, commits to control inputs early, and finishes tricks with enough time to ride away clean. That reliability earns trust—from judges tallying slopestyle scores, from peers voting in jam formats, and from filmmakers who want clips that hold up after ten replays.

Influence shows up far beyond podium photos. Jib League’s format centers skiers as voters and storytellers, and its stops have become required viewing for anyone who cares how style and difficulty can coexist. Capeesh, meanwhile, exports the same ethos via apparel drops and creative videos—small teams, rider agency, humor intact. Add in years of high-profile clips and a deep library of World Cup runs archived at Olympics.com, and you have a body of work that doubles as instruction: honest speed, early commitments, centered landings.

Geography that built the toolkit

Place is the skeleton of Dahl’s skiing. Oslo’s compact hills and firm winter snow built edge honesty and quick decision-making; repeated laps discipline the feet and hands. The Alps supplied longer radii and faster in-runs, especially at Nordkette, where dense features reward timing and rail economy. Spring blocks at Kläppen layered in rhythm on creative setups and medium-to-large booters, and the annual pilgrimage to Buttermilk honed broadcast composure. On the Olympic stage at Phoenix Park, he proved those habits survive the brightest lights. Stitch those environments together and you get a toolkit that travels: protect momentum, manage spin speed with the grab, and keep the run’s shape intact from first rail to last landing.

Equipment and partners: practical takeaways

Dahl’s current setup mirrors his philosophy. With Vishnu Freeski he rides a park-capable platform with balanced swing weight and reinforced edges that tolerate repeated rail contact without unpredictable flex. Energy and event support from Monster Energy keeps the spotlight on projects that showcase skier agency, while Capeesh Supply lets him translate taste into design. If you’re looking to borrow from his gear decisions, the lesson is category fit over model names: choose a symmetrical or near-symmetrical park ski, mount it so butters and presses feel natural without compromising takeoff stability, keep bases fast so cadence survives cold or salt, and tune edges to hold on steel yet soften contact points to avoid surprise bites on swaps. Equipment won’t replace timing, but the right platform makes good timing repeatable across long filming days and pressure-heavy finals.

Equally practical is how he structures a season. Early repetitions on consistent parks sharpen approach mechanics; jam-style events test composure under variable pace and crowd energy; and marquee weeks at places like Buttermilk demand the full package—rail clarity, directional variety on jumps, and airtight landings. That rhythm is a template ambitious riders can copy on the path from local edits to international relevance.

Why fans and progressing skiers care

Ferdinand Dahl matters because he turns elite difficulty into clarity and then uses his platform to grow the culture around it. He owns multiple X Games medals, deep World Cup credentials, and Olympic finals experience, yet he’s just as committed to rider-run spaces like Jib League and to creative output through Capeesh. The skiing itself is easy to follow at normal speed because the mechanics are honest: early grab commitment, measured spin speed, and landings that preserve momentum for the next move. For viewers, that means segments worth replaying; for developing skiers, it offers a concrete checklist—square the approach, use the grab as a control input, finish the trick early, and let the line breathe. That combination of results, readability, and stewardship is why Ferdi sits at the center of freeski culture today, whether the backdrop is an Olympic venue, a televised course in Colorado, or a rail garden above Innsbruck.