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Profile and significance

Daniel “Dani” Bacher is an Austrian freeski standout whose rapid rise from the Stubai Valley to the sport’s biggest stages made him one of Europe’s most closely watched slopestyle and big air riders. Born in 2004 and based around Innsbruck, he represents Austria’s A-Team and TU Innsbruck in park-and-pipe disciplines, translating junior promise into senior-level hardware with uncommon speed. The headline results arrived early and emphatically: a Big Air bronze at X Games Aspen 2024 at Buttermilk, a World Cup podium with second place at Big Air Chur in October 2023, and Olympic starts at Beijing 2022. Add in double silver medals at the 2021 Junior World Championships and solid Youth Olympic Games finishes in 2020, and the picture is clear: Bacher is a proven contest closer with a style the camera loves and judges reward.

Equally important is how those results were earned. Bacher’s calling card is “playful power”—tail-butter initiations into high-value doubles, precise grabs held long enough to stabilize axis, and a habit of using course architecture in surprising, judge-legible ways. That mix has carried him from local lines on Stubai Glacier to stadium-lit scaffolding and live broadcasts without losing the clarity that drew attention in the first place.

Competitive arc and key venues

Bacher’s pathway tracks cleanly through modern benchmarks. As a teenager he logged sixth in big air and seventh in slopestyle at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics, then converted that momentum into two silver medals at Junior Worlds in 2021. The senior leap came fast: he qualified for Beijing 2022 at age 17, finishing 21st in big air and 17th in slopestyle in his Olympic debut. The following season opened with a breakthrough World Cup podium—second at the festival-style Big Air stop in Chur—before he stepped onto the biggest non-Olympic stage with bronze in X Games Big Air at Buttermilk in January 2024. The consistency across formats matters: stadium big air, long-panel slopestyle, and pressure-heavy finals have all yielded high-end runs.

Venues explain the shape of that résumé. Stubai’s autumn parks on Stubai Glacier provided early-season repetitions on large, cleanly shaped features, ideal for dialing speed and takeoff timing. The Chur big air—set in Switzerland’s oldest city—demanded precise approach mechanics on a single, consequential jump under lights and cameras. And Buttermilk, home of X Games, rewarded the full package: rail economy, directional variety on jumps, and the composure to adapt when the broadcast environment adds noise.

How they ski: what to watch for

Bacher’s skiing is instantly readable because he makes deliberate choices that keep a run’s shape intact. On rails, approaches are squared early and body position stays stacked, so lock-ins look decisive rather than dramatic and exits preserve speed into the next setup. On jumps, he favors measured spin speed and deep, stabilizing grabs that let him hold axis through the apex and land centered. The signatures that popped on his X Games bronze run—creative use of the lip with tail taps, and a switch leftside tail-butter double cork 1440 safety—show how he layers difficulty without sacrificing cadence. When he changes direction or stance, the line keeps breathing; there’s space between moves, which is why his runs look smooth to casual viewers while still scoring with technical panels.

Two tells help you evaluate a Bacher lap. First, the grab timing: he commits early and holds long enough to influence rotation, not just decorate it. Second, the way he “borrows” from buttered entries on the snow to set clean takeoffs for high-risk tricks. Those habits are portable across venues and conditions, which is why his contest skiing seems to travel well from one build to the next.

Resilience, filming, and influence

Bacher’s 2023–24 season highlighted composure as much as difficulty. In Aspen he mixed heavy tricks with showmanship—without letting novelty overwhelm execution—and even handled an in-run mishap without losing momentum in the overall performance narrative. That balance has helped him resonate beyond raw results sheets. Brands have taken notice—he rides for Armada Skis and appears on Monster Energy’s roster—and media coverage has emphasized that his creativity is anchored in fundamentals. For younger skiers, his approach validates a modern blueprint: rehearse clean mechanics at home, bring a distinct trick vocabulary to big builds, and let originality live inside a structured run rather than replacing it.

While contests are the spine of his career to date, Bacher’s clips also translate to film. Short pieces and team edits underline the same values—economical body position, held grabs, and smart speed checks—so his skiing remains watchable on replay without slow-motion crutches. That rewatchability is part of his influence; it turns “style” from a vibe into a set of teachable details.

Geography that built the toolkit

Place explains a lot about Bacher’s control. Growing up in the Stubai Valley meant frequent laps on the Stubai Glacier, where the early-season park is famous for consistent lips, honest speed, and firm landings that demand centered technique. Innsbruck’s scene adds dense repetition and community—athletes share lines, coaches emphasize detail, and the calendar offers frequent chances to scale tricks before winter arrives in full. When his schedule pulls him outward, those habits stick: in Chur he manages a single-feature spotlight; in Aspen at Buttermilk he sustains momentum across a deep, televised field.

That geographic loop—home repetitions on glacier parks, European city big airs, and North American major-event venues—shows up in how he visualizes courses. Speed control stays honest, trick choices fit the available runway, and landings arrive over the feet rather than as saves.

Equipment and partners: practical takeaways

With Armada Skis underfoot and Monster Energy support, Bacher’s kit reflects durability and predictable platform feel—exactly what repeated rail contact and high-risk jump attempts require. For progressing skiers, the actionable lessons are straightforward: choose a symmetrical or near-symmetrical park ski with reinforced edges and a mount point that supports presses without compromising takeoff stability; keep edges tuned to hold on steel but detuned at contact points to avoid surprise bites on swaps; and maintain fast bases so cadence doesn’t depend on perfect weather. Equipment won’t replace technique, but the right platform makes Bacher-style repeatability possible across long contest or filming days.

Beyond hardgoods, look at venue choices as part of the “kit.” Early laps on Stubai Glacier and big-event exposure at Buttermilk create a feedback loop: refine on consistent features, then test under pressure when lights and cameras add variables. That rhythm is a practical template for anyone trying to scale from local parks to international starts.

Why fans and progressing skiers care

Dani Bacher matters because he blends creativity with contest-grade clarity. He’s already delivered at X Games, stood on a World Cup podium in Chur, and represented Austria at the Olympic Games—and he did it with runs that make sense in real time. For viewers, that means performances worth rewatching; for skiers, it offers a blueprint built on timing, held grabs, and momentum management rather than on single-use spectacle. If you follow freeski for slopestyle and big air that hold up long after the broadcast, keep Bacher on your radar—the toolkit is proven, and the ceiling is still rising.

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.

Profile and significance

Finn Bilous is one of the most versatile freeskiers to come out of New Zealand, a two-time Olympian who has successfully bridged slopestyle, big air and now top-tier freeride. Born in 1999 and raised in Wānaka, he grew up lapping the parks and natural terrain at Cardrona and Treble Cone, surrounded by a family deeply rooted in skiing. As the younger brother of freeride standout Hank Bilous, he was immersed early in both freestyle and big-mountain culture, developing a toolkit that always looked broader than a single discipline.

Finn’s early rise came in freestyle. He became New Zealand’s first Winter Youth Olympic Games medallist at Lillehammer 2016, winning silver in halfpipe and bronze in slopestyle, and within a couple of seasons he was a regular on the World Cup circuit. A bronze in big air at the 2018 FIS Freestyle World Championships, a World Cup podium at Cardrona and strong showings at major slopestyle stops underlined his status as one of the most promising park-and-big-air riders in the Southern Hemisphere. Two Winter Olympic appearances—PyeongChang 2018 in slopestyle and Beijing 2022 in both slopestyle and big air—cemented him as a key figure in New Zealand freeski.

What makes Bilous especially interesting for freeski fans now is the way he has pivoted into freeride without abandoning his freestyle roots. A wildcard invitation to the Freeride World Tour led to a full campaign and a fourth-place overall ranking in the 2024 men’s ski standings, with podiums at Verbier and a season that showed his tricks and line choice could stand up against lifelong big-mountain specialists. That dual resume—Olympic slopestyle and big air on one side, Freeride World Tour podiums on the other—puts him in a small, influential group of riders redefining what “all-round” really means in modern freeski.

Competitive arc and key venues

Bilous’ competitive arc moves through three overlapping phases: junior freestyle, Olympic-era park and big air, and world-class freeride. As a junior, he represented New Zealand at FIS Junior World Championships, placing fifth in halfpipe, then stepped onto the global stage at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer. Carrying the New Zealand flag at the opening ceremony, he delivered silver in halfpipe and bronze in slopestyle, the country’s first Winter Youth Olympic medals and an early signal that he could perform under pressure.

The next chapter unfolded on the FIS World Cup and World Championships circuit. Competing mostly in slopestyle and big air, Finn claimed his first World Cup podium with a third place in big air at Cardrona during Winter Games NZ, effectively starring in front of a home crowd on the same jumps he had grown up hitting. At the 2018 World Championships he added a big air bronze, confirming that he belonged in the conversation whenever the world’s best were throwing their heaviest tricks. Olympic starts followed: PyeongChang 2018, where he finished just outside the slopestyle final, and Beijing 2022, where he contested both slopestyle and big air against a stacked international field.

Then came the freeride pivot. A wildcard into the Freeride World Tour opened an entirely new competitive canvas: steep, complex faces in Europe and North America, judged on line choice, control, fluidity, jumps and style. By 2024 he had turned that opportunity into a full campaign, finishing fourth overall in the men’s ski standings and stacking big results at marquee stops in Verbier and other classic venues. Those FWT faces—exposed spines, cliffs and technical exits—are a long way from the sculpted rails and jumps of a slopestyle course, yet Finn’s runs retained a distinctly freestyle flavour, with 360s and grabs integrated into committed, fall-line routes.

How they ski: what to watch for

Finn Bilous skis like someone who has spent thousands of hours in the park and just as many days reading natural terrain. In slopestyle and big air, his style is defined by how easy he makes difficulty look: long, carving approaches into the takeoff, a quick but relaxed snap into rotation and fully locked-in grabs that stay on until the landing is practically under his feet. Whether he is spinning switch or forward, his shoulders tend to remain calm, letting his lower body do the work so the trick reads clearly from the finish corral or through the camera lens.

That same composure shows up in freeride. On Freeride World Tour venues, Finn tends to favour lines that stay close to the fall line rather than traversing across the face to hunt only for one giant cliff. He strings together multiple features—small airs, direction changes, poppy wind lips and one or two bigger drops—with a rhythm that feels more like a slopestyle run mapped onto a big-mountain canvas. Watch his Verbier runs closely and you’ll see how he uses subtle shuffles and micro-adjustments before takeoff to stay perfectly balanced, then levels his skis in the air and lands with enough momentum to keep rolling into the next section without an obvious check.

Technically minded viewers should pay attention to his landings and exits. In both park and freeride settings, he is good at landing slightly in the back seat without panicking, absorbing the impact with his legs and bringing his weight forward smoothly into the next turn. That ability to recover without obvious drama is a big part of why his skiing looks so relaxed even in high-consequence terrain.

Resilience, filming, and influence

While Finn’s career does not revolve around a single dramatic comeback, resilience is embedded in how he has evolved. Transitioning from Olympic slopestyle and big air into the Freeride World Tour requires not just different skills but also a different mindset: you go from repeating a dialed course under near-identical conditions to riding a face you only inspect visually from across the valley, then ski once with limited practice. The mental adjustment—trusting your snowpack assessment, your line choice and your ability to improvise if conditions change—has been one of the most impressive parts of his recent seasons.

Parallel to his contest work, Finn has steadily grown his presence in film and digital projects. He appears in segments with major production companies and in trailers where his shots are singled out for their mix of freestyle and freeride flavour. Closer to home, edits like his “white noise” series at Treble Cone showcase him lapping everyday resort terrain with the same creativity he brings to big contests: side hits become takeoffs, gullies become mini-pipes and wind-loaded knuckles turn into natural big-air features. This sort of content makes his skiing feel accessible, even when the underlying skill level is anything but.

Influence-wise, Bilous is becoming a reference point for younger Kiwi skiers and for riders worldwide who want to combine park, big air and freeride rather than specialising early. Interviews and profiles often highlight his positive, grounded personality and his willingness to experiment—testing freeride lines, surf trips, bike adventures and long filming days rather than focusing only on podiums. As more freestyle athletes look toward big-mountain competitions and filming later in their careers, his path from Youth Olympic halfpipe podiums to Freeride World Tour overall top-five is likely to be studied closely.

Geography that built the toolkit

Finn’s skiing is inseparable from the geography of Wānaka and New Zealand’s Southern Alps. Growing up with Cardrona Alpine Resort and Treble Cone as his home hills meant early exposure to both world-class parks and serious natural terrain. Cardrona offered carefully shaped jump lines and rails that hosted everything from local contests to World Cups and Winter Games NZ; it was here that he would later earn a World Cup podium in big air, essentially performing on his childhood training ground with the world watching.

Treble Cone, by contrast, provided long fall-line runs, natural wind lips and steep off-piste faces that lent themselves to big-mountain creativity. Storm days there taught him to read wind-loading and snow texture, while high-visibility days opened up gullies and ridges that look more like mini-Freeride World Tour venues than a typical park hill. Further afield, European and North American stops on the World Cup and FWT circuits added a wide range of snowpacks—dry continental powder, variable maritime layers, refrozen competition mornings—that honed his adaptability.

Today, his map includes everything from Olympic venues in Korea and China to classic freeride faces in the Alps. Yet the rhythm of his skiing still feels distinctly Southern Hemisphere: a mix of surfy, playful lines and hard-edged commitment, shaped by years of Wānaka winters and Southern Lakes storm cycles.

Equipment and partners: practical takeaways

Bilous’ equipment choices and partners underline his blended identity as a freestyle and freeride rider. He is backed by an alpine hardware trio of Völkl skis, Marker bindings and Dalbello boots, a package designed to handle everything from slopestyle finals to big-mountain landings. In practice, that means skis with enough stiffness and edge grip to carve hard into big-air takeoffs or steep freeride entries, but with rocker and shape profiles that still allow butters, presses and switch landings when needed.

On the softgoods and protection side, he rides with Red Bull as an energy and project partner, goggles and eyewear from Oakley, and technical layers from brands like Mons Royale. This combination reflects a focus on functional performance and long days outside: breathable merino layers for storm laps, lenses tuned to flat light in big-mountain venues and protective gear that can handle heavy crashes without compromising comfort.

For recreational skiers, the key lesson is less about copying Finn’s exact setup and more about the logic behind it. He uses a coherent system that works in the park, on big jumps and on freeride faces, rather than radically different kits for each environment. If you are inspired by his slopestyle-to-freeride path, it makes sense to look for a similar balance: skis you can trust on rails and side hits but that still feel stable in chop, bindings with reliable release characteristics and boots that give you enough flex to tweak grabs without folding when you push them in steep terrain.

Why fans and progressing skiers care

Fans care about Finn Bilous because his career stitches together many of the things that make modern freeskiing exciting: Olympic slopestyle and big air, creative resort edits, and now full-throttle Freeride World Tour lines. He is the rider you might watch throwing stylish spins at Cardrona in one clip and then see sending a committed, trick-filled face run in Verbier in another, all with the same easy body language and emphasis on fun.

For progressing skiers, his story offers a clear, motivating blueprint. It shows how a strong park and big-air foundation can support a later move into freeride, and how you do not have to abandon one side of skiing to explore another. It also highlights the value of curiosity: Finn is continually seeking new challenges, from Youth Olympic pipes to Olympic slopestyle courses, from World Championships big air to freeride faces and film trips. Whether you are a park skier wondering what lies beyond the resort boundary or a freerider looking to add more spins and grabs into your lines, watching Finn Bilous is a direct look at how those worlds can be blended into one evolving, all-mountain freeski career.

Profile and significance

Oliver Karlberg is a Swedish freeski athlete whose passion for skiing and creative terrain exploration have made him a noteworthy figure in the street/urban ski world. While not a household name in mainstream competitive ski events such as the Olympics or FIS World Cups, Karlberg has earned recognition through film edits, street sessions and work with independent freeride and freeski brands. He brings a raw, inventive approach to skiing that resonates with the community of skiers seeking alternatives to standard competition formats.

Competitive arc and key venues

Karlberg did not follow the typical path of an alpine racer turned slopestyle competitor. According to interviews, his early years included time in a ski race programme in Sweden before he shifted his focus to freeskiing and street stylings. He has been featured in independent ski films and edits—one notable piece being his edit for Movement Skis and participation in films by Level 1 Productions. Karlberg cites his home resort area near Kläppen as formative, but many of his shoots and sessions have taken place off-the-beaten-path in Swedish terrain and forested zones rather than major contest venues.

How they ski: what to watch for

Karlberg’s skiing is defined by a creative use of terrain, unconventional spots and a strong tree-run or forest-style freestyle component. He frequently merges rails, natural features, urban inserts and forest exits—rejecting textbook park lines in favour of raw location scouting. What to watch: his edge control during tree dips, the way he links small rail hits into big exit manoeuvres and his sense of flow in natural terrain. His style may lack the high-amplitude airs of top slopestyle competitors but offers a gritty, inventive alternative to standard competition skiing.

Resilience, filming, and influence

Karlberg’s journey shows a strong independent streak. Early on he left home at age fifteen to pursue skiing more seriously than many in his region. In interviews he describes how he used a local ski club with racing focus to establish basic technique before making the leap into freeskiing. He has embraced film parts, edits and creative projects rather than chasing podiums in the standard competition circuit. Through films and online edits he has influenced younger skiers interested in street and forest freestyle rather than strictly park or back-country competition.

Geography that built the toolkit

Growing up in Sweden outside of the major alpine resorts gave Karlberg a perspective different from many freeski athletes based in big mountain hubs. His frequent sessions around Kläppen and Alvdalen gave him access to smaller terrain parks, forested slopes and natural features as opposed to large competition parks. This geography fostered a creativity in locating features, jumping into natural terrain transitions and mixing park with forest and urban terrain elements. In that sense his toolkit is grounded in self-scouting and unconventional spots rather than standard mega-parks or urban city sections alone.

Equipment and partners: practical takeaways

Karlberg is part of the Movement Skis team—Movement is a brand known for independent manufacture and creativity, and Karlberg’s riding aligns with their ethos. For progressing skiers who admire his style, the practical takeaway is that a strong ski setup combined with adaptability to varied terrain matters more than chasing park-only gear. Investing time in your environment, scouting features and using gear that allows for versatility (rails, jumps, forest runs) helps emulate aspects of his approach.

Why fans and progressing skiers care

Fans of skiing beyond the contest circuit gravitate toward Oliver Karlberg because he offers a style rooted in terrain exploration, street/forest freestyle and film-culture rather than medals alone. For progressing skiers, his journey shows that making your own line, scouting your own features and developing creativity can provide a meaningful alternative path. While he may not have a trophy cabinet like top slopestyle Olympians, his influence in the street/urban scene and his independent route make him a figure worth following for those seeking authenticity.

Profile and significance

Olivia Asselin is a Canadian freeski standout from Québec who blends film-ready style with contest composure. Born in 2004 and raised in the Québec City/Lévis corridor, she rose through Stoneham’s club scene to the national team and broke out internationally with a bronze medal in Women’s Ski Big Air at the X Games in 2022. She followed that with Women’s Ski Knuckle Huck gold in 2024 and, in 2025, a defining weekend at Aspen that delivered Women’s Ski Street Style gold and Slopestyle silver. At the Olympics in 2022, Asselin made both finals, finishing eighth in Big Air and 11th in Slopestyle, underscoring her ability to translate style into major-stage results. World Cup podiums—third in Big Air at Copper Mountain in December 2022 and third in Slopestyle at Tignes in March 2024—round out a résumé that now straddles culture and medals. With partners including Armada, Monster Energy, and Smith Optics, she has become a reference point for skiers who prize clean mechanics and fresh ideas as much as difficulty.

Competitive arc and key venues

Asselin’s arc reveals a rider equally at home in rider-judged street formats and structured courses. The 2022 X Games bronze announced her to a global audience. In January 2024 she won the first Women’s Ski Knuckle Huck, an event that rewards creativity, timing and touch more than raw amplitude. In January 2025 she captured Women’s Street Style gold and Slopestyle silver at Aspen Snowmass, proving she can win on rails under floodlights and then podium on a full slopestyle course the next day. Along the way she stacked results that show breadth: a World Cup Big Air podium at Copper Mountain, a World Cup Slopestyle podium at Tignes, and wins in rider-led formats like Spring Battle at Absolut Park and a street title on the city setup in Innsbruck. Those venues map her progression cleanly. Stoneham taught night-lap repetition; Mammoth Mountain and Aspen demanded XL spacing, wind calls and pressure management; European parks like Tignes and Absolut Park honed rail density and long-line rhythm.

How they ski: what to watch for

Asselin’s skiing reads calm and deliberate. Into the lip she stays tall and neutral, then sets rotation late and locks grabs early so the trick breathes. On jumps, watch how she spins both directions in a run without rushing the set; grabs are defined before 180 degrees and held through the axis, which keeps the body stacked and the landing quiet. On rails, the signature is composure: locked presses and backslides that hold just long enough to be obvious, surface swaps with minimal arm swing, exits with square shoulders to maintain speed. In Street Style and urban-style jams, that economy becomes advantage—she uses the whole setup, hitting transfer options and disaster takeoffs without sacrificing flow. The big-picture tell is “replayability”: slow any clip down and you’ll find the same checkpoints—tall approach, patient pop, early grab, soft ankles on impact.

Resilience, filming, and influence

Asselin’s emergence coincided with a moment when women’s freeskiing expanded its event palette. By podiuming in Big Air, winning the debut of Knuckle Huck for women, and then claiming Street Style gold, she helped define what modern versatility looks like. Film-heavy weeks at events such as Spring Battle sharpened that voice further; the video-based format rewards riders who can craft coherent, stylish lines on their own terms. Her consistency in rider-curated street contests in Innsbruck added another layer of credibility in urban-influenced settings. The through-line is a repeatable movement language—clear setups, decisive presses, and measured takeoffs—that has become a study guide for developing riders. When she steps into televised slopestyle, the same habits make finals runs look composed rather than improvised.

Geography that built the toolkit

Place matters in Asselin’s skiing. The night network and compact laps at Stoneham built edge precision, rail timing and switch comfort; you can see those roots in how confidently she links rail features. Training blocks at Mammoth Mountain added jump cadence, wind reads and the patience needed for longer decks and higher speeds. World Cup stops at Copper Mountain and Tignes layered in contest rhythm and the ability to reset after misses. Europe’s Absolut Park and the urban scaffolds in Innsbruck reinforced her line-reading in feature-dense environments where creativity and efficiency trump brute force. Finally, Aspen Snowmass is the proving ground that now defines her public profile, a place where she has shown she can win under lights one night and deliver medals on a full course the next day.

Equipment and partners: practical takeaways

Asselin’s choices reflect priorities that progressing skiers can copy. With Armada she rides playful, press-friendly park platforms that still feel predictable on big takeoffs; with Smith Optics she focuses on contrast and lens clarity for flat-light park laps; with Monster Energy she aligns with a team deeply embedded in the X Games ecosystem. The practical setup lessons are simple: detune contact points enough to reduce rail bite without giving up edge hold on the lip; choose a mount point close to center so switch landings stay neutral; and keep binding ramp angles that don’t force you into the backseat. Process matters as much as hardware. Build a “knuckle huck toolkit” on smaller hits—hand drags, flat 5s, late shiftys—then scale those touch-based moves into slopestyle where they add style without costing speed.

Why fans and progressing skiers care

Fans care because Asselin is exciting in multiple languages of freeskiing: she can stack a stylish street run under floodlights, thread a long slopestyle line with both-way spins, or float a knuckle trick that looks effortless. For developing riders, her clips are a masterclass in patience and definition. She shows that high-level skiing does not require constant risk escalation; it requires clear plans for each feature, early grab definition, and exits that preserve speed for what comes next. The results—X Games golds in Knuckle Huck and Street Style, X Games silver in Slopestyle, X Games bronze in Big Air, finals at the Olympics, and multiple World Cup podiums—are milestones, but the real takeaway is how she earned them: by pairing creativity with fundamentals that hold up to slow-motion scrutiny.

Profile and significance

Tormod Frostad is a Norwegian freeski athlete born on August 29, 2002, who competes primarily in the big air discipline. He began skiing as a child near Oslo and developed his park and jump skills at his local slope in Sandvika before rising through the international freeski circuit. He represented Norway at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in the men’s big air event, which marked his entrance into the top tier of the sport. His importance lies in the fact that he belongs to the up-and-coming generation of big air specialists in Norway, already achieving podiums in World Cup events and earning his first victory during the 2024-25 season. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

Competitive arc and key venues

Frostad entered FIS competitions in his mid-teens and made his World Cup debut in 2018 with big air in Cardrona. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} Over the ensuing seasons he achieved multiple World Cup podiums and recorded his first victory in the 2024-25 season. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2} He placed 12th in the big air event at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3} Prominent venues in his career include Cardrona (NZ), Beijing (China), and World Cup stops in Europe and North America. In the 2024-25 season he ranked 5th overall in the Park & Pipe World Cup standings with 330 points and a win among his tally of three podiums. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

How they ski: what to watch for

Frostad brings a blend of amplitude and clean execution typical of modern big air freeskiers. He uses tall take-ins with late rotation initiation, which allows his grabs to read longer and his landings to settle more smoothly. On jumps he demonstrates switch and natural direction competence and holds grabs long enough that the trick silhouette becomes distinctive. For viewers, keep an eye on how he sets up the lip with edge control, then compresses rotation in the latter half of the air, reserving the earlier phase for grab posture. His run structure often features a build-up through one large trick rather than multiple trivial hits, aligning with the scoring emphasis on amplitude plus quality execution.

Resilience, filming, and influence

While Frostad is still early in his elite career, his rise from junior ranks to World Cup winner in a relatively short time shows resilience. He adapted through the pandemic-paused seasons, managed transition into senior competition and elevated his results accordingly. His Norwegian context, part of a strong freeski national system, gives him access to robust coaching and facilities. Though his filmed parts are less widely publicised compared to some peers, his contest results and growth trajectory have begun to capture attention, making him a figure for younger skiers to watch as someone evolving rapidly.

Geography that built the toolkit

Frostad grew up in Sandvika near Oslo, Norway, training at local slopes and snowparks which hone repetition and feature familiarity early. He then expanded into international training and contest venues, exposing him to glaciers, wind-affected jump lines and large-scale scaffolding. The Norwegian freeski environment emphasizes technical fundamentals and strong work ethic, which underpin his ability to manage speed, lip timing and axis control in high-stakes competitions. The transition from smaller domestic parks to global big air stages gave him a widening toolkit of feature types and judging contexts.

Equipment and partners: practical takeaways

According to his athlete profile, Frostad is associated with the brand Faction Skis which indicates his ski choice emphasises park/big-air performance with reliable pop and edge control. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5} For progressing skiers the takeaways are clear: when targeting big air, choose skis with strong pop, mount near centre for switch competency, and train on consistent jump lines that allow repetition of lip timing, grab integration and landing stability. Frostad’s progression underscores the value of moving from local repetition to high-stakes venues and maintaining execution quality under pressure.

Why fans and progressing skiers care

Fans should care about Tormod Frostad because he is a rapidly rising young big-air athlete whose peak appears still ahead. His early win and multiple podiums in the 2024-25 season position him among the names likely to contend for major titles in coming years. For skiers in progression, he demonstrates that rapid ascent is possible with strong fundamentals, smart progression and exposure to international venues. Watching a Frostad run offers insight into how modern big air scoring values amplitude, clean axis control and grab quality—not just raw rotation count. He is a name worth tracking as freeski enters its next championship cycle.