SPEEDTRIP PRELUDE
Aidan Mulvihill
Profile and significance
Aidan Mulvihill is a Canadian freeski slopestyle and big air specialist who has risen quickly from the Whistler scene onto the international circuit. Born in 2004 and raised around Vancouver before moving to Squamish, he learned to ski as a child at Grouse Mountain and then developed his park craft on the world-class terrain at Whistler Blackcomb. He joined Canada’s national freeski program and broke through in 2023–24 by winning multiple NorAm slopestyle events and the overall NorAm title, earning World Cup starts the following winter. In April 2025 he captured the Canadian National FIS slopestyle title at Whistler Blackcomb, a marker that he’s among the country’s next-up riders. For fans tracking emerging talent, Mulvihill represents the wave of well-rounded, park-bred athletes transitioning from regional dominance to consistent international appearances.
Competitive arc and key venues
Mulvihill’s competitive résumé shows steady, verifiable progress through each tier. After junior results in North America and early-season starts in New Zealand at Cardrona, he put together a strong 2023–24 North American Cup run with slopestyle wins at Aspen Snowmass and Stoneham, plus a big air podium in Stoneham. Those points secured his move onto the 2024–25 World Cup, where he gained experience on the major stages of European and North American freeskiing. Highlights from that rookie World Cup campaign include top-25 results in big air at Chur and Beijing, and a solid 21st at Kreischberg, one of the tour’s benchmark jump venues. He also logged valuable slopestyle reps in venues like LAAX, Tignes, and Aspen, learning to translate NorAm-winning consistency to deeper, more technical fields. Capping the season, Mulvihill won Canada’s national slopestyle title at Whistler Blackcomb with a clean, composed run—confirmation that his competitive ceiling is still climbing.
How they ski: what to watch for
Mulvihill’s skiing reflects a Whistler-forged toolkit: strong jump line management, dependable grabs, and the ability to land forward or switch with equal confidence. On rails, he favors precise, centered slides with solid exits that keep speed into the next feature—an essential trait for modern slopestyle where momentum preservation is everything. On jumps, his amplitude is efficient rather than flashy, allowing him to stay on axis, lock grabs, and ride out cleanly in firm or variable snow. Watch for his timing on takeoffs and his habit of setting spins early without over-rotating; that economy pays off late in runs when many athletes lose composure. As he accumulates laps on XL features—think the “Shaq Left” jump line at Whistler Blackcomb or the perfectly shaped booters at Aspen Snowmass—expect even more polish in trick variety and grab tweaks across directions.
Resilience, filming, and influence
While Mulvihill’s season focus has leaned toward contests, he’s also appeared in coaching-style and park-tour content that showcases his readability on camera and clarity in line choice. That kind of exposure matters for a modern freeski career, where athletes balance World Cup calendars with brand storytelling. His path—regional park kid to NorAm standout to national champion—resonates with young riders building step by step rather than chasing overnight virality. The through-line is resilience: taking lessons from mid-pack World Cup finishes, returning to domestic starts, and converting them into wins when it counts.
Geography that built the toolkit
Mulvihill’s home base provided ideal ingredients for a slopestyle/big air skier. Early turns at Grouse Mountain ingrained comfort in a city-adjacent hill where park laps and storm days build balance and edge feel. A move to Squamish put him within daily striking distance of Whistler Blackcomb, whose parks routinely host elite-level features. Off-snow, British Columbia’s dedicated freestyle facilities such as The Airhouse (Squamish) add reps on trampolines and air awareness tools that translate directly to confident in-run decisions. Internationally, venues like LAAX, Tignes, Stubai Glacier, Kreischberg, Aspen Snowmass, Mammoth Mountain, and Stoneham have broadened his course visualization and speed control across different snowpacks and course designs.
Equipment and partners: practical takeaways
Mulvihill rides with Line Skis, matching a brand steeped in freeski culture to his park-forward progression. For optics, he uses Trinsic Optics, whose lens and frame systems are geared toward clarity and quick changes on contest days when light can swing rapidly. His training environment includes The Airhouse for air-awareness work and dryland sessions, and he’s supported by Canada-based loyalty partner More Rewards, a relationship that underscores the practical reality of funding a World Cup schedule through travel-heavy seasons. For progressing skiers, the gear takeaway is simple: prioritize skis that feel intuitive on rails and stable on takeoff, pair them with goggles that keep vision consistent through flat light, and build year-round air sense in safe facilities before scaling to XL jumps.
Why fans and progressing skiers care
Mulvihill is a clear case study in how a modern Canadian park skier advances: dominate regional circuits, learn to win at NorAm level, collect World Cup reps without skipping steps, and then convert domestic finals into national titles. The style is rooted in fundamentals—clean grabs, centered landings, dependable rails—so viewers can track progression run to run without needing slow-mo breakdowns. If you follow slopestyle and big air to see who’s building toward future X-factor seasons, keep Mulvihill on the radar; his mix of consistent technique, adaptable speed, and expanding course experience suggests a rider still on the rise.
Emerson Raffler
Profile and significance
Emerson Raffler is a Canadian freeski athlete developed in the Whistler, British Columbia pathway, known for technical slopestyle lines and clean, competition-ready big air. Born in 2004 and brought up through the Whistler Freestyle and provincial circuits, he progressed from Super Youth and Timber Tour events into FIS starts by the early 2020s. Podiums at British Columbia’s Timber Tour—including U16 slopestyle silver at SilverStar in 2019—and a strong U16 big air showing at Sun Peaks in 2020 established him as one of the reliable park specialists in his age group. He later added international experience with starts at Cardrona’s Australian New Zealand Cup, giving him valuable minutes on major-course shapes. The arc reads like many successful Canadian park stories: dense home-lap repetition at Whistler Blackcomb, provincial proving grounds, then first touches of the FIS environment.
Competitive arc and key venues
Raffler’s résumé is anchored by measurable results on respected regional stages that feed the national team pipeline. In 2018 he was already placing inside the top group at Whistler’s Timber Tour slopestyle before stepping up to a runner-up finish in U16 slopestyle at the 2019 season finale hosted by SilverStar. The following winter he carried that form to Sun Peaks, delivering one of the top scores among U16 men in big air, a result that underscored his ability to translate rail-driven slopestyle fundamentals into jump execution under pressure. By October 2022 he was on-hill at Cardrona for ANC slopestyle and big air—an important step for Canadian athletes seeking early-season international starts and a read on Southern Hemisphere course builds. Across these stops, he accumulated the practical contest reps that matter: learning how speed runs on crisp morning salt, how judges reward grab duration and axis clarity, and how to preserve momentum through multi-feature rail sections.
How they ski: what to watch for
Raffler’s skiing is rail-forward and detail-heavy. On features, he favors a centered stance with quiet upper body mechanics that keep spins on and off looking deliberate rather than forced. Expect solid lock-ins on down bars and kinks, pretzel exits that stay within speed limits, and line choices that conserve glide into money jumps. On the jump side, his strengths align with modern judging: clean takeoff axes, visible grabs held through rotation, and landings that prioritize stability over last-rotation heroics. He tends to build runs that can travel—if speed changes with weather, he simplifies trick density rather than risking amplitude collapse, a strategy that often yields dependable second-run scores.
Resilience, filming, and influence
Like many athletes in the Whistler corridor, Raffler has balanced bib numbers with small-crew edits and seasonal recap clips, particularly on spring park builds at Whistler Blackcomb. Those segments reveal the habits that make his contest runs work: patient approach angles on rails, quick feet on sketchier snow, and a preference for full-grab continuity on jumps. The filming time doubles as skill acquisition—testing variations, dialing trick directions both ways, and getting comfortable with imperfect landings. It’s a feedback loop that shows up when conditions tighten on contest day.
Geography that built the toolkit
Raffler’s toolkit is decidedly Coast Mountains. The volume and variety of park options at Whistler Blackcomb cultivate speed control and line-reading across long rail complexes. Trips to Interior BC venues such as SilverStar and Sun Peaks add different snow textures and temperature swings, sharpening edge feel on colder, faster surfaces. Early-season stints at Cardrona introduce the Southern Hemisphere’s spring-snow rhythm and larger, international-style features—useful preparation for athletes who aim to scale their runs beyond provincial calendars.
Equipment and partners: practical takeaways
While specific brand partnerships have varied or remained low-key, the setup principles behind Raffler’s skiing are clear and transferable. A modern twin-tip park ski mounted near true center supports both-way spins and stable pretzel exits. Consistent edge tune—with thoughtful detune on contact points—reduces rail hang-ups without dulling pop for jump takeoffs. Bindings set for predictable release and boots with enough forward support to keep landings stacked help preserve confidence when conditions are slick or variable. For progressing skiers, the lesson is to build a balanced, repeatable setup that keeps stance neutral and swing weight predictable from night laps to travel days.
Why fans and progressing skiers care
Raffler represents the “next-up” layer that makes Canadian freeskiing so deep: athletes who convert heavy local mileage into credible results on provincial podiums and then test themselves against international fields. Watching him is instructive if you’re learning to evaluate runs. Note how he sequences rails to hold speed, how he keeps grabs visible through rotation, and how he adjusts trick density rather than forcing amplitude when weather or speed changes. He may not yet have the marquee hardware of World Cup podiums, but the foundation—clean rails, readable axes, and competition composure—maps directly to the slopestyle and big air criteria that decide results at bigger shows. As opportunities scale, those habits are exactly what allow an emerging skier to convert starts into breakthrough moments.
Joel Macnair
Profile and significance
Joel Macnair is a Canadian freeski athlete from British Columbia whose rail precision and park consistency have carried him from the local scene to NorAm-level start lists. Born in 2002 and associated with the Whistler Freeski Team and Freestyle BC, he competes primarily in slopestyle with crossover into big air. His name surfaced for many fans through a SLVSH game in Whistler and a steady stream of edits that highlight clean, repeatable trick execution. While he is not yet a fixture on World Cup podiums, Macnair’s presence at national championships and NorAm events, combined with credible film appearances, marks him as an emerging rider to watch in Canada’s deep pipeline.
Competitive arc and key venues
Macnair’s pathway reflects a classic West Coast progression: local park mileage at Whistler Blackcomb and Vancouver’s Grouse Mountain, provincial opportunities with Freestyle BC, then national starts. He has appeared at the Canadian Freeski National Championships with a top-five finish in 2024, and he has lined up in NorAm fields during the 2024–25 season, including the winter stop at Copper Mountain. Entry lists have also placed him at the Aspen slopestyle week hosted by Aspen Snowmass, a proving ground that attracts a mix of rising talent and established names. Earlier edits shot at SilverStar and other regional parks show the repetition and pattern-building that underpin his competition runs. The trajectory is clear: more starts on bigger builds, more reps under pressure, and a gradual translation of rail fluency into full-run scores.
How they ski: what to watch for
Macnair’s skiing reads as rail-first, with a centered stance and quiet upper body that make spins on and off look unforced. Expect precise edge engagement on down bars, clean lock-ins on kinks, and pretzel exits that stay within speed limits rather than forcing a slide. On jumps he favors well-held grabs and axis clarity over chaotic spin-to-win attempts, using switch approaches and both-way spins to keep judges engaged while preserving landing quality. It’s the kind of approach that travels well between courses: build a baseline of repeatable tricks, then scale difficulty by layering cleaner grabs, longer hold times, and subtle axis changes when conditions allow.
Resilience, filming, and influence
Beyond bib numbers, Macnair has contributed to small-crew and brand-supported filming. He appeared in the Head-backed short project “HEADCASE” and has credits tied to Jeff Thomas–led efforts from Head Freeskiing, aligning him with a legacy of polished park and resort-based segments. An earlier personal edit referenced a leg injury and subsequent return, and that context helps explain his measured contest style: he emphasizes trick selection that he can reproduce, even when speed or weather shifts. His SLVSH appearance in Whistler further showcased decision-making on unfamiliar features, a useful proxy for the improvisation demanded by modern slopestyle course designs.
Geography that built the toolkit
Daily laps on the Coast Mountains shaped Macnair’s toolkit. The volume and variety at Whistler Blackcomb reward riders who can adjust line speed through multi-rail complexes, while night sessions at Grouse Mountain offer the repetition that polishes takeoffs and landings. Side trips to interior resorts like SilverStar add different snow textures and park rhythms, broadening comfort with speed and compression. As competition travel expands, time on high-profile jumps at Aspen Snowmass and the firm morning conditions at Copper Mountain tighten timing and edge discipline—skills that convert directly into cleaner scores.
Equipment and partners: practical takeaways
Macnair rides with support connected to Head Skis, and his on-snow choices reflect a focus on balance and predictability. A modern, symmetrical park ski with a mount point near true center makes his both-way spins and pretzel exits feel natural, while consistent edge tune and thoughtful detune reduce hang-ups on rails without dulling pop off takeoffs. For progressing skiers, the lesson is straightforward: choose a setup that lets you stand neutral over the ski, keep swing weight predictable, and maintain a tune you can trust from home laps to travel days.
Why fans and progressing skiers care
Macnair represents the kind of athlete who keeps the competitive ecosystem healthy: a technically sound park skier who builds scores with detail work and brings that same precision to the lens. If you’re learning to read runs, watch how he conserves speed through rail sections and how his grabs stay visible across rotation—small choices that add up in judging. For fans, he’s a bellwether of Canada’s depth; for younger skiers, he’s a reminder that durable fundamentals and consistent reps at places like Whistler Blackcomb and Grouse Mountain can translate into nationals, NorAm starts, and credible film credits. As his calendar continues to expand, expect the same measured style—clean rails, readable axes, and reliable landings—to scale with the size of the stage.
Whistler-Blackcomb
Overview and significance
Whistler Blackcomb is Canada’s flagship resort and a global reference point for freeskiing, pairing massive scale with a lift system that keeps days flowing. The resort’s official mountain brief lists 8,171 acres of skiable terrain, more than 200 marked runs, 36 lifts, and three terrain parks spanning intermediate to expert, with highest lift access at 2,284 m and base elevation around 675 m—good for roughly 1,609 m (5,280 ft) of vertical in a single push. Average snowfall is given at about 432 inches (1,091 cm) and the operating calendar regularly stretches among the longest in North America, which is why film crews, national teams, and everyday park riders treat Whistler Blackcomb as a season-long training ground.
The two-mountain design is the engine. Whistler and Blackcomb are joined mid-mountain by the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola, an 11-minute, 4.4-km span that makes it easy to follow weather and aspect without losing time. Cultural pedigree runs deep too. Alpine events for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics were staged at Whistler Creekside, and each April the World Ski & Snowboard Festival turns the village and high alpine into a week of comps and films, with slopestyle traditionally centered on Blackcomb’s pro build.
Terrain, snow, and seasons
Terrain breadth is the hallmark. High on both mountains you’ll find alpine bowls, ribs, gullies and three lift-served glaciers, with long groomers and sheltered benches lower down that hold definition when the ceiling drops. Whistler’s Peak and Harmony–Symphony sectors ride “big” on storm refreshes, with obvious fall lines and side-hit traverses that let mixed crews choose their level without splitting up. Blackcomb layers in classic laps off 7th Heaven, access to Blackcomb Glacier, and a network of rolling pistes and trees that ski predictably in flat light.
The Coast Mountains snowpack trends maritime during active weather—dense enough to shape lips and landings—then sets into supportive chalk on leeward panels once winds ease. That mix is friendly to progression: speed holds on groomers in cold snaps, and landings stay trustworthy on the main jump lines through the heart of winter. Mid-January through late February is the most repeatable window for cold, consistent speed; March and April add blue windows and aspect-driven softening for forgiving landings, with many upper circuits holding winter texture well into spring.
Park infrastructure and events
Blackcomb’s park program is the anchor for freestyle. The resort’s terrain-park overview describes a stepping-stone pathway for intermediate and advanced riders culminating in the expert-only Highest Level Park when conditions permit. Expect a creative rail garden culture alongside jump lanes that scale with the base, plus hips and step-downs that make the most of Blackcomb’s natural contours. Because the parks sit close to efficient chairs and mid-mountain connectors, you can stack repetitions without burning time on traverses.
Event pedigree shows up every spring. The World Ski & Snowboard Festival schedules slopestyle in the Highest Level Park, with qualifiers and finals that draw regional and international riders, and the weeklong program across venues keeps the village buzzing. Earlier in the season, you’ll see a steady diet of grassroots jams, photo sessions, and brand-led clinics that leverage the same build standards you’ll find on competition week. The practical takeaway for visitors is simple: in peak months, jump speed and landings are looked after carefully, and line evolution happens without breaking cadence.
Access, logistics, and on-mountain flow
Getting there is easy. Whistler sits about two hours north of Vancouver along Highway 99—the Sea to Sky—so you can land at YVR in the morning and still make meaningful afternoon laps. Resort travel pages consolidate self-drive, shuttle and parking guidance; if you’re car-free, frequent coach services connect downtown Vancouver and the airport to Whistler Village with gear-friendly storage. Once you’re on snow, build the day around aspect and visibility. In active weather, lap sheltered benches off mid-mountain lifts and the lower trees; as skies lift, link bowls via the PEAK 2 PEAK to chase chalk and drifted panels. For efficiency on busy days, use the village gondolas to upload and the mid-mountain crossing to bypass base crowds entirely.
If you’re new to the footprint, start with a quick map read over breakfast and set simple rendezvous points—top of Emerald on Whistler, the junction near Glacier and Jersey on Blackcomb—so the group can branch by difficulty and regroup without phone service. The resort’s trail map callouts also emphasize slow zones and a visible Mountain Safety Team near learning areas; internal etiquette and clear merges keep the big network moving smoothly. For families or mixed crews, Whistler and Blackcomb base areas each offer rentals, day lodges and beginner corridors, so you can anchor the day to whichever side matches your plan.
Local culture, safety, and etiquette
Inside the ropes, treat staged openings and rope lines as non-negotiable; wind and new snow move quickly at this scale. If you step beyond resort boundaries—through any backcountry gate into the Spearhead or Fitzsimmons ranges—you’re in real avalanche terrain. Your morning routine should include reading the Sea to Sky bulletin from Avalanche Canada, carrying beacon, shovel and probe, moving with partners who know companion rescue, and planning conservative re-entry to the ski-area boundary before operations shut for the evening. The resort’s own backcountry re-entry advisories are worth a read, as they spell out after-hours hazards such as active grooming, winch cats and snowmobiles, and remind you to confirm in-bounds terrain status before returning to the lifts.
Within freestyle zones, keep the cadence. Park SMART applies: inspect features, call your drop clearly, hold a predictable line, and clear knuckles and landings immediately. On busy days, choose a two- or three-feature circuit in the intermediate lanes to calibrate speed before stepping to the pro line. Detune contact points for rails but keep enough edge for predictable grip on cold-morning in-runs; spring sessions may require a quick scrape between laps as the surface warms. Courtesy around teaching lanes, slow zones and traverses matters here more than most places because the lift network funnels many abilities into the same arteries—good flow is a shared responsibility.
Best time to go and how to plan
Plan for two distinct moods. Mid-winter (mid-January to late February) delivers the most repeatable jump speed and groomer consistency; build multi-hour park blocks in the morning when lips are crisp and winds light, then pivot to bowls and ribs once patrol drops ropes. Spring (March into April) swaps a few storm days for long light, excellent filming conditions, and forgiving landings by aspect; aim mornings at shaded north faces and park jump sets, then chase corn on solar slopes into early afternoon. If you’re visiting in April, the World Ski & Snowboard Festival adds night events and a village-wide program that extends the day; book lodging within walking distance of the gondolas to avoid time drains.
Daily rhythm is straightforward. Warm up with two groomer laps to check wax and speed, session an intermediate rail line to lock timing, then step to the day’s main jump lane once you’ve confirmed in-run pace. Use the PEAK 2 PEAK to pivot by wind and light instead of by car, and seed two anchor runs—one park circuit, one bowl line—so your crew can reunite quickly between attempts. On low-visibility days, stick to lower-mountain trees and benches where definition holds; when the ceiling lifts, make a beeline for alpine bowls and the Blackcomb Glacier laps that ski “big” even between storms. If you’re mixing resort days with touring, consider staging from huts such as the Kees and Claire at Russet Lake on rest days, but bring full self-sufficiency and respect Garibaldi Provincial Park regulations.
Why freeskiers care
Because Whistler Blackcomb combines everything that accelerates progress. You get near-endless terrain with real vertical, a proven park program that scales to pro lines, a lift network that lets you chase conditions across two mountains in minutes, and a spring festival that caps the season with competition-grade shaping and energy. Add a clear safety framework, straightforward access from a major city, and a village built to keep transitions short, and you have a destination where learning faster and filming cleaner isn’t an aspiration—it’s the norm.
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