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Ferreira wins Aspen World Cup on final run, defends home snow as Americans shine

Unlike at X Games, this time it was Ferreira who delivered in the clutch

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Austin Colbert

Aspen's Alex Ferreira reacts after seeing his 95.75 score posted following his last run in the men's halfpipe skiing final of the Aspen World Cup and U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, at Buttermilk Ski Area. The run jumped him ahead of U.S. teammate Nick Goepper and landed him the win on home snow.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

The back-and-forth battle between Aspen’s Alex Ferreira and Indiana’s Nick Goepper is shaping up to be one for the ages as the 2026 Winter Olympics comes into view.

For the second weekend in a row, the duo went spin-for-spin in search of halfpipe skiing glory. Last Saturday, it was for X Games gold — won by Goepper — and this past Sunday, it was for a leg-up in the quest to make the U.S. roster for the Games in Italy.

Unlike at X Games, this time it was Ferreira who delivered in the clutch, edging Goepper at the finish line to win the men’s final at the Aspen World Cup and U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon at Buttermilk Ski Area. This was Ferreira’s record-extending 11th career World Cup halfpipe victory.

“That’s easily one of the best moments of my life. I’ll never forget that,” he said. “I cannot believe I was able to overcome the fear, and the stress, and the craziness, and lay it down. That’s what a true champion is all about.”

A two-time Olympic medalist and three-time X Games champion, the 30-year-old knows how to handle the big stage. He was well off the podium entering his final run, with only 87.50 to show for his second attempt after failing to put down a clean run on his first go. The second-to-last to drop, Ferreira delivered with a 95.75 that vaulted him to the top of the leaderboard.


Goepper, whose 94 scored on his first run suddenly was only good for second, was the last to drop in, but he couldn’t put down a clean run and had to ski away with silver.

“Part of it is tough, and part of it is great,” Ferreira said of the budding rivalry with Goepper. “It pushes me to be a better version of myself, and honestly, the camaraderie of the team is high.”

New York’s Matthew Labaugh was third with 93 to complete the American podium sweep. It was the 21-year-old’s first career World Cup podium in 16 starts, and suddenly, he finds himself in the thick of possibly making the U.S. Olympic team.

The Aspen Grand Prix was the first of a series of qualifiers that will go into next season to determine the U.S. Olympic rosters. That said, Ferreira’s win in Aspen all but assures him of a trip to his third Games next February.

Aspen’s Alex Ferreira competes in the men’s halfpipe skiing final of the Aspen World Cup and U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Aspen’s Alex Ferreira reacts after seeing his 95.75 score posted following his last run in the men’s halfpipe skiing final of the Aspen World Cup and U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, at Buttermilk Ski Area. The run jumped him ahead of U.S. teammate Nick Goepper and landed him the win on home snow.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

Finishing fourth on Sunday was Oregon’s Hunter Hess (92.50), followed by New Zealanders Luke Harrold (fifth, 92.25) and Finley Melville-Ives (sixth, 91.50). Winter Park’s Birk Irving settled for seventh despite posting a 91, with Korea’s Seung Hun Lee taking eighth (81.25) and Canada’s Brendan Mackay taking ninth (77.25).

Finishing at the bottom of the pack in 10th was Aspen’s Tristan Feinberg, whose best score of 59.75 came on his second run. This was the 21-year-old’s fourth top-10 finish in a World Cup, his best finish to date being fourth at Mammoth in February 2023.

Women’s halfpipe skiing

On the women’s side of the halfpipe, Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin took top honors. The 22-year-old scored 90 on her first run, which was enough to get her a second career World Cup win. The other came at Copper back in 2019.

“My first World Cup win was when I was 16, (and) I haven’t won since, so it’s always kind of been one of my goals,” Atkin said to FIS media. “But I try not to focus on the results too much, especially after I fell on my runs at X Games last week. I was really excited to come back here and get redemption. To win today, I’m so excited.”

In second was China’s Fanghui Li (88.50) and in third was Canada’s Amy Fraser (86.75). Winter Park’s Svea Irving just missed the podium, finishing fourth with 84.50, although as the top American finisher she is now in the driver’s seat for making the Olympic team and was also named the U.S. national champion, alongside Ferreira.

Canada’s Cassie Sharpe, who returned from a three-year hiatus to win X Games a week prior, finished fifth with 81.75. Rounding out the scores were Canada’s Rachael Karker (sixth, 81.25), California’s Kathryn Gray (seventh, 70.50), and China’s Zihan Chen (eighth, 60).

Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin celebrates on the podium after her win in the women’s halfpipe skiing final of the Aspen World Cup and U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Winter Park’s Svea Irving competes in the women’s halfpipe skiing final of the Aspen World Cup and U.S. Grand Prix on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, at Buttermilk Ski Area.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

The World Cup halfpipe season for both men and women will wrap up with a trip to Calgary in two weeks, although remaining after that is the 2025 FIS Freestyle, Freeski, and Snowboard World Championships, held March 16-30 in Switzerland.

Men’s slopestyle snowboarding

Earlier Sunday in Aspen was the men’s slopestyle snowboarding final, won by Canada’s Jobin Francis. It was the first career World Cup win for the 26-year-old veteran.

His 79.30 was enough to best China’s Yiming Su (second, 78.36) and Oregon’s Sean FitzSimons (third, 77.43). North Carolina’s Fynn Bullock-Womble was second among Americans, finishing seventh with 65.60. Third and fourth among Americans were two riders with Aspen ties in Jake Canter (10th, 59.23) and Chris Corning (11th, 54.85).

Many big names struggled in the windy conditions, including Norway’s Mons Roisland (eighth, 65.23), Norway’s Marcus Kleveland (14th, 48.78), and Canada’s Mark McMorris (15th, 45.96).

Expect many of these athletes to stick around for this week’s big air contest in Aspen.

Women’s slopestyle snowboarding

The women’s slopestyle snowboard final featured an overly familiar podium, led by New Zealand superstar Zoi Sadowski-Synnott. Her 87.80 allowed her to run away from the competition, with Japan’s Kokomo Murase taking second (79) and Great Britain’s Mia Brookes in third (74.70).

The 23-year-old Sadowski-Synnott now has five career World Cup wins (two are in big air) to go along with her two world championship titles (2019, 2021). She’s also the reigning Olympic champion.

Fourth on Sunday was Germany’s Annika Morgan (56.68) and in fifth was Japan’s Mari Fukada (37.28). The top American was Frisco’s Lily Dhawornvej (sixth, 36.73), while fellow Vail rider Hahna Norman was eighth (17). Switzerland’s Ariane Burri was seventh (23.30).

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Looking ahead to big air

The fun is hardly over for Aspen snowsports fans with the Visa Big Air coming to town. Another World Cup event, men’s and women’s freeski qualifying is Tuesday, while the snowboarders will hold qualifiers on Wednesday.

The big air finals for both ski and snowboard will take place Thursday at Buttermilk, beginning around 10 a.m. and going until roughly 2:30 p.m. Outside TV will again stream the finals for free.

acolbert@aspentimes.com

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