Steamboat Springs moguls skiers take World Cup gold to close period
Courtesy Photo
The skiing power of Steamboat Springs was put on display in front of the world over the weekend as alumnae with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club swept the moguls competitions at the World Cup in Bukuriani, Georgia.
Olivia Giaccio, 24, and Jaelin Kauf, 28, continued to make their mark on the World Cup scene after taking gold medals in the single and dual events, respectively.
Giaccio dialed in for the singles runs on Friday, nailing her aerials and turns to stand atop a World Cup podium for the first time since winning in Deer Valley in February.
Joining Giaccio on the podium was Kauf, who placed third and was down the hill faster than any other skier by more than 2.5 seconds.
Going into Saturday’s duals, Kauf said she felt confident in her ability to take another podium. The course in Bakuriani is the longest on the World Cup circuit at 280 meters, she explained. The length playing to her strengths of undeniable speed and giving her every advantage in the dual competition.
She did not disappoint.
“I was really able to set myself apart on that course with the speed,” she explained. “On singles day, I skied 2 or 3 seconds faster than the other girls on the podium, and that was a huge confidence boost going into duals day, knowing I could beat everyone down that course without having to push it or do anything more.”
Kauf’s speed reigned supreme on duals day, making her way down the course the quickest in each head-to-head round. She ultimately won the event after taking down Japan’s Rino Yanagimoto in the Big Final for her first World Cup win since Dec. 9, 2023, in Sweden.
Giaccio did not start in the round of 16.
Kauf tinkered with her aerial package in the offseason, ultimately deciding to swap her bottom and top air tricks for her singles runs. She now performs a Cork 720 at the top and follows up with a Backflip Mute Grab on the bottom, which is opposite of her runs a year ago.
“I never really considered switching that up too much, but we played around with it and realized it worked really well,” she said. “I was able to carry more speed and confidence with my skiing into the Backflip Mute Grab on the bottom air.”
In duals, she still rips the Cork 720 on the top air but elects for a Back-X on the bottom air to complete her run. It was this package, which earned her first victory of the season.
“I’m super stoked to get that result and end this first period and be home over the holidays with that,” Kauf said. “It felt really good to start the season that way. I felt really strong in those first couple events and felt that all the work put in over the summer really paid off.”
Bakuriani was first to host a duals event this season, meaning she is the world leader on the moguls circuit in duals. To honor her lead, she will wear a yellow bib in the next duals race to signify her status.
Her goal for the second part of the season is to continue wearing that yellow leader’s bib and go down as world champion.
She and Giaccio will be back in action in New Hampshire’s Waterville Valley for the next moguls World Cup on Jan. 24 and 25.
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