Year 3 of the Freestyle Cup at Waterville Valley
The Intermountain Health Freestyle Cup presented by Stifel is coming to Waterville Valley Resort on January 15–16. This premier event will bring the world’s top freestyle athletes to New Hampshire for one of the most important competitions of the season, serving as the final World Cup stop before the 2026 Winter Games.
With less than one month to go, our mountain operations, snowmaking, grooming, and event teams are going all hands on deck to prepare the venue and deliver a world-class competition worthy of the sport’s elite. This year marks the third consecutive time Waterville Valley has hosted the Freestyle Cup on Lower Bobby’s Run. We are incredibly proud to once again step up on short notice, hosting the event due to unforeseen conditions at the original venue. As the birthplace of freestyle skiing, there is no better place to honor the sport’s legacy than here in the Valley.
History
Waterville Valley’s connection to freestyle skiing runs deep. In 1969, the resort launched the first freestyle instruction program in the United States, forever changing the trajectory of the sport. Since then, Waterville Valley has been coined the birthplace of freestyle skiing.
Since 1969, Waterville has hosted several world-class freestyle ski competitions, including the Freestyle National Championships, National Open Championships, and the Hot Dog Competition: National Championships of Exhibition Skiing. Many legendary freestyle skiers played significant roles in the development of the ski resort, including Wayne Wong, Doug Pfeiffer, and Nick Preston.
Meet Some Of The Athletes
Jaelin Kauf
Jaelin Kauf comes to Waterville Valley undoubtedly one of the most dominant forces in the sport. She is the reigning Olympic silver medalist and the 2024–25 FIS Freestyle Crystal Globe winner in moguls, dual moguls, and overall standings. Kauf, the 2025 dual moguls world champion, is widely known as the fastest woman on the World Cup circuit.
Tess Johnson
Tess Johnson made history early in her career as the youngest athlete named to the U.S. National Team and the youngest to earn a World Championship medal. A 2018 Olympian, Tess captured silver in dual moguls at the 2025 World Championships and currently leads the World Cup standings.
Nick Page
Nick Page was the highest-ranking American male at the 2022 Olympic Games, finishing fifth overall. After placing third in the world last season, Nick followed up with a fourth-place finish at the 2025 World Championships in moguls and is currently ranked third in the world.
Olivia Giaccio
Olivia Giaccio is a New England native from Redding, Connecticut. A top-10 finisher at the 2022 Olympic Games, Olivia is known for earning some of the highest air scores on the World Cup circuit due to her exceptional degrees of difficulty. She has already podiumed in both moguls events this season.
Kasey Hogg
Hailing from Kensington, New Hampshire, Kasey Hogg has strong New England roots. Last season, she continued to elevate both her consistency and technical level. Currently ranked seventh in the world, Kasey represents the next generation of elite freestyle talent.