Li amazes in Aspen as Melville Ives outclasses U.S. field to secure second season victory
Jan 11, 2026·Freeski Park & Pipe
China’s Li Fanghui got the better of the reigning women’s Freeski Halfpipe World Champion at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix in Aspen (USA) on Saturday as New Zealander Finley Melville Ives outclassed a stacked U.S. men’s team to claim his second victory of the season.
Li topped the women’s final with a high score of 93.00, just 0.25 of a point ahead of World Champion Zoe Atkin (GBR) who trailed Li on 92.75.
Chinese teammate Zhang Kexin was third on 88.75, while Calgary World Cup winner Indra Brown (AUS) ended her podium streak in fourth place.
Li’s winning run began with a right 720 esco grab, then a switch left 720, a right 540 mute, a left 720 tailgrab, and a switch right 900 tail grab on the final hit.
Li’s victory ahead of Atkin on Saturday comes after she and Atkin shared last season’s Crystal Globe after finishing with an identical results list.
After sharing the Globe, Li was runner-up behind Atkin at the Engadin 2025 FIS Freeski World Championships.
The Chinese skier said she had a tough start to the 2025/26 season with results outside of the top three until Saturday’s win.
“This run is a whole new run, totally different to last year’s. This season I did so bad, and maybe some tricks I had were different, and some changes,” said the 22-year-old.
The Chinese skier also admitted feeling nervous competing against Atkin on Saturday. As the top qualifier, the British skier was the last athlete to complete her second run and managed to improve on her first score, but it was not enough to overtake Li.
“I am so nervous during the last run because maybe she can beat me. But luckily I got first,” said Li.
The 22-year-old also said she has learned a lot competing alongside Atkin.
“It’s so nice because Zoe is the best athlete and she has the style, and her grabs are so good.”
Li’s win on Saturday is her second World victory ahead of Atkin after Li won the Calgary World Cup in 2025.
With Li’s teammate Zhang in third place on Saturday, Australian teenager Indra Brown finished outside of the podium for the first time this season. The 15-year-old still leads the women’s Freeski Halfpipe season standings on 290 points after claiming third, second and first place respectively in the first three events of the 2025/26 World Cup season, which is also the teenager’s first time competing on the circuit.
In the men’s final, New Zealander Finley Melville Ives dominated the 14-man field from the get-go after the judges awarded him 95.00 for his first attempt.
The 19-year-old World Champion began his high-scoring run with a switch right double cork 1080 safety, then a left double cork 1620 mute, a left alley-oop dub flatspin 1080 mute, a switch left double cork 1080 Japan, and finished with a right double cork 1620 safety on the last hit.
While many of the 10 U.S. finalists tried their best to overtake his high score, none were able to match the New Zealander’s winning run.
Hunter Hess (USA) was runner-up on 90.75, followed by Calgary winner and three-time Olympic Slopestyle medalist Nick Goepper in third place on 90.25.
The next four places went to Matthew Labaugh, Birk Irving, Alex Ferreira and Nick Geiser respectively to give the USA six spots within the men’s top 10 on Saturday.
Aspen is the second time Hess has finished second this season after he was runner-up behind Ferreira in Copper – the first Toyota U.S. Grand Prix of the season – just before the Christmas break.
Melville Ives’ Aspen result follows his second-place finish in the new year at the Calgary World Cup and his season-opening win in Secret Garden (CHN) in December.
The New Zealander said he came into Saturday’s final with high spirits following a good training session.
“It was such a crazy day,” the 19-year-old said.
“I’m just trying to have as much fun as possible when I’m skiing, and skiing is my happy place.
The teenager said winning a World Cup in Aspen is especially meaningful given his family’s background.
“The atmosphere in Aspen is sick. My parents met in Aspen so it means a lot to take the win in Aspen. I can’t believe it, it’s so surreal.”
After four events – in which Melville Ives contested three – the New Zealander leads the men’s Freeski Halfpipe standings on 280 points after securing two wins and one runner-up finish.
Aspen is the last Freeski Halfpipe World Cup before the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games begin in February.
After the Games, the World Cup season will resume with the Freeski Halfpipe finale in Silvaplana (SUI) beginning on 29 March.
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