Freeski slopestyle hits Tignes with tight battles at the top
Mar 16, 2026·Freeski Park & Pipe:format(webp))
While the points battle at the top remains tied for a few more days at least, with the announcement that she would not be participating in this week's Tignes Mountain Shaker World Cups, Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Slopestyle champion Mathilde Gremaud (SUI) has opened the door for one of her challengers to take command of the women's slopestyle Crystal Globe race.
The two-time World Champion was slated to be among a field of 88 skiers who will compete at this week’s Slopestyle World Cup in Tignes (FRA) beginning on Tuesday 17 March. However, Gremaud suffered a heavy crash in training ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Big Air competitions which forced her to withdraw from that event, and the lingering effects of which have kept her out of this week's Slopestyle and Big Air action in Tignes.
This year’s Tignes Mountain Shaker event marks the fourth and penultimate event of the 2025/26 FIS Freeski Slopestyle World Cup circuit following the Laax Open in January.
Gremaud is currently sitting in a tie with U.S. skier Marin Hamill on 136 points apiece - though if the Crystal Globe were awarded today, Gremaud would take the win based on her win at the season-opener in Stubai. Hamill, meanwhile, has a second-place finish at Laax and two top-12 finishes from Stubai and Aspen. The 24-year-old U.S. skier was was unable to qualify for the finals in both of her Milano Cortina 2026 events.
While neither Milano Cortina 2026 slopestyle silver medallist Eileen Gu (CHN) nor bronze medallist Megan Oldham (CAN) will be competing in Tignes, there is nonetheless a strong field of women set to drop, including Great Britain’s Kirsty Muir
The 21-year-old Scottish skier finished just outside of the Olympic podium in fourth place at Milano Cortina 2026, but comes to Tignes having won her last Slopestyle World Cup start in Aspen (USA) in January, as well as last winter’s Tignes Mountain Shaker Slopestyle World Cup.
Along with Hamill and Muir, others to watch out for on the women's side this week in Tignes include Engadin 2025 World Championships silver medallist Lara Wolf (AUT), women's Freeski Overall second-ranked skier Naomi Urness (CAN), and stylish Finn Anni Karava, who started the 2025/26 season with three straight podiums before being derailed by a minor injury in training at the U.S. Grand Prix in Aspen.
On the men’s side of things, Milano Cortina 2026 Freeski Slopestyle gold medalist Birk Ruud (NOR) leads the men’s field of 62 in Tignes.
Like Gremaud, the Norwegian is also a two-time reigning World Champion, and the 25-year-old was able to add Olympic slopestyle gold to his lengthy list of accolades by taking top spot at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games. Ruud is also the Beijing 2022 Big Air Olympic gold medalist.
Ruud is currently tied with U.S. skier Mac Forehand atop the men’s Freeski Slopestyle World Cup standings on 100 points, with both athletes having one win in one Slopestyle start so far this season. Forehand will be keen to improve on his Olympic Freeski Slopestyle performance at Milano Cortina 2026 after the 24-year-old finished 11th there.
Joining Forehand in Tignes are team-mates and recent Olympians Troy Podmilsak and Konnor Ralph, as well as Hunter Henderson.
Milano Cortina 2026 Freeski Big Air gold medalist Tormod Frostad will also drop into the men’s Freeski Slopestyle qualifications beginning on Tuesday. The 23-year-old is among seven Norwegians in the men’s field.
Swiss skier Andri Ragettli comes to Tignes after finishing fourth in Freeski Slopestyle and failing to qualify for the Freeski Big Air final at Milano Cortina 2026. With a total of 24 Freeski Slopestyle World Cup podiums, the 27-year-old is the most decorated Slopestyle skier in FIS World Cup history.
The top 10 women and 16 men from Tuesday’s qualifications will progress to the finals on Thursday 19 March beginning at 12:00 local time.
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