Steen secures women’s Freeski Slopestyle Junior World title as Larsen claims maiden international victory

Fourteen-year-old Lainey Steen (USA) saved the best for last to win the women’s Freeski Slopestyle final at the FIS Park & Pipe Junior World Championships in Calgary on Saturday to claim her eighth consecutive podium of the year.

In the men’s final, Jonas Larsen (NOR) overcame a heavy crash in his first run to top his field and secure the first international victory of his career at WinSport Canada Olympic Park.

Steen dominated the eight-woman final with her second-run score of 89.50 after the teenager impressed judges with a clean rails section followed by a cork 900 in her first jump, then a switch 900 mute grab and a 540 blunt grab on the final jump.

Steen’s high score overtook Canadian skier Hunter Bell Hall’s first-run score of 82.75, and while the Canadian began her second run intent on reclaiming pole position, the 15-year-old was ultimately unable to improve her score.

Thirteen-year-old Maya Broadbent (AUS) was third on 77.75, while teammate and Milano Cortina 2026 Olympian Indra Brown (AUS) was fourth on 76.75.

Top qualifier Avery Krumme (USA) finished eighth on Saturday in what was the 17-year-old’s first competition back at WinSport Canada Olympic Park since she stopped representing Canada in June 2025.

Steen’s victory on Saturday is her fifth win of 2026 and her eighth top-three result since she was runner-up in Halfpipe and Slopestyle at the Nor-Am Cup at Copper Mountain in January.

Before Saturday, Steen last topped a Freeski Slopestyle podium in April 2025 at the U.S. national championships.

On the men’s side of things, 17-year-old Jonas Larsen of Norway became Junior World Champion after posting a second-run score of 84.75.

Milano Cortina 2026 Olympian Lucas Ball (NZL) was runner-up on 82.75, while Kalle Palkinen (FIN) was third on 80.75.

Larsen started his second run in 15th place after a heavy crash in his first attempt saw him record a score of 18.50.

The 17-year-old brushed aside the early hiccup to put down a clean top-to-bottom second run featuring a switch double cork 1260 Japan grab on the first jump, followed by a double cork 1440 safety grab, then a double cork 1080 safety grab on the third and final jump.

Prior to Saturday’s final, Larsen’s best result in an international contest was 16th place at the 2025 European Cup.

The FIS Freeski Park & Pipe Junior World Championships will resume on Monday 2 March with Freeski Big Air qualifications, followed by finals on Wednesday 4 March.

Freeski Halfpipe qualifications begin on Tuesday 3 March, with finals on Thursday 5 March. The Freeski Rail competition will take place on Friday 6 March after it was rescheduled to begin a day earlier.