Young Olympic skiers set their sights on FIS Park & Pipe Junior World Championships in Calgary

Feb 26, 2026·Freeski Park & Pipe

Calgary Slopestyle action © Buchholz/@fisparkandpipe

Australian teenager Indra Brown is among a handful of first-time Olympians hoping to use their Milano Cortina 2026 experiences at this week’s FIS Park & Pipe Junior World Championships in Calgary.

Sixteen-year-old Brown is one of 88 skiers scheduled to compete in the Slopestyle qualifications beginning on Thursday 26 February at 11:15 local time (19:15 Central European Time) at WinSport Canada Olympic Park.

Brown comes to Calgary after wrapping up her Olympic Winter Games debut in Italy with fifth place in Livigno behind Amy Fraser (CAN), bronze medallist and reigning World Champion Zoe Atkin (GBR), silver medallist Li Fanghui (CHN), and two-time Olympic halfpipe champion Eileen Gu (CHN).

Brown’s Olympic performance also follows the teenager’s impressive start to her rookie World Cup season in which Brown claimed a podium place in her first three starts, including a maiden victory in her third start at the Snow Rodeo in Calgary in January.

Since joining the World Cup circuit in December, Brown’s only finish outside of the podium was fourth place in Aspen’s Buttermilk resort on 10 January.

Her Slopestyle record features six top-five finishes, including four within the top-three and a victory at the Australian New Zealand Cup in August 2025 - though she has yet to compete in Slopestyle on the World Cup level.

Also joining Brown in Thursday’s Slopestyle qualifications is 17-year-old Avery Krumme, representing the USA. The Canadian-born skier finished 11th in the Olympic Slopestyle competition in Livigno and was the youngest skier to qualify for the 12-woman final.

Originally from Squamish in British Columbia, Krumme previously represented Canada before changing nationalities in 2025 to represent the USA. At one of her last Slopestyle events representing Canada, Krumme finished third at the 2024 FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Livigno.

On the men’s side, New Zealand’s Lucas Ball comes to Calgary after the 17-year-old competed at his first Olympic Winter Games where he finished 20th and 24th in Slopestyle and Big Air respectively.

Other notable names in the men’s Slopestyle field of 65 includes Frank Wahlstroem of Norway. The 15-year-old finished fourth in Big Air at the World Cup in Beijing (CHN) in December, which was Wahlstroem’s second start in his rookie World Cup season.

U.S. skier Alexander Swedenborg is also on the list of starters for Thursday’s Slopestyle qualifications. The last time Swedenborg competed in Calgary, the 17-year-old was runner-up in Halfpipe at the Nor-Am Cup on 23 January.

Thursday’s Slopestyle qualifications will be followed by finals on Saturday 28 February. Freeski Big Air qualifications begin on Monday 2 March, followed by the finals on Wednesday 4 March.

Freeski Halfpipe qualifications take place on Tuesday 3 March, with the finals on Thursday 5 March.

The Rails competition is scheduled for Friday 6 March.