2025/26 Season Review Part I: The biggest talking points from the World Cup tour

As the dust settles on the 2025/26 FIS Freestyle World Cup season, it's time to look back at the stories, athletes and trends that shaped one of the most memorable winters in recent years. While the season may have been slightly shorter than originally planned due to unforeseen circumstances, it delivered no shortage of memorable moments, compelling storylines and world-class performances.

As an Olympic season, the campaign naturally built toward the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, where Moguls and Aerials once again took center stage and showcased the very best of freestyle skiing on one of sport's biggest stages. Yet the winter was about far more than medals alone. Across both disciplines, the season felt like a period of transition, with established stars continuing to prove their greatness while a new generation of athletes stepped forward to announce themselves as the future of the sport.

In the first of our three-part season review series, we revisit some of the key storylines that defined the winter — from Mikael Kingsbury's emotional farewell and the rise of Ikuma Horishima to the growing strength of Team USA and a women's moguls field that may be the deepest the sport has ever seen. From historic milestones and Olympic success to Crystal Globes and emerging stars, the 2025/26 season will be remembered as one of the most significant in recent memory.

The end of an era: Mikael Kingsbury's final chapter

No storyline captured the imagination of the moguls world quite like the final season of Mikael Kingsbury.

Coming into the winter, rumors were already circulating that the Canadian legend was preparing for his final World Cup campaign. Those rumors gained further weight after Kingsbury suffered a groin injury during water ramp training in the summer, severely limiting his preparation for what would ultimately become his farewell season.

The injury restricted the Canadian to just two World Cup appearances. Yet even in a season disrupted by setbacks, Kingsbury managed to add another remarkable chapter to an already unmatched career.

At Val St-Côme, in front of a home crowd in Québec, Kingsbury captured the 100th World Cup victory of his career. It was a fitting milestone for the greatest mogul skier the sport has ever seen. His first World Cup victory had come on home snow back in 2010 at Mont Gabriel. Sixteen years later, his 100th arrived in equally emotional fashion.

That century mark came with the support of a passionate home crowd, making the moment even more special for the Canadian icon. A commemorative bib marked the achievement, while an emotional Kingsbury struggled to find words afterward.

Few athletes leave a mark on their sport the way Kingsbury has. With 100 World Cup victories, multiple Olympic medals, countless Crystal Globes and a standard of excellence that defined an entire generation, his retirement truly signals the end of an era in moguls skiing.

Team USA sets the standard

While Kingsbury's farewell dominated many of the season's headlines, the 2025/26 campaign also highlighted the remarkable depth and consistency of the United States Moguls Team.

Leading the charge was Olivia Giaccio, who captured the first Crystal Globe of her career after an outstanding season that saw her reach the podium at all but one World Cup stop. The American established herself as one of the sport's leading athletes and came within touching distance of sweeping both season-long titles.

Behind her, Tess Johnson enjoyed another excellent winter, finishing third in the Overall Moguls standings and confirming her place among the discipline's elite. On the men's side, Nick Page continued his rise with a third-place finish in the Overall standings, further underlining the strength of the American program.

Yet perhaps the biggest story was not individual success, but the depth of the team as a whole. Throughout the season, the United States consistently placed multiple athletes in finals and on podiums across both Moguls and Dual Moguls. That depth was equally evident at the Olympic Winter Games, where the Americans collected four medals and once again demonstrated why they remain one of the benchmark nations in moguls skiing.

Ikuma Horishima steps into the spotlight

For much of his career, Ikuma Horishima has had the misfortune of competing during the Mikael Kingsbury era.

Yet while the Canadian often occupied the spotlight, Horishima quietly built one of the most impressive résumés in modern moguls skiing. By the end of the 2025/26 season, the Japanese star had accumulated 58 World Cup podium finishes in 123 starts, numbers that underline both his consistency and extraordinary longevity at the highest level.

This season felt like a turning point.

Horishima claimed both the Overall Moguls and Moguls Crystal Globes, won multiple World Cup events and added Olympic silver and bronze medals to his collection. Already regarded as one of the most technically gifted skiers on tour, he now enters the post-Kingsbury era as arguably the athlete everyone else must chase.

If the past decade belonged to Kingsbury, the years ahead may well belong to Horishima.

The strongest women's field ever?

Women's moguls skiing has arguably never been deeper.

At nearly every World Cup stop, multiple athletes entered with legitimate podium ambitions. Two-time Olympic champion Jakara Anthony remained a dominant force. Olympic champion Perrine Laffont continued her successful return to competition. Olivia Giaccio enjoyed a career-best season. Tess Johnson reached new heights. Jaelin Kauf remained one of the most consistent performers in the sport.

And those names only scratch the surface.

Week after week, finals featured athletes from multiple nations capable of producing winning runs. The level of technical skiing, speed and consistency across the women's field reached unprecedented heights, creating one of the most competitive seasons the discipline has ever witnessed.

Aerials reaches new heights

If moguls delivered compelling storylines, aerials delivered perhaps the highest level of competition the discipline has ever seen.

With the Olympic Winter Games on the horizon, athletes pushed the limits throughout the season. Women's aerials saw an unprecedented number of triple-flipping jumps, while the men continued to raise the standard with increasingly complex five-twist combinations.

Week after week, spectators were treated to a remarkable display of difficulty and execution. What stood out most was not necessarily a single groundbreaking trick, but rather the sheer number of high-quality jumps being performed throughout the field. More athletes than ever before were capable of producing world-class performances, making the competition deeper and more competitive than ever.

The depth of talent was evident across the entire season. Athletes could no longer rely on a single strong jump to secure a podium place, as the margins between success and disappointment became increasingly small. The consistency with which top-level performances were delivered elevated the overall standard of the sport and created some of the most competitive contests in recent memory.

The level across both the men's and women's fields was simply extraordinary, leading many observers to argue that the 2025/26 campaign may have been the strongest and deepest season in aerials history.

China's Aerials dynasty continues

No nation exemplified that progression better than China.

Already a powerhouse in aerials skiing, the Chinese team elevated its performance even further during the 2025/26 season. The women's side was led by Olympic champion Xu Mengtao, who at age 35 captured her eighth career Crystal Globe and once again demonstrated why she remains one of the sport's all-time greats.

Despite competing against the strongest field in history and preparing for a fifth Olympic Winter Games, Xu finished the season comfortably atop the standings with one victory and four podium finishes.

Behind her stood another wave of Chinese talent. Kong Fanyu finished second in the standings, while several teammates consistently challenged for podiums throughout the winter.

The depth on the men's side was even more striking.

Four of the six World Cup competitions were won by four different Chinese athletes, highlighting an extraordinary level of internal competition and depth. In the race for the Crystal Globe, Sun Jiaxu ultimately emerged victorious ahead of teammates Li Tianma and veteran Qi Guangpu, completing a remarkable season for the Chinese program.

With Olympic champions, World Cup winners and a seemingly endless pipeline of talent, China enters the next Olympic cycle as the benchmark nation in aerials skiing.

Looking ahead

As the curtain closes on the 2025/26 season, freestyle skiing finds itself in a fascinating position.

Legends like Mikael Kingsbury are stepping away. New stars such as Ikuma Horishima are taking center stage. The women's moguls field is deeper than ever. Aerials continues to push the limits of what was once thought possible. And nations such as the United States and China have built unprecedented depth across their programs.

The Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games provided the perfect showcase for the sport's continued evolution. If the 2025/26 season was any indication, the next chapter of freestyle skiing promises to be just as exciting.