No off-season for freestyle athletes as the road to Milano Cortina begins

While the competition season might be long over, that doesn’t mean freestyle skiing athletes are kicking back for a seven-month holiday. For moguls and aerials skiers, the off-season is one of the most important blocks of training in the year. It’s a time to recover, reset, and most importantly, level up. And with the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics creeping closer on the calendar, the intensity and purpose behind every session is only growing stronger.

Even without winter snow, there’s no shortage of work. Summer for these athletes means long days on water ramps, trampolines, and glacier courses—paired with hours in the gym, on the bike, and yes, sometimes even in the science lab. It’s all about perfecting technique, building strength, and unlocking new tricks so that once the snow flies again, they’re not just back—they’re better.

For aerials athletes, summer kicks off the all-important water ramp season, a cornerstone of technical training. Here, skiers send their most complex tricks into pools, getting repetition and feedback without the hard landings of winter. With the Water Ramp Summer Grand Prix coming up later in the season—featuring four stops across Mettmenstetten (SUI), Park City (USA), Brisbane (AUS), and Qinhuangdao (CHN)—the stakes are already high.

Just take a look at Miha Fontaine, who recently shared a wild perspective of what it feels like to throw a double backflip into the water. It’s a view few get to see—and one that highlights the precision these athletes chase every single day.

But the pool isn’t the only place aerialists spend their time. Trampoline work is essential for trick development, especially with the use of bungee rigs that create a safe environment for trying new things. Alexandre Duchaine offers a great behind-the-scenes look at this part of training.

Winter Vinecki, coming back strong from an injury, has just unlocked a new trick on tramp as part of her path to 2026.

In Utah, Chris Lillis is taking the grind seriously—putting in what he calls his 9-to-5 at the Utah Olympic Park, where the work never stops.

Over in Mettmenstetten, the Swiss Aerials Team is keeping things high-energy and fun. Noe Roth and Pirmin Werner have been lighting it up with some impressive jumps—Noe might have even just performed the first-ever pretzel trick in aerials.

Moguls athletes are just as active. Across Europe, a lot of teams are heading to Hintertux, where this summer’s setup is being called the largest moguls training venue ever built on the continent—featuring an eight-line course and three additional technical lines. The German team is using every inch of it to sharpen their runs.

The U.S. squad also recently wrapped up a productive stint there. Tess Johnson shared how she’s been ripping through the bumps and enjoying the beauty of the Tirol mountains in between.

Veteran Yuliya Galysheva is also making the most of the sunny moguls laps, combining peak performance with those classic summer glacier vibes.

Elsewhere, teams are maximizing every opportunity. The Canadian moguls skiers were recently training in Tignes, with Julien Viel dropping a few smooth runs.

At the same time, the French team is also locked in, with Perrine Laffont showing no signs of slowing down.

And while it might be the off-season in the Northern Hemisphere, Down Under, things are heating up at Brisbane’s training facility. The Aussie moguls team is hard at work with a sharp focus on pre-ski prep.

As always, Matt Graham is delivering clean, consistent execution—his summer sessions are as polished as ever.

Of course, off-season doesn’t mean it’s all work and no fun. Many athletes are taking time to explore other ways to stay fit and inspired. Danielle Scott has been tearing up mountain bike trails.

Walter Wallberg has gone full endurance mode with long sessions on his road bike and roller skis—just in time for Tour de France season, yellow jersey style.

Jakara Anthony is going deep into the technical side of things, collaborating with the Australian Institute of Sport biomechanics team to refine her performance through science.

And then there’s Daeyoon Jung, showing off his smooth moves on inline skates—sometimes, the best training is just play.

While others might be taking a summer break, freestyle skiers are deep into one of the most intense and critical phases of their journey. With eyes locked on Olympic goals, every twist, turn, and training session matters. The snow may be gone for now, but the drive never melts.