Snowboard Alpine teams gear up for 2026/27 World Cup season

With the 2026/27 FIS Snowboard Alpine World Cup season approaching, national teams are stepping up their preparations for the new campaign, with several notable changes across the international field following Milano Cortina 2026.

Germany and Poland are preparing for the absence of two of their leading women, Switzerland is entering a new chapter following several retirements, while Italy's established contenders are back on snow and Austria has confirmed its experienced squad for the upcoming campaign. Meanwhile, athletes from Bulgaria, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Slovenia and Canada are looking to build on their performances from last season as the circuit prepares to return to competition in China.

Germany and Poland face changes

One of the most notable absences this winter will be Germany's Ramona Hofmeister, who announced in June that she is expecting her first child.

The multiple Crystal Globe winner will miss the 2026/27 season, including the World Championships in Montafon, Austria. However, Hofmeister has already expressed her intention to return to competition following her maternity break, with the Olympic Winter Games in 2030 among her longer-term ambitions.

Without Hofmeister, Germany will look to established athletes such as Stefan Baumeister and Elias Huber, while younger riders, including Mathilda Scheid, will have opportunities to gain experience on the World Cup circuit.

Poland is facing a similar situation after Aleksandra Król-Walas announced in June that she is expecting her second child.

The two-time World Championship bronze medalist, who returned to competition following the birth of her daughter in 2024, finished seventh in Parallel Giant Slalom at Milano Cortina 2026.

While her plans for the coming season have not been formally confirmed, her absence would leave greater responsibility with Poland's other established athletes, including former world champion Oskar Kwiatkowski and Michał Nowaczyk.

The Polish Ski Association has also selected Olimpia Kwiatkowska and Maria Bukowska-Chyc for its 2026/27 A squad, with Weronika Dawidek among the athletes in the B team.

Austria confirms experienced squad for 2026/27

Austria has confirmed its national-team selections for the 2026/27 season, retaining an experienced group of Snowboard Alpine athletes while promoting Christoph Karner to its highest squad.

Olympic champion Benjamin Karl is joined by Arvid Auner, Andreas Prommegger, Alexander Payer and Fabian Obmann in the men's national team, with Karner earning promotion following the 2025/26 campaign.

On the women's side, Claudia Riegler remains part of the A squad alongside Martina Ankele and Pia Schöffmann. At 52, Riegler is the oldest athlete across all disciplines in Ski Austria's 2026/27 selections.

The federation has also named a group of younger athletes to its development squads, with Dominik Burgstaller, Joachim Gravogl and Elias Leitner among those selected for the men's A team.

With a strong core of established World Cup competitors and several athletes progressing through the national-team structure, Austria will again be among the nations to watch when the new season gets underway in China.

Switzerland enters a new chapter

Switzerland is also preparing for a period of transition following the retirement of three familiar figures.

Julie Zogg, Ladina Caviezel and Jessica Keiser all ended their competitive careers after the 2025/26 season, marking a significant change for a national team that has regularly challenged for World Cup podiums.

Despite those departures, Switzerland retains considerable experience.

Dario Caviezel claimed a World Cup victory in Val Saint-Côme last winter, while Gian Casanova celebrated his first career podium in Bansko. Their results contributed to a Swiss campaign that produced five World Cup podium finishes.

With several established athletes stepping away, the coming winter will also provide opportunities for a younger generation to establish itself internationally.

Italy builds on an experienced squad

While several nations are adjusting to changes, Italy has continued its preseason preparations with a large group of established World Cup athletes.

The Italian Ski Federation announced a training camp at Passo Stelvio from 19–23 October, bringing together 14 athletes, including Maurizio Bormolini, Roland Fischnaller, Aaron March, Lucia Dalmasso and Elisa Caffont.

The camp follows an earlier training block at the same venue, with Italy's B team also scheduled to work on snow during the second half of October.

Bormolini, Fischnaller and March remain among the familiar names on the men's circuit, while Dalmasso and Caffont provide experience on the women's side.

After competing on home snow at Milano Cortina 2026, Italy's leading athletes now turn their attention toward another World Cup campaign and the 2027 World Championships in Montafon.

Bulgaria's rising stars and established contenders

Bulgaria enters the new Olympic cycle following a breakthrough winter for Tervel Zamfirov, who claimed Olympic bronze at Milano Cortina 2026 after securing a World Cup victory on home snow in Bansko in January.

The 20-year-old's performances added to the country's growing presence in Snowboard Alpine, with experienced World Cup competitor Radoslav Yankov and Alexander Krashniak also representing Bulgaria at the Olympic Winter Games.

However, the team's preparations have been overshadowed by the serious injury suffered by Malena Zamfirova in March.

The teenager was involved in a collision with another slope user in the Czech Republic and subsequently underwent several operations. The Bulgarian Ski Federation reported encouraging progress in her rehabilitation in April, although a date for her return to competition has not been confirmed.

Japan and the Republic of Korea remain strong contenders

Japan will again look to Tsubaki Miki as one of its leading athletes after the 23-year-old secured a second consecutive overall World Cup title in 2025/26.

Miki recorded four World Cup victories last winter and finished sixth in Parallel Giant Slalom at Milano Cortina 2026, further establishing herself among the leading women in the discipline.

The Ski Association of Japan has named Miki to its highest national-team designation for 2026/27, with Ryusuke Shinohara and Masaki Shiba among the athletes selected in the A category. The wider development group includes Daichi Shimizu and Shiko Sugimoto.

The Republic of Korea also retains an experienced group of international competitors, led by Olympic medalists Lee Sangho and Kim Sangkyum.

Lee, who claimed silver at PyeongChang 2018, finished the 2025/26 World Cup season with a Parallel Slalom victory in Winterberg and recorded three individual podiums during the campaign.

Kim added another significant result for Korea with Olympic silver at Milano Cortina 2026, reinforcing the country's presence among the leading nations in men's Parallel Giant Slalom.

Canada and Slovenia combine experience with emerging talent

Canada has announced a five-athlete Snowboard Alpine national team for 2026/27, combining established World Cup competitors with younger athletes progressing through the international ranks.

Arnaud Gaudet recorded three World Cup Parallel Giant Slalom podiums last winter before finishing sixth at Milano Cortina 2026. Kaylie Buck also enjoyed a breakthrough campaign, claiming her first World Cup podium in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

The Canadian team welcomes Lanxi "Kaia" Wei, who earned Parallel Giant Slalom bronze at the 2026 Junior World Championships and finished second overall in the Nor-Am Cup standings.

Gaudet, Buck and Wei are joined by Ben Heldman and Aurélie Moisan, with five additional athletes selected for Canada's NextGen program.

Slovenia, meanwhile, continues with an experienced group featuring Olympic medalists Tim Mastnak, Žan Košir and Gloria Kotnik, alongside former world champion Rok Marguč.

All four athletes remain part of the national team's A squad, with Mastnak, Košir and Kotnik having previously reached the Olympic podium.

The Slovenian team will also have an opportunity to compete on home snow when the World Cup visits Rogla on 23 January 2027.

World Cup season opens in China

The 2026/27 campaign marks the beginning of a new Olympic cycle for Snowboard Alpine, with Mixed Team Parallel set to join Parallel Giant Slalom on the competition program at the Olympic Winter Games in 2030.

The immediate focus, however, is on the opening World Cup races.

The season begins at Snow Ruyi, China, on 28–29 November, with Parallel Giant Slalom and Mixed Team Parallel competitions scheduled. The circuit then moves to Mylin, China, for another Parallel Giant Slalom stop on 5–6 December.

From there, the World Cup returns to Europe for three established December events: Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, on 12 December, Carezza, Italy, on 17 December, and Davos, Switzerland, on 19 December.

With five stops scheduled before the holiday break, the opening weeks will offer an early indication of the competitive order as established champions return to action, national teams adjust to changes and a new generation looks to make its mark.