As the sport of freeride skiing continues to grow, younger generations give us a preview of just how far they can push the sport. 67 athletes from 13 countries gathered in Austria this past weekend to compete for the title of 2026 Freeride Junior World Champion. As a note, just because ‘junior’ appears in the title there should be no discrediting these kids. They are throwing down absolutely monstrous runs on terrifyingly steep and technical venues. With every competition they are inching closer to the skills of their adult counterparts. These kids are bringing publicity keeping the buzzing energy surrounding freeride going, this is especially important as the sport is attempting to make their Olympic bid for 2030.
Over the past couple of days young athletes competed under bluebird skies on the 40° slope of Alblittköpfe in Kappl, Austria. Much like the adult comps they are judged on line choice, fluidity, air/style, and control. A delicate balance of big tricks and graceful riding is needed to be a champion.
Female skier Jana Hausl took the top of the podium. Skiing on home snow with an electric audience she threw down two absolutely massive 360’s and commanded the venue with her confident skiing. She returned to the podium after winning the championship in 2024, fans are anxiously awaiting what kind of insanity she will get up to for the rest of this season and throughout her career.
On the snowboard side, female rider Elly Dalton-Richard out of France put down a fantastic run to earn herself the win. Showcasing her ability to stomp huge drops she cruised her way to the top of the podium. Lining up nice airs and fast turns she made this daunting venue look easy.
In the male ski category, Hamish Henderson out of New Zealand skied himself to the crown this year. He was non-stop spinning throughout his run and landed the first 720 of the season. He doubled down on confidence and trust in his abilities which rightfully earned him the championships this year.
Norwegian male snowboarder Leo Thoresen showed the importance of control with a couple big spins in the beginning of his run. He cruised calmly through the wind lips of this hard-packed venue into the finish corral and earned himself first place.
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All of these kids show the importance of confident riding. They inspire both younger peers but also adult riders to believe in themselves and push their own boundaries. All of these kids are examples of hard work paying off as they showcase the future of freeride. With young riders this talented, there’s no telling how far they can take the sport.