2021/22 FIS Freeski halfpipe World Cup season preview

If Sharpe is healthy to start this season she most definitely has the skills to give Gu and Sildaru their toughest competition. If she’s not feeling 100%, however, it’s shaping up to be a two-horse race for halfpipe supremacy.

Others to watch out for this season on the women’s side include Zoe Atkin, who claimed Aspen 2021 World Championships bronze and took second in the Aspen World Cup, as well as US veteran and PyeongChang 2018 Olympic bronze medallist Brita Sigourney and her US teammates.

Porteous may be the one to beat in tough men’s field

For the men in 2019/20 it was two-time World Champion Aaron Blunck capturing the first crystal globe of his career when he outlasted Noah Bowman (CAN) in one of the most hotly-contested title battles we’ve ever seen. Third place on the halfpipe overall podium went to Blunck’s compatriot Birk Irving.

While Blunck finished a somewhat disappointing fifth in Aspen 2021 world champs action last season, he did follow that up by claiming the win in the lone World Cup competition of the winter at the same venue. Blunck remains one of the most consistent and talented skiers in the halfpipe world, having hit the podium in six of his last eight World Cup competitions, and should be counted on to be pushing for a top-3 in every event this season.

Speaking of consistency, Blunck’s friendly rival Bowman has only missed one World Cup final since the 2017/18 season, with seven podiums in that time. Like Blunck, you can expect Bowman to be in the finals mix throughout this season’s competitions.

However, the one skier everybody else in the men’s field is likely to be looking up to is New Zealand’s Nico Porteous, after the 20-year-old dropped in his first FIS competition since the 2018/19 season at least winter’s Aspen 2021 World Championships and walked away with the gold medal in a outstanding performance.