Freestyle & Freeski 2020/21 World Cup awards recap

Ski Cross

Women’s crystal globe: Fanny Smith (SUI) – 945 points

Men’s crystal globe & Rookie of the Year: Reese Howden (CAN) – 691 points

Women’s Rookie of the Year: Jade Grillet-Aubert (FRA) – 313 points

Nations Cup: Switzerland – 3,311 points

After finishing second to Canada last season, Switzerland was back on top of the ski cross Nations Cup standings in 2020/21, powered on by Fanny Smith and her crystal-globe winning, 945 point season. With Jonas Lenherr finishing second on the men’s rankings, as well as top-10 seasons from the likes of Talina Gantenbein and Ryan Ragez, the Swiss were able to stay clear of the second-ranked French team, while Canada dropped to third on the season despite a crystal-globe winning effort from Reese Howden on the men’s side of things.

Howden’s achievement is even more impressive when you consider that 2020/21 was his first full season of World Cup action, and the 22 year-old also earned Rookie of the Year honours for his efforts. Meanwhile, Jade Grillet-Aubert of France took the top rookie award on the women’s side of things.

Moguls

Women’s crystal globe: Perrine Laffont (FRA) – 445 points

Men’s crystal globe: Matt Graham (AUS) – 289 points

Women’s Rookie of the Year: Kai Owens (USA) – 234 points

Men’s Rookie of the Year: Nick Page (USA) – 134 points

Nations Cup: USA – 1520 points

While a significantly abbreviated moguls World Cup season only saw five competitions take place at three different venues, it was the USA taking the Nations Cup honours with 1920 points, despite only having one athlete in the top-3 on either the women’s or men’s side of competition, as Hannah Soar took the season’s bronze for the women.

However, right behind Soar in spots 4-6 were three more US skiers in Kai Owens, Jaelin Kauf and Tess Johnson. Solid top-10 seasons on the men’s side for Brad Wilson, Nick Page and Dylan Walczyk also helped the cause. Owens and Page would earn the respective women’s and men’s moguls Rookie of the Year trophies for their efforts.

Perrine Laffont claimed the women’s moguls crystal globe for the fourth straight season, while on the men’s side of things we saw a new moguls globe winner for the first time in a decade, as Matt Graham took advantage of an injury-shortened season for the 9-time reigning champ Mikael Kingsbury to earn the title for 2020/21.