Freeski legends Bowman (USA) and Mahler (SUI) both announce retirements

Two legends of freeskiing will no longer be duking it out on the compeition circuit, as the USA's Maddie Bowman and Kai Mahler of Swtizerland both both announced their retirements from competitve skiing this week.

From the US Ski & Snowboard team:

Maddie Bowman, a seven-year member of the U.S. Freeski Team, announced her retirement from competitive halfpipe freeskiing today. The South Lake Tahoe local is one of the most decorated athletes in her sport and leaves behind a lasting legacy of triumph, perseverance, and progression.

“I have decided to step away from halfpipe skiing for a simple reason,” said Maddie. “I have given everything I have to progress the sport and now I know the women after me will do an amazing job. I would not have been able to be so successful or give the sport so much without the support of my sponsors and U.S. Ski and Snowboard. I also wouldn't have been so prepared to make this huge decision without them. The team and the halfpipe community has raised me into a woman with a voice, with passions both inside and outside of sport, and who knows when it's time to walk away. However, I will be a skier for the rest of my life. Skiing is my passion and I will be following it this season to Chamonix, France, where I will explore the backcountry and the big mountain side of things. Thank you all so much for your support as a halfpipe skier and into my lifetime career of being a skier and educator.”

Maddie’s accolades in halfpipe skiing are countless, and a few stand-out moments will be cemented in the history books. Maddie won the first Olympic gold medal in the history of women’s halfpipe freeskiing at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games. With the world watching, she put a beautiful representation of her sport on display. In 2018, Maddie made her second and final Olympic Team and finished 11th. However, she showed her true colors as she watched her teammate and friend Brita Sigourney step onto the podium to receive the bronze medal. Although Maddie would have loved to have been on the podium herself, being the fierce competitor and friend she is, she was one of the first people to greet Brita with tears of congratulations. This was one of many moments throughout her career that Maddie’s role as a supportive teammate and leader became clear. It was always about the sport and not the individual to Maddie.

On the FIS World Cup circuit, Maddie continued to prove she was at the top of her sport earning nine podiums, five of which were victories. At X Games, Maddie was the second skier ever to win four-straight gold medals in Aspen, Colo. She’s collected a whopping nine total X Games medals throughout her career (five gold, two silver, and two bronze). She is also a three-time (2013, 2014, and 2016) Association of Freeskiing Professionals (AFP) halfpipe champion. Maddie has always focused on pushing the sport including landing back-to-back 900’s and the switch 900 at the highest level of competition. Throughout her career, her determination and discipline have allowed her to overcome season-ending injuries and come back stronger than ever.

Moving forward, Maddie will continue to pursue her Bachelor’s degree in biology at Sierra Nevada College with the ultimate goal of becoming a high school science teacher. Maddie plans to carry on with public speaking, telling her story and sharing her experiences to inspire others. Also, Maddie looks forward to enjoying the outdoors, whether it’s mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, or venturing more into the world of backcountry skiing.

Read the full story HERE​​​​​​​

Meanwhile, over on the men's slopestyle side of things, Swiss skier Mahler leaves the competition scene as one of the most stylish riders to ever put a bib on, and the 24-year-old will now focus his talents on freeski pursuits outside the competition circuit.

From Swiss Freeski:

Mahler, who has two World Cup victories in the Big Air, wants to devote himself to other projects on skis in the future; "I no longer feel the same joy as when I started," he wrote in his farewell message. On his "long journey" as an athlete, Mahler participated twice in the World Championships, and in 2014 in the Olympic Games in Sochi. However, he was not able to achieve a top ten result at the major events of the elite.

Mahler had more success at the junior level, where he was crowned Olympic champion in the halfpipe at the 2012 Winter Youth Games in Austria. After starting in all three freeskiing disciplines at the beginning of his career, the Swiss competed early in the slopestyle and big air competitions at the expense of the halfpipe. Especially on the large hill, Mahler was one of the world leaders with his stylish jumps. Four times it was enough for him in this discipline at the X-Games on precious metals.

FIS Freeski would like to wish both Maddie and Kai a happy retirement, good luck, and all the best in their future endeavors!