By the numbers: The 2022/23 FIS Freeski World Cup and World Championships
Apr 18, 2023·Freeski Park & PipeThe 2022/23 FIS Freeski World Cup season came to a close in epic fashion three weeks ago when we shut it down with another big weekend of slopestyle competition in Silvaplana (SUI). Since we handed out the season-ending awards there in Switzerland and watched all the athletes and teams disperse and head off to wherever they’ve been spending their springtime, we’ve had the opportunity to look back at the season that was and compile a stack of stats, records and milestones to help put the 2022/23 World Cup - and World Championships - campaign into perspective.
From Chur to Silvaplana, the 2022/23 FIS Freeski World Cup season finished up with no shortage of noteworthy numbers, as you will see below...
THE SEASON
World Cup competitions (men + women): 22
World Championships competitions (men + women): 6
Host venues: 9
Host nations: 6
Total number of FIS Freeski World Cup competitors earning at least 1 World Cup point in 2022/23: 174 (59 women, 115 men)
Largest crowd: Big Air Chur - ~12,000
Furthest venue from the FIS office in Oberhofen: Mammoth Mountain (USA) - 9240km
Closest venue to the FIS office in Oberhofen: Chur (SUI) - 271km
STANDOUT INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES
BIRK RUUD (NOR)
Total World Cup points: 560 - 360 slopestyle, 200 big air
World Cup + World Championships starts: 9
Podiums: 9 - five victories, two 3rd-place World Cup; Bakuriani 2023 slopestyle gold medal + big air bronze medal
Crystal globes: 2 - slopestyle, Freeski overall
Finals runs completed: 21
Qualification runs completed: 19
Training runs completed (estimate*): 306
Total time spent in the air at FIS competitions: 2412 seconds/40.2 minutes
*Based off calculation of 12 runs/day training days, plus 5 runs/day training qualification & finals days, plus qualification & finals runs
**Based off calculation of 9s/run in slopestyle x 229, 3s/run big air x 117
JOHANNE KILLI (NOR)
Total World Cup points: 440
World Cup + World Championships starts: 7
Podiums: 6 - three victories, one 2nd place, one 3rd place World Cup + Bakuriani 2023 slopestyle silver medal
Crystal globes: 2 - slopestyle, Freeski overall
RECORDS & MILESTONES:
BIRK RUUD: Most FIS Freeski World Cup podiums in one season (7); most FIS Freeski World Cup points earned in one season (560); most consecutive FIS Freeski World Cup podiums (9, dating back to 2021/22 season); most total FIS Freeski World Cup wins (13); first back-to-back Freeski overall crystal globe winner;
JOHANNE KILLI (NOR): most slopestyle World Cup podiums in a single season (5); most slopestyle World Cup points in a single season (440); second skier in World Cup history with three straight slopestyle wins in one season; most women’s FIS Freeski World Cup podiums (19)
TESS LEDEUX (FRA): most women’s FIS Freeski World Cup victories (11)
ANDRI RAGETTLI (SUI): most FIS Freeski World Cup podiums (27)
JESPER TJADER (SWE): Longest ever gap between World Cup wins - 9 years, 3 days (Silvaplana slopestyle World Cup 22/03/2014 to Silvaplana slopestyle World Cup 25/03/2023)
TROY PODMILSAK (USA): World’s first landed forward triple cork 2160 (Bakuriani 2023 big air); youngest men’s big air World Champion - 18 years, 6 months, 12 days
EILEEN GU (CHN): 10th World Cup victory - Calgary Snow Rodeo halfpipe; most total wins by any athlete at a single FIS Freeski venue - Calgary (6)
MATHILDE GREMAUD (SUI): 15th World Cup podium - 1st place Tignes Mountain Shaker slopestyle
SARAH HOEFFLIN (SUI): 15th World Cup podium & 40th World Cup start - 3rd place Silvaplana slopestyle
ALEX FERREIRA (USA): 10th World Cup podium - Calgary Snow Rodeo halfpipe
FIRST WORLD CUP WIN: Jon Sallinen (FIN) - Calgary Snow Rodeo halfpipe
FIRST WORLD CUP PODIUMS: Sandra Eie (NOR) - Big Air Chur (SUI); Noah Porter-Maclennen (CAN) - Big Air Chur (SUI); Troy Podmilsak (USA) - Big Air Chur (SUI); Grace Henderson (USA) - Stubai slopestyle (AUT); Timothe Sivignon (FRA) - Copper Mountain VISA Big Air (USA); Sebastian Schjerve (NOR) - Copper Mountain VISA Big Air (USA); Olivia Asselin (CAN) - Copper Mountain VISA Big Air (USA); Amy Fraser (CAN) - Copper Mountain U.S. Grand Prix halfpipe (USA); Jon Sallinen (FIN) - Calgary Snow Rodeo halfpipe (CAN)); Ruby Star Andrews (NZL) - Mammoth Mountain U.S. Grand Prix slopestyle (USA)