Lac-Beauport Kicks Off Blockbuster January for Freestyle World Cup
Jan 05, 2026·Freestyle
With just about a month to go before the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic Winter Games, January will be thick with action as athletes look to gain both qualification spots and form before the season’s biggest event.
For aerialists, the first of two World Cup stops within a week in North America starts in Lac-Beauport, at the elite grounds of Le Relais from 6-7 January.
As the new year begins in the Canadian province of Quebec, a certain few skiers will no doubt be looking for fresh beginnings at a place where they were recently successful.
Last season, Qi Guangpu (CHN) and Laura Peel (AUS) were the undisputed victors here, picking up back-to-back wins in a double-header.
Peel is still searching for the form that led her to multiple triples and a Crystal Globe last season, and has yet to make a podium so far this season.
Meanwhile, Qi, also wearing the Blue Bib, gained some ground at home at Secret Garden where he was second in the individual event and took the Mixed Aerials Team win.
With the location serving as a hub for the home team’s aerials squad, they can certainly expect some competition from the Canadians.
Said Lewis Irving (CAN): “Being in front of my friends, family, it’s always an amazing event. We get to put on a show here. We’re going to have a big crowd, even if it’s cold. I’m excited to be able to feed off the crowd, put down some big jumps and get people excited.
“There’s always pressure. This is the top level of our sport. No matter what we’re doing, we’re trying to win. It’s how you manage that pressure — do you see it as a weight or do you see it as a motivating factor? I’ve been very good at using the anxiety to push me to the next level and jump better.
But if form is the barometer by which athletes are measured, then it is undoubtedly the Chinese skiing their way to the top.
This is especially after a historic clean sweep of the women’s podium at the last stop in China, with Kong Fanyu (CHN), Chen Meiting (CHN) and reigning Olympic champion Xu Mengtao (CHN) completing the top three.
All aerialists will be keen to lock in good showings, not simply because the Olympic Winter Games are just weeks away.
Lac-Beauport is the penultimate stop of the Aerials World Cup this season, giving skiers just a few more chances to climb higher or consolidate their lead in the Cup standings.
For the men, Li Tianma (CHN) is ahead of Oleksandr Okipniuk (UKR) by 45 points, with Pirmin Werner (SUI) just a further two points behind.
On the women’s side, the rest of the field will need a stupendous week to knock any of the Chinese aerialists off the top three. Xu, Chen and Kong lead the standings in that order, with third-placed Kong 56 points ahead of the closest competitor Marion Thenault (CAN).
Just like last year, the Lac-Beauport leg will be a double-header, featuring individual events over two consecutive days.
Competition begins on Tuesday (6 January), starting with Women’s Qualifications at 08:45 local time, then Men’s Qualifications at 11:15. Finals take place from 13:30.
This is followed by another day of individual competition. Women’s Qualifications will also start at 08:45 on Wednesday, followed by Men’s Qualifications at 11:15. Finals will then also commence at 13:30.
WATCH LIVE
TV broadcasts will be available for fans to follow the action live, while there will also be live streaming on FIS TV.
Here are the links and information about geo-restrictions –
Tuesday, 6 January
Wednesday, 7 January
Please note that due to broadcasting rights restrictions, live streaming availability may be limited in certain regions.
However, the livestream for the finals is accessible in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Singapore, and South Korea. For the qualifications, the livestream is available globally, with the exception of geo-restrictions in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
QUICK LINKS
Lac-Beauport World Cup FIS data page (start lists, results, etc)
