Freeski Big Air World Cup 2024/25: Preview, schedule and how to watch live

A chill in the air can only mean one thing from a sporting perspective: the winter season has arrived. What better way to celebrate the changing of seasons than the start of the FIS Freeski Big Air World Cup in Chur, Switzerland on Friday 18 October.

While freestyle skiing stars no doubt enjoyed a warm and relaxing summer break, perhaps tuning in to the Olympic Games Paris 2024, they’ll be eager to clip back into the skis and corkscrew through the air once more.

Thankfully, they'll have six chances to leave a lasting impression on judges and fans alike this season, with the Freeski Big Air World Cup visiting six venues across three continents.

While the excitement of last year’s world cup remains fresh on the mind, including the titles won by Team USA’s Alexander Hall and Switzerland's Mathilde Gremaud, skiers will note the proximity of the Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026, and prepare to crank up the gnar on freeski’s most energetic discipline in anticipation of world’s biggest winter sporting event.

From nosegrabs and tailgrabs, to corks and dubs, expect nothing short of mind-blowing sorcery on a pair of skis from the best freeski athletes in the world.

Read on to find out more about the Freeski Big Air World Cup 2024/25, including the stars set to shine on the global stage, full schedule, and how to watch Big Air competitions live throughout the winter.

Stars ready to shine during the FIS Freeski Big Air World Cup 2024/25

The season opener in Chur, Switzerland is set to be a raucous celebration of freeski Big Air, complete with music, parties and steaming hot competition. It is an atmosphere that will only intensify if Switzerland’s Mathilde Gremaud snags victory in front of thousands of cheering fans.

The Swiss freeskier stamped her authority on the Big Air World Cup last season, winning three out of the four stops held. She’ll be eager to pick up where she left out, as she eyes the upcoming world championships on home snow and the Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026 next season.

Of course, repeating as world cup champion will be more difficult than a cruise down the bunny hill for the Olympic Games Beijing 2022 bronze medallist. She’ll need to bring a big bag tricks, complete with stellar execution, to stand any chance of holding the Crystal Globe once more.

France’s Tess Ledeux will also fancy her chances at touching the Crystal Globe this season after finishing runner-up to Gremaud last season.

The 22-year-old from La Plagne Tarentaise, France was the only skier besides Gremaud to win a stage of the world cup season, tasting sweet victory at Copper Mountain, Colorado. A two-time world champion, she’ll call on past experience in an attempt to overhaul the Swiss skier this season, but Gremaud might not be her only rival.

Olympic champion Eileen Gu remains a wildcard after skipping Big Air competitions last season, but with one victory to her name in halfpipe this season, she’ll be a serious threat for victory when she returns to the Big Air World Cup.

Team USA’s Alexander Hall flipped, spun and corked his way to a Crystal Globe last season, winning two world cup stops to boost his points total and top the world cup standings. He’ll return with the hope of repeating as world cup champion, but that won’t be an easy feat in a stacked field of competitors.

Hall will face off against world cup winners, world champions and the first-ever Olympic champion in Big Air. It will be a season full of big tricks, big wins, and as Norway’s Birk Ruud hopes, big comebacks.

Ruud, who won a gold medal in the event at Beijing 2022, failed to find the top step of the podium last season. However, with a few months to reflect on his season and improve his array of tricks, the Norwegian will look to return to victorious form once more.

Switzerland’s Andri Ragettli will also be itching for a victory after finishing runner-up to Hall in the world cup standings last season. No stranger to innovation and mind-bending tricks, look for the 26-year-old to put on a show at the season opener in Chur.

Of course, nothing is guaranteed in a high-stakes event like Big Air. One fall, a missed grab, or poorly timed takeoff could cost skiers a chance at victory. Not to mention mother nature throwing a last-minute curveball, such as a freezing blizzard or unseasonably warm day.

Nevertheless, with a canvas made of snow and only a pair of skis attached to their feet, expect the world’s best skiers to paint a dramatic portrait of freeski’s innovation during the Freeski Big Air World Cup 2024/25.

Schedule of the Freeski Big Air World Cup 2024/25

The Freeski Big Air World Cup features six stops across three continents. Here is the schedule for this season:

• 18 October 2024 - Chur, Switzerland
• 29 November to 1 December: Beijing, People's Republic of China
• 3-4 January: Klagenfurt, Austria
• 9-10 January: Kreischberg, Austria
• 30 January to 6 Febuary: Aspen, United States of America
• 11-14 March: Tignes, France

The 2025 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships will take place from 17-30 March after the conclusion of the Freeski Big Air World Cup.

Freeski Big Air World Cup 2024/25: How to watch live

The live results will appear on the FIS website and app, and below you will find the host broadcaster in your territory.

• Austria - ORFON
• Canada - CBC Sports and App
• PR China - CCTV (selected events)
• Czechia - Ceska Televise
• Denmark - Viaplay
• Estonia: Go3
• Latvia: Go3
• Lithuania: Go3
• Finland - Viaplay
• France - L’Equipe
• Germany - ARD
• Greece - Cosmotetv (selected events)
• Japan - J Sports
• Kazakhstan - Qaz Sport TV (Selected events)
• Latin America - Star Plus
• Netherlands - Ziggo Sport
• Norway - Viaplay
• Poland - Polsat Sport
• Portugal - Sport TV
• Slovakia - JOJ
• Slovenia - RTVSLO
• Spain - RTVE (selected events)
• Republic of Korea - JTBC
• Sweden - Viaplay
• Switzerland - SRF
• USA - skiandsnowboard.live