*feature image, athletes training at Big Air in Chur, photo credit Bushholz/FIS
The 2024/2025 FIS World Cup season is a crucial one in the lead up to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, less than 15 months away.
The Olympic qualification period for FIS World Cup points across this coming and next season alongside the FIS World Championships in March 2026 is well and truly open this weekend with the launch of the Big Air Chur Ski and Snowboard Festival.
Australia’s darling of triple snowboard disciplines (Halfpipe, Slopestyle, Big Air), Valentino Guseli, is stepping up today for the Big Air event as he embarks upon his quest to represent Australia in three disciplines in Milano Cortina 2026.
The 19 year old from New South Wales South Coast town of Dalmeny has already secured three Crystal Globes in his career, represented Australia at the Beijing Olympics and scored a silver World Champs medal.
Guseli enters this season as the 23/24 Crystal Globe overall park and pipe winner and will be mixing it with a 50-strong field of the world’s best snowboarders. Men’s qualifications begin at 1:35CETpm (9.35pm AEST and 10.35pm AEDT) with Guseli not the only one to watch. Japan’s eight competitors are real contenders with top three Kira Kimura, Hiroto Ogiwara, Taiga Hasegawa battling it for a podium place alongside Norway’s three-time X Games Big Air Gold Medallist, Marcus Kleveland.
Mens and women’s finals are set to take place Saturday night local time from 7.45pm (Sunday 4.45am AEDT).
Where to watch
Snow Australia are streaming the event live via the FIS Live platform.
