It was supposed to be a historic event, and it was: the first-ever freeski World Cup held in the nation of Georgia. However, the breakout of war in Ukraine put a damper on the festivities, as only a handful of athletes showed up to compete.

Georgia is a country often touted for its untapped skiing potential. Among freeriders, it’s been called “the Alaska of Europe.” Bakuriani’s debut on the World Cup circuit—a prelude to the World Championships scheduled to be held here in 2023—was supposed to help put the country’s ski scene on the map.

However, geopolitics got in the way of Bakuriani’s big moment. With the breakout of war in Ukraine, nearly the entire competitive field either opted out of the trip to Georgia, or wasn’t able to travel at all due to flight cancellations (most of the flights from central Europe to Tblisi pass over Ukraine). In the end, a grand total of 11 men and four women were on hand for the debut of World Cup freeskiing in the Caucasus Mountains.

The winner in the men’s contest was Andri Ragettli, who put down three different double cork 1260s and clean tricks in the rails. He was followed by Colin and Thierry Wili, also both from Switzerland, for a Swiss sweep of the podium. That wasn’t a huge surprise, given that the Swiss contingent on hand represented almost half of the skiers in the final.

On the women’s side, Canada’s Megan Oldham took the win—her second gold in World Cup slopestyle after winning in Silvaplana in 2019. She was trailed by Sarah Hoefflin and Germany’s Alia Eichinger, who made her first appearance on a World Cup podium.

The 2022 Freeski World Cup slopestyle circuit continues on 10-12 March, 2022 in Tignes, France.

Winning Runs

Final Results