Historic FIS Freeski Standings Cemented as Sildaru and Muir Claim Overall Crystal Globes

The 2025–2026 FIS Freeski World Cup season has officially concluded, capping off a historic winter that featured the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. With the June publication of the FIS Base List, the final standings are locked, crowning the athletes who dominated the grueling post-Olympic World Cup circuit.[3]

Estonia’s Henry Sildaru emerged as the defining male athlete of the season, capturing the overall Park & Pipe Crystal Globe. Sildaru amassed 342 points across the World Cup campaign, narrowly edging out Norwegian superstar Birk Ruud by just four points in one of the tightest overall races in FIS history.[1]

Sildaru’s triumph was built on unprecedented versatility. While modern freeskiing heavily favors specialization, the Estonian was the only man on the World Cup circuit to score points in all three disciplines: Big Air, Halfpipe, and Slopestyle. This overall globe adds to a spectacular year for Sildaru, who also claimed halfpipe silver at the Milano-Cortina Games in February.[1]

On the women's side, Great Britain’s Kirsty Muir delivered a similarly dominant campaign. Muir captured both the Slopestyle Crystal Globe and the women's overall Park & Pipe title, cementing her status as the premier female freeskier following her breakout performances in Tignes and Silvaplana.[1][2]

Despite narrowly missing the overall title, Norway's Birk Ruud continued his absolute mastery of slopestyle. Ruud won the World Cup season finale in Silvaplana, Switzerland, scoring an 83.52 to beat out Sildaru and American Mac Forehand.[2]

The victory in Silvaplana secured Ruud’s record-extending seventh discipline Crystal Globe. It served as a fitting capstone to a season where Ruud claimed his second career Olympic gold medal—and his first in slopestyle—at Milano-Cortina, further solidifying his legacy as one of the sport's all-time greats.[2]

The halfpipe discipline saw a massive surge from New Zealand's young freeskiing contingent. Finley Melville Ives captured the men's halfpipe season standings with 280 points, holding off a deep roster of international challengers to secure the discipline globe.[1]

Melville Ives' teammate, Luke Harrold, punctuated the Kiwis' dominance by winning the final halfpipe event of the season with a massive score of 93.25. The New Zealand squad's performance signals a major shift in halfpipe power dynamics heading into the next World Championship cycle.[1]

Team USA also featured prominently in the final rankings, though they narrowly missed the top overall hardware. Hunter Hess finished third in the overall Park & Pipe standings with 305 points, remaining in contention until the final weekend before a sixth-place finish in Silvaplana dashed his globe hopes.[1]

American Mac Forehand secured third place in the slopestyle discipline standings with 184 points, finishing behind Ruud and Sildaru. The depth of the American roster ensures they will remain a formidable force as the qualification window reopens.[2]

With the June points reset now active, athletes are officially transitioning into the 2026–2027 season. The newly published FIS Base List will determine starting quotas and seedings for the upcoming Southern Hemisphere competitions in Australia and New Zealand.[3]

These standings also lay the groundwork for the 2027 FIS Freestyle Ski World Championships. As athletes recover from the physical toll of an Olympic year, the premium placed on multi-discipline performance by Sildaru and Muir may prompt a strategic shift in how national teams train their next generation of freeskiers.[3]