Vail snowboarder just misses podium at FIS Freeride Junior World Championships in Kappl, Austria

Julie Brown made a splash at her first FIS Freeride Junior World Championships earlier this month.

The Vail Mountain School student and Ski and Snowboard Club Vail athlete placed fourth in the women’s snowboard division in Kappl, Austria on Jan. 19.

“The whole experience of getting to ride in Europe was truly amazing! I loved getting to meet all the other competitors and catch up with old friends,” Brown stated in a text message to the Vail Daily after the competition. Brown posted a score of 69.02, finishing less than a point behind bronze medal winner Kizuna Takahashi.

The 17-year-old opened with clean and fluid turns at the top of the face. After a pair of small airs, she slowly ventured over to an untouched cliff section. After a brief pause, Brown committed to a daring straight line between the massive walls.

“I’m pretty stoked on my run, just being out there was truly amazing,” said Brown, who was the top American in the category in her junior worlds debut. “I wish I could have kept it faster and more fluid to keep my spot on the podium, but just putting down a standup run is pretty cool.”

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Fellow Vail Mountain student and SSCV rider Kaleb Gibbs — who was ninth at the competition last year in Kappl — placed 13th in his second junior worlds appearance.

“I chose a line that was pretty big, trying to push myself to take lines that might have traditionally just been for skiers due to the size of the drop,” Gibbs said. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to stomp the landing, but I’m proud of myself for going big and pushing my line. I hope to be back next year.” 

Sixty-seven athletes from 13 nations competed in ski and snowboard divisions at the 14th-annual event. The competition, originally scheduled to take place on the Quellspitze, was moved to the 2,720-meter Alblittköpfe face, which featured 40-degree gradients and technical terrain. Athletes took a single run, which was judged according to five criteria: line choice, air and style, control, fluidity and technique. 

Elly Dalton-Richard captured the women’s snowboard crown with a score of 78.00. The French star leveraged her boardercross background, coupling speed with the largest cliff drop taken within her category.

“As the sun came out, the changing snow conditions presented a really fun terrain,” she told FWT media. “I meticulously studied my line before the competition and I loved riding it.”

Norway’s Leo Thoresen won the men’s snowboard category by linking a backside 360 into a cliff drop and closing with a huge 360 grab.

“Despite the challenging snow conditions, I really enjoyed my run,” he told FWT.

Zebedee Schreiber was the top-placing American across all four disciplines, claiming bronze in the men’s ski competition behind winner Hamish Henderson and runner-up finisher Jem Muller of Switzerland.

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) recognized freeride as an official discipline in 2024, paving the way for potential inclusion in the Winter Olympics at some point in the future. The inaugural FIS Freeride World Championships is slated for Feb. 1-6 in Andorra and will feature a slew of Coloradans. Aspen’s Kelly Hilleke and Edwards native Blake Moller are amongst the 66-athlete roster, which also includes Breckenridge’s Michael Mawn and SSCV coach Agostina Vietti, who will compete for Argentina.