Vail mogul star Tess Johnson came back from spinal surgery to finish seventh in the World Cup standings

As young stars continue to push women’s mogul skiing to new heights, one of its most established veterans has refused to fall behind.

“I think it’s contributed to my consistency,” said Tess Johnson, who rounded out her 2023-24 season last weekend with a singles bronze at U.S. nationals.

“I’ve had to rise to the occasion of these other women on World Cup tour. I wouldn’t have the results I do without their inspiration and all of us pushing one another.”

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The 23-year-old finished in the top-7 in the overall standings for the fifth time in her nine-year World Cup career. What’s the secret to her steadiness?

“I think just staying committed to my process and focusing as much as possible on what I can control,” she said.

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Even though the Ski and Snowboard Club Vail alumna has made top-10 finishes the norm, this season stood out. One reason: Johnson underwent spinal surgery last April.

“From an individual standpoint, this season was huge for me,” she said. “To ski pain free was awesome. It made it a lot more enjoyable and I think I was able to access some better skiing that I wasn’t able to do two seasons ago.”

There were some mental moguls, though. Having spent large chunks of time in the gym and with physical therapists, Johnson knew she lacked the normal volume of on-snow training when she arrived in Ruka in December. Her eighth, fourth and fifth-place finishes in the season-opening Scandinavian swing provided confirmation that she could hold her own. Not missing a single World Cup the entire year, however, was the real win.

The other distinguishing quality to her campaign was contributing to the most dominant team performance across U.S. Ski and Snowboard. The women’s mogul’s squad put at least five athletes in the top seven in 10 of the 16 World Cup competitions.

Jaelin Kauf, Olivia Giaccio, Hannah Soar and Alli Macuga finished 2-3-4-5 in the overall standings, with Johnson and fellow SSCV alumna Liz Lemley coming in seventh and 10th, respectively.

“From a team standpoint, this season was unbelievable,” Johnson said. “The amount of women at the top of the course for a final event was just insane.”

Though Johnson didn’t step on the podium this year, the statistical narrative of her campaign was punctuated by four fourth-place finishes. Given her competitive nature, those wooden medals “definitely stung,” Johnson said with a laugh.

“But that’s just the surface. If I really examine what I’ve overcome to get to those fourth places, I would say the word is ‘gratitude,'” she continued.

“Gratitude to be feeling healthy and to be able to risk a lot in my skiing to try and match the level of skiing that’s happening on the women’s World Cup. To even be in the running for a podium was really meaningful for me.”

Three of those fourths came in dual moguls. Between the two disciplines, Johnson said it just depends on the season whether or not she’s more likely to podium in one or the other — of her seven career podiums, five have come in moguls. But, she also tends to place more pressure on herself in singles, whereas in duals, she said it’s easier to “let loose and risk more — which leads to better skiing.”

“I’ve definitely tried to bring that dual mentality to singles,” she said. “Where the relaxation comes because you’re not worried about making mistakes, you’re just skiing to ski … as fast and aggressively as possible.”

One of the highlights of her season came in duals. In front of her friends and family in Waterville, New Hampshire, Johnson went up against Australia’s Jakara Anthony — who won 14 of the 16 World Cups this year — in the small final.

“I really just skied free,” Johnson reflected.

“I let it all go. I made some mistakes, but I skied through them.” Johnson landed her signature monster backflip venom bottom air. Anthony, the two-time defending crystal globe winner, beat her to the line, but Johnson was “proud of her skiing.”

“I think until that point, I hadn’t pushed my boundaries yet since my injury,” she said of her fourth-place effort.

“And I know anyone who has come back from any type of injury can really understand that on a personal level, what it feels like to push those boundaries again for the first time and realize that you’re OK and your body is capable of what it once was.”

For Johnson, the other highlight of the season was watching childhood friend Olivia Giaccio nail a 1080 cork to win the Deer Valley World Cup in February.

“It was the most inspiring performance I’ve seen, possibly in my entire career,” Johnson said. “That run I think will go down in history in mogul skiing as one of the greatest runs of all time.”

Giaccio and Johnson grew close attending Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy in middle school. “We had the best little crew — Rory Swimm, Natalie Berger, Ezra Cope — just some great Vail families that I’ll always remember as some of my best times in the sport.”

Even though she spends most of the winter living out of a suitcase, Johnson’s heart remains connected to her home.

“I know how much this valley supports us and is really on this journey with us,” she said. “I feel it so much from you guys.”

Looking ahead to the Olympics

With World Championship and Olympic cycles looming in 2025 and 2026, Johnson knows once again the U.S. women’s selection pool will be crowded.

“I think at times it’s a curse because someone is always going to be left out,” she said. “But mostly it’s a blessing because of the level of skiing we’re each able to achieve and the camaraderie we’ve been able to develop through some of those tougher selection criteria.”

It’s a mature viewpoint, especially considering Johnson was on the wrong side of the coin in 2022. Ultimately selected as a Beijing alternate, Johnson isn’t at all bitter, but has set her priorities on “my love for the sport, my love for my teammates, and the relationships I’ve developed in this journey.”

She admitted that’s easier said than done.

“But it’s really what’s most important to me,” she said. “I think when I keep those in focus, I’m able to access my best skiing.”