Southern Lakes snow sports athletes’ performances on the world stage during the latest northern hemisphere winter were nothing short of spectacular.

 Wanaka and Queenstown freeskiers, snowboarders and alpine skiers continuously put the spotlight on New Zealand’s huge winter talent at FIS world events with multiple podium finishes and record achievements.

Snow Sports NZ CEO Nic Kavanagh says it is the best season ever recorded by New Zealand athletes across all disciplines.

“We are very humbled by the work that has been put in by coaches, parents and the athletes themselves. We achieved 38 elite podiums and being less than twelve months out from the next Winter Olympics we are absolutely right where we planned to be. As a high performance organisation Snow Sports is thrilled to have racked up so many world beating results.”

Making History

Twenty-three-year-old Queenstown alpine skier Alice Robinson made history when she won New Zealand’s first ever FIS Alpine World Championships medal after taking out the silver giant slalom medal in Austria.

She later topped her outstanding medal streak with a second place at the FIS World Cup giant slalom in Are in Sweden which was her career 17^th and seventh consecutive giant slalom world cup podium finish.

Alice, who was second in the 2025 FIS Alpine giant slalom World Cup standings, is delighted with her performance this season and entered the World Championships as one of the favourites. 

“It’s amazing my first world champs medal, it’s so special,” she said following the tightly fought race with Italy’s Federica Brignone who won the gold by 0.90 secs. “I really wanted to go for it today, I just tried to treat today like any other race and I am really happy to have executed.”

Global Glory

Wānaka’s Luca Harrington (21) was crowned the 2025 FIS Freeski Big Air World Champion marking his first world championship title and the first time it has been won by a Kiwi.

Luca also claimed New Zealand’s first ever FIS Freeski Crystal Globe as the top athlete on the 2025 FIS Big Air World Cup Tour, five World Cup podiums including two gold medals and X Games gold and silver medals.

“This season has just been incredible for me and to top it all off with a world champs win is such an honour,” he said. “It is a dream come true.”

Luca and Ben Barclay (23) of Wānaka were also second and third respectively early in the season at the FIS Freeski Slopestyle World Cup in Canada, the first time two Kiwi athletes have shared a Park & Pipe World Cup podium.

Snow Sports NZ Head Coach & Pathway Director, Park & Pipe Tom Wilmott says “Luca and Ben delivered world-class slopestyle runs and making history for New Zealand is the cherry on top.”

Meanwhile Finley Melville Ives (18) of Wānaka put down an explosive run to win the 2025 Freeski Halfpipe World Championship title in Switzerland in his debut appearance.

Double Header

Olympic gold, silver and bronze medallist Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (24) of Wānaka continued her record breaking career this season after a phenomenal return from injury to win the 2025 FIS Snowboard Slopestyle Crystal Globe for the first time and her third World Championship slopestyle title.

“I can’t believe it and didn’t really think about it coming into the World Championships. I was just feeling incredible grateful for this whole winter after my injury last year and thankful for the support from my sponsors, team, friend and family.”

There was tight competition for the Crystal Globe with Zoi finishing just 12 points ahead of Great Britain’s Mia Brookes.

“To walk away with the Globe feels pretty unreal because I’ve never had one of these before.”