Kiwi freeskier Finley Melville Ives wins again

Men’s Freeski Halfpipe Podium. [L-R] Hunter Hess (USA) 2^nd, Finley Melville Ives (NZL) 1^st, Nick Goepper (USA) 3^rd. PHOTO: FIS PARK & PIPE

Freeskier Finley Melville Ives has continued to dominate in the halfpipe, taking the win by a significant margin today at the Aspen Freeski Halfpipe World Cup.

Snowboarder Dane Menzies also secured a podium finish in Aspen this morning with a third place in the Snowboard Slopestyle World Cup, marking his career first World Cup podium.

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Melville Ives, 19 was the top qualifier into today’s finals and immediately showed why when he dropped into his first of two runs.

Putting down yet another technical run with consistently massive amplitude, he went straight to the top of the leaderboard with his first run scoring a 95.00.

Despite the best efforts from the star-studded start list, Melville Ives’s run one score remained untouchable, with his second run a victory lap all the way to the top of the podium for the third time in his already impressive career.

“I had such a good training, so I said to my coach I am going to go hammers for my first run and I was stoked, I can’t believe it held.”

Melville Ives shared a bit of insight into his methodology, explaining; “I am just trying to have as much fun as possible when I’m skiing, and skiing is my happy place. The halfpipe is like a blank canvas and you’re just like an artist with a paint brush.”

Melville Ives was joined on the podium by two Team USA athletes, Hunter Hess in second place and three-time Winter Olympian Nick Goepper in third. Melville Ives’s result today also means he is now leading the World Cup standings for the 2025/26 Freeski Halfpipe World Cup Tour and was presented the yellow bib.

Earlier in Aspen 20-year-old Kiwi snowboarder Menzies secured his career first World Cup podium with a third-place finish at the FIS Snowboard Slopestyle World Cup.

“It means a lot to make it on the podium after getting fourth here last year and consistently making finals but not getting on the box...I have been working super hard for this one, really trying to get more consistent and dialled in on my rails and cleanliness on the jumps so I am happy it paid off!”

Qualifying through to the finals in 10th position, Menzies put down a clutch performance on the first of his two finals runs, stomping back-to-back 1620s on the jumps and executing near flawless technical rail tricks to impress the judges.

Sitting in the top spot after run one and looking to up the ante, Menzies unfortunately had a bobble on the second rail feature resulting in a throw away score. With nine athletes still to drop in it was a nerve-wracking wait to see if his score would hold for podium position.

Only two riders were able to better Menzies run one score with the USA’s Jake Canter leap frogging into the top spot for a career first World Cup win. Su Yiming of China put down a solid second run to finish in second place with Menzies rounding out the podium in third.

Mischa Thomas (Auckland, 17), competed in the women’s Freeski Halfpipe finals with a career best fifth-place finish in just her fourth World Cup appearance. Gustav Legnavsky (Wānaka, 20) competed alongside Melville Ives in the men’s final, finishing in ninth place.

The Park and Pipe competition continues over the next couple of weeks, with both the LAAX Slopestyle and Halfpipe World Cups and the prestigious Aspen X Games on the calendar for the remainder of January.