Last week at Waterville in New Hampshire, Canadian Mikaël Kingsbury tied Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark capturing 86 World Cup wins.
At the Snow Park Lodge Wednesday, Kingsbury said he wants to keep the momentum on Deer Valley’s Champion run, a course he called “very difficult.”
“It’s pretty special, especially standing at the top in dual [moguls], especially going into the top four,” Kingsbury said. “And you see that crowd, even though I know they’re not cheering for me, I hope some of you do a little bit. But it’s pretty special, especially if you go against an American in the final, it’s pretty cool.”
Australian moguls skier Jakara Anthony said Deer Valley is special because she got her first World Cup start here years ago.
“I think this is the biggest crowd we get, and the atmosphere with that night event is just phenomenal.”
Along with world class international athletes, the World Cup will also include some of the U.S. ski team’s top talent.
Park City local and Deer Valley athlete Nick Page grew up attending the event under the lights, and is now part of the No. 1 ranked moguls team in the world.
“Every year reminds me of that feeling when I was the little 7-year-old… running through the crowd, searching for autographs, trying to get pictures with all my favorite skiers,” Page said. “And now I get to kind of play the other side of that coin, where I have kids coming up to me, I get to take pictures with people in the crowd. So it’s really, really special.”
Wyoming native Jaelin Kauf won the silver medal in freestyle moguls at the 2022 Beijing Games.
“Deer Valley is always such a special event to be a part of,” Kauf said. “It’s one of the few places that we get to have so many friends and family and supporters at the bottom. And under the lights, it’s just a magical experience.”
The U.S. moguls team also includes Park City locals Cole McDonald and Alli Macuga, the 2023 FIS Rookie of the Year.
The moguls competition is Thursday with dual moguls Saturday.
Reigning Olympic champion Chris Lillis will be one of the Americans competing in aerials Friday.
“If I’m speaking honestly, I’ve had rough results at Deer Valley compared to other places,” Lillis said. “So I’m hoping to change that narrative for myself and become a part of that legacy of jumping well here in Park City.”
Winter Vinecki, who earned her second individual World Cup win in aerials last month, had to leave Wednesday’s press conference early to go to law school.
“I think it’s really important to keep up on our education because as much as we would all love to do these sports for the rest of our lives, our bodies and everything can’t quite handle that," Vinecki said. "And so to have a career to look forward to after sport is something that I find really exciting.”
The World Cup at Deer Valley is free for the public. Athlete qualifications are in the afternoons, with finals scheduled for 7:30 p.m. each day.
Park City recommends parking at Richardson Flat and taking free bus service to the resort.
For those who can’t make it to Deer Valley this weekend, the World Cup competition will be streamed live on Outside Watch, Outside Magazine’s streaming platform.
Full schedule:
Thursday, February 1, 2024 – Moguls World Cup
2:25 p.m. Women’s Moguls Qualifications
4:45 p.m. Men’s Moguls Qualifications
7:30 p.m. Women’s and Men’s Moguls Finals
8:50 p.m. Awards
Friday, February 2, 2024 – Aerials World Cup
3:30 p.m. Women’s Aerials Qualifications
5:35 p.m. Men’s Aerials Qualifications
7:30 p.m. Women’s and Men’s Aerials Finals
8:40 p.m. Awards
Saturday, February 3, 2024 – Dual Moguls World Cup
4:15 p.m. Women’s and Men’s Dual Moguls Preliminary Rounds
7:30 p.m. Women’s and Men’s Dual Moguls Finals
8:55 p.m. Awards
