Wānaka skier's World Cup win makes history

Luca Harrington was lost for words after his maiden World Cup win and breaking new ground for New Zealand snow sports.

The Wānaka skier won the FIS Freeski Big Air World Cup in Flagenhurt, Austria, yesterday morning, marking his inaugural World Cup win and first Big Air World Cup podium.

The 20-year-old also made history becoming the first New Zealand freeskier to win the Big Air World Cup.

"I don’t have words right now," Harrington said.

"I have been working really hard for the past few years, making finals have been huge.

"To put down these two tricks ... and walk away with the win is just the most insane thing ever.

"The biggest dream come true - and I am just so grateful."

After qualifiers earlier in the day, the top 10 freeskiers progressed to the final round, which was held under lights on a purpose-built, scaffold jump located inside a stadium in front of a roaring crowd.

The Big Air format consists of three runs, with two of those run scores counting for a total combined score.

The two scoring tricks must be performed in different directions, with the third and lowest-scoring run a throwaway.

After finishing fourth in the last Big Air World Cup in Beijing, Harrington was hungry and wasted no time.

He put down a flawless switch right triple-corked 1620 with an esco grab for his first trick, which impressed the judges and was rewarded with a score of 94.80.

It remained the top score of the competition. Only two other athletes posted scores in the 90s.

Dropping into run two, Harrington stomped a right double-corked 900 with a bring-back-Japan grab to solidify his lead with a total combined score of 186.60.

For the third and final run, the athletes dropped in reverse order, meaning Harrington was the final athlete to drop in.

Harrington, who won bronze in the freeski halfpipe at the Youth Olympics in 2020, watched his nine competitors drop in before him, all trying to top his score, but his high-scoring tricks were untouchable.

Harrington dropped into his first victory lap as he took the win, throwing down a crowd-pleasing double backflip for his final run.

Timothe Sivignon, of France, finished second and local athlete Matej Svancer, of Austria, rounded out the podium in third.

It marked a brilliant start to 2025 for Harrington, who was the Snow Sports New Zealand freeski athlete of the year in 2023. He will look to take the momentum into the Kreischberg Big Air World Cup on Saturday.