Featured Image: The overall NorAm Cup champions, Arianne Forget and Simon Fournier. Credit: Bryan Lynam
The NorAm Finals concluded in Panorama Resort, British Columbia with an exhilarating series of races. The athletes overcame the challenges of canceled events, warm temperatures, and end-of-the-season fatigue to fight for the NorAm Cup title.
The NorAm Cup titles were an accumulation of the NorAm races throughout the season. After the final race, each discipline has a title winner, and the victorious athletes that claim the overall titles are awarded.
After the downhill and the canceled super-G races, the titles were awarded. For the downhill, the title winner for the men was Kyle Alexander of Alpine Canada Alpin, and the woman was Allison Mollin of the Stifel US Ski Team.
For more highlights visit the downhill article.
Unfortunately, the super-G races were deemed unsafe for racing as the temperatures rose and the snow conditions deteriorated. The course crews worked tirelessly, but the track did not hold up. Nonetheless, Allison Mollin and Kyle Alexander each clinched another discipline title.
For more highlights visit the super-G article.
The NorAm Finals concluded after four days of tech racing. Domestic title winners and the second-place athletes of each discipline secure World Cup positions for the 2024/25. International athletes who achieve the top 2 in the event will be one step closer to ensuring a World Cup start next season.
The Top 2 in Women’s Slalom
Victoria Palla had a successful 2024 slalom NorAm Cup season. The athlete of Great Britain, skiing for S1 Racing, came into the NorAm Finals with three wins and one podium in slalom. She skied skillfully and gained two more podium finishes at the NorAm Finals, solidifying her NorAm Cup title victory with 532 points.
She stated, “I am very happy to win the slalom title. As I am a European, I didn’t secure myself a World Cup spot with that win, but it still means a lot to me.”
“I hope I get the opportunity from the British Ski Federation to do World Cup slalom next season, as we just have one spot,” Palla explained.
Palla competed in the Levi World Cup slalom races this season, but in 2024/25 she aims to ski into the top 30 in World Cup events.
Arianne Forget finished second on the NorAm Cup standings with 330 points. Forget currently skis for Canada, but trains by Palla’s side on the S1 Racing team.
This season, Forget was triumphant at the Devil’s Glen NorAm slalom and concluded with one other podium and three 4th-place results. Forget was returning to snow this season after knee surgery last winter. She set high goals for herself and aimed for consistency in her racing.
The Top 2 in Men’s Slalom
Matej Vidovic of Croatia finished on top of the NorAm Cup standings for men’s slalom with 457 points, dominating the field by 159 points. Vidovic achieved four podiums in this event this season and two other top-10 finishes.
Vidovic competed in two World Cup slalom events this winter in Palisades Tahoe and Aspen. However, he did not score points in either of the events. He hopes that this NorAm Cup slalom title will help him secure more World Cup starts in the 2025 season and increase his ranking on the circuit.
Stifel US Ski Team athlete Camden Palmquist achieved 2nd in the slalom NorAm Cup standings. He was triumphant in the NorAm Cup slalom at Burke Mountain this season and achieved two other podium results.
This season, Palmquist was one of the athletes to compete at the FIS Junior World Championships and assisted the U.S. in a medal in the evening mixed team parallel event.
He stated after the 3rd-place team medal, “It was awesome to get a medal as a team because everyone had a really important run that got us there.”
Palmquist has not kicked out of a World Cup start yet, but after his success this year, he hopes to in the 2025 season.
The Top 2 in Women’s Giant Slalom
Arianne Forget achieved the women’s NorAm giant slalom title with 460, 185 points ahead of the field. The Canadian achieved two victories in the event this winter, three other podium finishes, and a 6th place finish.
Forget initiated the season stating that she wanted to switch to “racehorse mode,” and she kept that mentality throughout 2024. Her inaugural World Cup GS start was in Kronplatz, Italy, but aims to score her first points on the circuit next season.
Sara Rask of Sweden and University of Denver athlete finished second on the NorAm Cup circuit in giant slalom. The athlete has had a successful season in the NorAms and University races.
This year she did not start in any World Cup races but has kicked out of several World Cups in prior seasons. Her focus this season was on assisting her University team in winning the NCAA Championships, which the DU team was close to achieving.
The Top 2 in Men’s Giant Slalom
Simon Fournier, an Independent SYNC athlete skied as an invitee this year for Alpine Canada Alpin.
He started the season with a victory and a 2nd-place finish in the Beaver Creek NorAm Cup giant slaloms. Then, he accomplished 4 other top-10 finishes in the discipline. Although, his NorAm Finals did not come with the results he wanted, he concluded 2024 with 326 points, which secured his giant slalom NorAm Cup victory.
He stated, “Super thrilled to have been able to clinch the overall GS title this year. It was a very long season and I am very pleased about the result and the consistency I have shown throughout the season.”
“Coming into this week I knew I was in a good position to get one of the fixed spots, so I managed my skiing a bit more tactically than usual,” Fournier stated.
As he has secured his spot on the World Cup circuit he is looking to take some well-earned rest. He stated, “Throughout the summer I’ll be focused on getting both my mind and body ready for next season.”
Bridger Gile of the Stifel US Ski Team concluded with 317 points in the giant slalom NorAm Cup standings, securing his spot on the World Cup circuit.
This season, Gile was also triumphant in one of the Beaver Creek GS NorAm races and finished the year with two other podium results on the circuit. He has started in several giant slalom World Cup races but will strive to earn his first points on the circuit next season.
Overall NorAm Cup
The esteemed competition came to an end as the top athletes secured the overall NorAm Cup titles. Their rankings on the overall leaderboard were decided based on the total points they earned across all events.
The Canadians won the overall titles, with Simon Fournier and Arianne Forget achieving the top spots.
Tormis Laine of Estonia finished in 2nd and Cooper Puckett of the Stifel US Ski Team concluded the NorAm season in 3rd for the men’s overall.
Great Britain athlete, Victoria Palla concluded 2024 in 2nd for the overall title, and Allison Mollin of the Stifel US Ski Team concluded in 3rd.