American snowboarder Chloe Kim and Australian snowboarder Scotty James emerged as the victors in the halfpipe events at the world championships held in Corvatsch, Switzerland. Kim secured a score of 93.50 in her initial run during the women’s final, claiming her third world title following victories in 2019 and 2021. The 15-year-old Sara Shimizu from Japan clinched the silver with a score of 90.75, while Mitsuki Ono, also from Japan, secured the bronze with a score of 88.50. Elizabeth Hosking from Longueuil, Que., led the Canadian contingent with a seventh-place finish and a score of 79.50 in her first run, while Brooke Dhondt from Calgary finished ninth with a score of 74.75.
In the men’s final, James captured his fourth title with a score of 95.00 in his second run. Ruka Hirano and Yuto Totsuka, both from Japan, completed the podium with silver and bronze medals, respectively. James had previously won consecutive titles in 2015, 2017, and 2019 before finishing fifth in the last world championships. Expressing his delight, James stated, “I wanted to come back and finish it on top. To have won four world titles, I’m pinching myself.”
In the freestyle big air competition, Italian teenager Flora Tabanelli overcame a fall in her second run to secure the gold medal, surpassing Swiss favorite Sarah Hoefflin by six points. Anni Karava from Finland claimed the bronze. Tabanelli, aged 17, concluded an exceptional season by winning the World Cup season titles in big air and park and pipe.
The men’s freestyle big air event saw Luca Harrington from New Zealand emerge victorious, securing the gold with scores in the 90s in his first two runs and a remarkable 95.25 in his third run. Harrington, like Tabanelli, was also the World Cup season big air champion. Elias Syrja from Finland secured second place, while Birk Ruud from Norway, the slopestyle world champion, finished third. Liam Gill from Calgary placed 13th in the men’s event with a score of 58.00.
The 2025 FIS Snowboard World Championships showcased top talents in snowboarding, providing thrilling competitions and remarkable victories in both the women’s and men’s events.
