Seventeen-year-old South Korean snowboarder Choi Gaon claimed her second consecutive women's halfpipe World Cup title with 94.50 points at the FIS Snowboard World Cup in Copper Mountain, Colorado. Japan's Sena Tomita took second with 88.75 points, while American Bea Kim finished third at 75.25 points. Two-time Olympic champion Chloe Kim sat out the final due to an undisclosed injury.
Seventeen-year-old Choi Gaon of South Korea secured victory in the women's halfpipe final at the International Ski Federation (FIS) Snowboard World Cup in Copper Mountain, Colorado, on December 19, 2025 (local time), scoring 94.50 points. This marks her second consecutive World Cup title following her win at Secret Garden in China the previous week, bringing her career total to three victories. The result enhances her prospects for a podium finish at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in two months.
Japan's Sena Tomita earned second place with 88.75 points, and 18-year-old American Bea Kim took third at 75.25 points. Korean-American superstar Chloe Kim, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, topped qualifying scores but withdrew from the final due to an undisclosed injury. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard organization provided no further details on the injury, which could impact Kim's preparation for her three-peat attempt at the Olympics. This event was the only pre-Olympic competition on her schedule.
The competition highlighted Asian dominance in the sport. In the men's event, Japan's Ryusei Yamada claimed victory, underscoring the depth of Japanese talent. U.S. two-time Olympian Chase Josey, who finished 12th, noted, "They're just pushing us, and it's constantly feeding off that energy." The next halfpipe World Cup is set for January in Calgary, Canada.
