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Countdown to Chur

The Freeski and Freestyle Snowboard World Cup season kicks off in Chur at the now traditional Big Air festival this weekend

What is it?

• Part Big Air World Cup contest, part music festival, all high-octane, the Chur Big Air World Cup opens the Freeski and Freestyle World Cup calendar for a third year in 2023.

When’s the action?

• Held as night events, the Freeski competition gets everything started on Friday night (October 20), with the Freestyle Snowboarders in action on Saturday (October 21).

Who’s representing Britain?

• Mia Brookes and Charlie Lane.
• In Mia, Britain boasts a Slopestyle World Champion with serious claim to be the nation’s most exciting young athlete. The Chur World Cup sees Mia return to the site of her World Cup debut a year ago, during which time she has become one of the sport’s biggest names.
• For Charlie (like Mia, a 16-year-old), Chur will mark a second ever World Cup appearance and a first in Big Air, the discipline in which he took a super European Youth Olympic Festival podium in January.

What’s our track record?

• In 2021, Billy Cockrell, James Woods, Chris McCormick, and Katie Summerhayes lined up in GB Snowsport colours, with Summerhayes the pick of the performers taking 18^th place in the Women’s Freeski.
• Last season, Kirsty Muir scored Britain’s highest finish with seventh place in Freeski, with Chris McCormick finishing 28^th in the Men’s competition. In the Freestyle Snowboard, Mia Brookes finished ninth on her World Cup debut with Maisie Hill just behind her in tenth spot. Billy Cockrell finished 38^th in the Men’s Freestyle Snowboard.

What else is there to know?

• Chur itself is the capital of the canton of Grisons, and by some accounts is Switzerland’s oldest town.
• The Big Air ramp is the largest Freestyle ramp in Switzerland, and Tess Ledeux is its near-undisputed queen having taken victory in both the 2021 and 2022 Women’s Freeski competitions.
• With two 16-year-olds in the field, Chur marks one of Britain’s youngest ever World Cup starting line-ups.
• In four career appearances to date, Mia Brookes is yet to finish outside the top 10 in a World Cup competition.