Snowboard ladies: Rookie alarm - Mia Jones strikes
The first big moment of the season belonged to Mia Jones. The US-American not only celebrated her FWT debut in Baqueira, but also her first victory. Aggressive in the upper steep slope, confident in the drops and with a perfect cliff jump as a highlight, she made a big statement. 69.67 points, the highest score of the day and a clear victory.
Behind her, Anna Martinez impressed with a creative, controlled line (66.00 points), while Michaela Davis-Meehan took third place. Strong from an Austrian perspective: Sarah Bacher showed a smart, fluid run on her FWT debut and finished sixth.
A rookie wins the season opener for the second season in a row - déjà vu? In 2025, Noémie Equy also started her title season with a debut victory...
Men's snowboard: Rivera sets the benchmark
In the men's competition, Liam Rivera immediately made it clear that he is a force to be reckoned with in 2026. Backflip, technically clean passage and a creative finale earned him 88.67 points and victory. A statement right at the first stop.
French rookie Sacha Balicco landed several buttery 360s and snatched second place. Holden Samuels completed the podium with a high-speed run and a big 360.
In short: this category is going to be really wild this year.
