Men’s NorAm Recap: Nelson Leads Overall After Six Races on Birds of Prey

Herrmann, Wahlqvist, Myklebust Beaver Creek NorAm SL #2

Nelson Opens the NorAm Season on a World Cup Track with Victory

In the opening North American Cup race of the season, American Isaiah Nelson took the win with a powerful Super-G performance on the Birds of Prey course.

Nelson: “The Coolest NorAm Speed Race I’ve Done”

After the race, Nelson told Ski Racing Media,
“This was probably the coolest NorAm speed race I’ve done — racing the full World Cup track with a set almost identical to the super-G. The snow was sugary up top but firm underneath, so it punished anyone who got late. Besides getting too low over the basketball right-footer, I was happy with my skiing. That mistake actually fired me up and pushed me into an aggressive mindset to hunt speed through pumphouse to the finish.” — Isaiah Nelson, Stifel U.S. Ski Team, Winner

Lessard Returns to Birds of Prey With a Podium

Nelson finished just over a quarter of a second ahead of Canada’s Raphael Lessard who was involved in Beaver Creek last week in the World Cup races.

He told Ski Racing Media,
“It felt pretty awesome to be back on that hill after I didn’t get a run on the World Cup super-G (because it was cut short due to weather). The conditions were great, the set was familiar, and it was fun to finally ski the full thing — lots of rolls and terrain that keep you honest. I had a mistake up top but fought through it and still put down a good run. It’s a great way to start the NorAm season and build momentum before heading to Val Gardena for the World Cup.” — Raphael Lessard (CAN), 2nd place, NorAm super-G

Herland Builds Momentum Toward the Technical Races

There was also international representation on the podium in Norway’s Johs Braathen Herland with his fourth NorAm podium and second in Super-G.

Herland was the NCAA champion last season and told Ski Racing Media this after the race,
“Racing Beaver Creek was sick! It was my first time racing the hill, and it is for sure the nr. 1 coolest super-G I have raced so far in my career. Perfect snow conditions and so much challenging terrain made it really fun to ski. It was my first day on super-G skis for the season, pushing down Beaver Creek is a feeling that’s hard to describe. Adrenaline was through the roof. Very good skiing by both Raphael and Isaiah. They raced hard and really pushed the limits. I am very happy keeping up with their speed in sections of the course.

“The rest of the series I’m trying to get more into race pace and start pushing harder. I’m especially looking forward to the GS. It is a well-known race on the WC tour, and it will be really cool to actually race a proper GS just days after the WC people raced here.” — Johs Braathen Herland (NOR)

Men’s Beaver Creek NorAm Super-G One — Finish Order (12/10/2025)

• 1st — Isaiah NELSON (USA) — 1:06.39
• 2nd — Raphael LESSARD (CAN) — 1:06.65 (+0.26)
• 3rd — Johs Braathen HERLAND (NOR) — 1:06.97 (+0.58)
• 4th — Kyle BLANDFORD (CAN) — 1:07.10 (+0.71)

Nelson does the Super-G double

In the second Super-G Isaiah Nelson completed the Beaver Creek Super-G double in a much tighter race. The Stifel U.S. Ski Team completed a 1–2 with Sam Morse just 16 hundredths off the pace in second.

After his second victory, Nelson said,
“Racing in the yellow bib was fun, and defending it felt even better. I skied the pitch a little safely, but I kept the speed rolling through pumphouse and held the line all the way down. It’s a great way to open the season. I’m heading to GS Europa Cups instead of Val Gardena, but I’m definitely hungry for more super-G opportunities later.” — Isaiah Nelson, Stifel U.S. Ski Team

In second place, Morse said:
“There was a lot on the line today with the time trial for the Val Gardena super-G spot, so winning that was huge. I switched skis, switched boots, and had a heart-to-heart with John McBride about committing better to the outside ski. All of that came together, and it turned into a good day. Beaver Creek deserves big thanks for pulling off more races after such a tough week. Getting young Americans onto a real World Cup hill is massive — it shows them what’s possible and what they need to chase.” — Sam Morse, Stifel U.S. Ski Team

Men’s Beaver Creek NorAm Super-G Two — Finish Order (12/10/2025)

• 1st — Isaiah NELSON (USA) — 1:10.32
• 2nd — Sam MORSE (USA) — 1:10.48 (+0.16)
• 3rd — Raphael LESSARD (CAN) — 1:10.57 (+0.25)

2025/26 NorAm Super-G Standings — Standings Order (after two races)

• 1st — Isaiah NELSON (USA) — 200 pts
• 2nd — Raphael LESSARD (CAN) — 140 pts
• 3rd — Johs Braathen HERLAND (NOR) — 110 pts
• 4th — Sam MORSE (USA) — 106 pts
• 5th — Kyle BLANDFORD (CAN) — 95 pts

Aubert Serracanta wins first NorAm GS of the season

On day three in Beaver Creek, in the first of the two giant slaloms, it was Spain’s Aleix Aubert Serracanta who won ahead of William Hansson of Sweden and Johs Braathen Herland, NOR, 2025 NCAA champion from the University of Utah.

After the opening GS, the race winner, Aubert Serracanta told us,
“Today was an amazing day — my first time racing on Birds of Prey in Beaver Creek. I felt really good on the first run, but I made some mistakes on the flat that left me a second behind. In the second run, I knew exactly where I had messed up and what I needed to change. I just executed it perfectly. I didn’t expect it to be that fast, but here we are. I’m really happy with the result and with racing in the U.S. again after three years.” — Aleix Aubert Serracanta (ESP), giant slalom winner

Herland told Ski Racing Media,
“The GS today was very fun. I had a really good bottom sector in first run. It was my first time being in the lead after first run in a NorAm race. It was a cool experience, sadly, I didn’t manage to keep the lead. I had some minor mistakes and didn’t carry the speed I needed into the flat in second run. William and Aleix skied really good both runs. I’m overall very happy with keeping up with them and being able to fight for the top spots. It’s very early in the season for me and I have a lot of technical stuff to work with.” — Johs Braathen Herland (NOR)

Men’s Beaver Creek NorAm Giant Slalom One — Finish Order (12/11/2025)

• 1st — Aleix AUBERT SERRACANTA (ESP) — 2:28.65
• 2nd — William HANSSON (SWE) — 2:29.08 (+0.43)
• 3rd — Johs Braathen HERLAND (NOR) — 2:29.42 (+0.77)
• 4th — Cooper CORNELIUS (USA) — 2:30.08 (+1.43)

Herland and Nelson tie for the victory in the second giant slalom

Despite a first-run lead of 0.98 seconds, Nelson could not secure the win outright, as Norway’s Johs Braathen Herland charged from third after the first run to match Nelson’s combined time, leaving the two tied for the victory in the second giant slalom. Stifel U.S. Ski Team B Team member Patrick Kenney completed the podium in third place.

Nelson: “Good Enough to Get the Job Done”

Nelson said:
“I had a blast skiing the first run on a clean course. I was really going for it and executed the trail turns well. In the second run, I pushed again but made a few mistakes across the right-footed sidehill. I kept charging, knowing I had a good lead, and I was really happy to hang on for a tie for first. It wasn’t my best execution, but it was good enough to get the job done.” — Isaiah Nelson, Stifel U.S. Ski Team

Herland Earns First NorAm Victory

Here’s what Herland had to say:
“I’m stoked to get my first NorAm win. Racing on Birds of Prey right after the World Cup was really cool, and the conditions were perfect. The organizers and volunteers did an amazing job, and being able to ski a World Cup hill like this is incredibly valuable for NorAm racers. I think these races should happen every year. I came into super-G with low expectations since it was my first day on super-G skis since NorAm Finals last season, but I skied well and carried that momentum into the giant slalom. Isaiah has been skiing very fast, so I knew I needed a strong run to keep up. It’s fun to represent the college community on the podium — go Utes.” — Johs Herland (NOR), University of Utah

Kenney Builds Momentum Toward World Cup Starts

Patrick Kenney said:
“It was a solid race, have been struggling to find the finish and was good to find the finish after a few races. Bit of a crash so good to finish strong. Good to get some momentum before Valloire & Alta Badia to try and get some World Cup form and carry that momentum. I wish I’d skied faster the week on the Birds of Prey, but it was nice to get a strong result on that hill, it is such a fun hill.” — Patrick Kenney, Stifel U.S. Ski Team

Men’s Beaver Creek NorAm Giant Slalom Two — Finish Order (12/12/2025)

• T-1st — Johs Braathen HERLAND (NOR) — 2:21.55
• T-1st — Isaiah NELSON (USA) — 2:21.55
• 3rd — Patrick KENNEY (USA) — 2:22.44 (+0.89)
• 4th — Simon FOURNIER (CAN) — 2:22.95 (+1.40)

2025/26 NorAm Cup Giant Slalom Standings (after two races)

• 1st — Johs Braathen HERLAND (NOR) — 160 pts
• 2nd — Aleix AUBERT SERRACANTA (ESP) — 150 pts
• 3rd — Isaiah NELSON (USA) — 100 pts
• 4th — William HANSSON (SWE) — 80 pts
• 5th — Benny BROWN (USA) — 72 pts

Wahlqvist takes maiden NorAm win in first slalom

Norway’s Filip Wahlqvist took the win on Saturday (13 December) in the first slalom of the NorAm season. A senior member of the University of Colorado alpine team, Wahlqvist earned his first career NorAm victory, finishing 0.26 seconds ahead of the experienced Croatian Matej Vidovic and 0.34 seconds ahead of Simon Fournier from Canada.

The winner, Wahlqvist, told Ski Racing Media,
“The second-run course was really hard, and it wasn’t easy to feel good out there. I just kept trying to find a rhythm and fight all the way down. When I finished, a friend told me I was in 10th, so I didn’t think too much about it. That made the win pretty surreal.” — Filip Wahlqvist (NOR), University of Colorado

Third-place finisher Simon Fournier, an independent Canadian skier and University of Denver alum, was pleased with his execution in challenging conditions.

“Starting outside the top 30 is always tough in slalom, especially here, but I fought my way through the first run and finally got a clean course on the second,” Fournier said. “Birds of Prey is demanding and really shows the level you need to be at. I’m happy with the execution and moving up onto the podium.” — Simon Fournier (CAN), independent skier, University of Denver alum and All-American

Men’s Beaver Creek NorAm Slalom One — Finish Order (12/13/2025)

• 1st — Filip WAHLQVIST (NOR) — 1:45.83
• 2nd — Matej VIDOVIC (CRO) — 1:46.09 (+0.26)
• 3rd — Simon FOURNIER (CAN) — 1:46.17 (+0.34)
• 4th — Aksel LINDENMEYR (USA) — 1:46.28 (+0.45)

Wahlqvist completes slalom double

Filip Wahlqvist took a second win on the bounce on Sunday, winning by just 0.18 seconds at the second time of asking, this time ahead of Switzerland’s Luc Herrmann, with another Norwegian and a junior at the University of Utah, Sindre Myklebust, finishing third to round out the podium.

Wahlqvist told Ski Racing Media after his second win,
“Winning two races in a row feels really good. It was frustrating to get pushed back 20 bibs for something I didn’t do, but I focused on my skiing and controlled what I could. In the end, the skiing spoke for itself.” — Filip Wahlqvist (NOR), University of Colorado

Men’s Beaver Creek NorAm Slalom Two — Finish Order (12/14/2025)

• 1st — Filip WAHLQVIST (NOR) — 1:42.41
• 2nd — Luc HERRMANN (SUI) — 1:42.59 (+0.18)
• 3rd — Sindre MYKLEBUST (NOR) — 1:42.83 (+0.42)
• 4th — Simon FOURNIER (CAN) — 1:42.86 (+0.45)

2025/26 NorAm Cup Slalom Standings (after two races)

• 1st — Filip WAHLQVIST (NOR) — 200 pts
• 2nd — Simon FOURNIER (CAN) — 110 pts
• 3rd — Sindre MYKLEBUST (NOR) — 89 pts
• T-4th — Luc HERRMANN (SUI) — 80 pts
• T-4th — Matej VIDOVIC (CRO) — 80 pts
• 6th — Etienne MAZELLIER (CAN) — 71 pts

2025/26 NorAm Cup Overall Standings (after six races)

• 1st — Isaiah NELSON (USA) — 300 pts
• 2nd — Filip WAHLQVIST (NOR) — 271 pts
• 3rd — Johs Braathen HERLAND (NOR) — 270 pts
• 4th — Simon FOURNIER (CAN) — 159 pts
• 5th — Aleix AUBERT SERRACANTA (ESP) — 150 pts

What’s next on the Men’s NorAm calendar

The Men’s NorAm circuit now heads to Mount Tremblant, Quebec, for two giant slaloms on January 8–9, contested on the World Cup race hill.