Featured Image: Amelia Smart 🇨🇦 charges to victory in the Day 1 women’s slalom at the NorAm circuit. Photo by Eric Brandolini.
Aspen Highlands set the stage for NorAm Finals, where World Cup veterans and NCAA champions collided with World Cup start positions on the line.
How and when to watch. In this article you will find NorAm Finals GS and SL results, field analysis, and the athletes who secured World Cup start opportunities.
Women’s Slalom
March 23 — SL #1
Top 5
- 1st: Amelia Smart 🇨🇦 (1998, Atomic) — 1:51.86
- 2nd: Franziska Gritsch 🇦🇹 (1997) — +0.43
- 3rd: Justine Lamontagne 🇨🇦 (2002) — +1.08
- 4th: Kjersti Moritz 🇺🇸 (2004) — +1.24
- 5th: Arianne Forget 🇨🇦 (2003, Atomic) — +1.59
Race Analysis
Amelia Smart delivered a composed second run to take the win. The University of Denver standout and three-time NCAA champion managed difficult conditions by staying centered and aggressive, saying, “I knew it was pretty tough conditions, so I just focused on staying balanced and still pushing the speed as much as I could. I’m glad it paid off.”
She added that returning to Colorado carried extra meaning, calling it “like coming back to my second home.”
Franziska Gritsch, a seasoned World Cup veteran, used her experience to stay close in second and set the tone for the series.
Justine Lamontagne, coming off a 2026 NCAA double title in GS and SL, continued her strong form with a third-place finish.
Just behind, Kjersti Moritz led the Americans in fourth, while Arianne Forget added another strong result for Alpine Canada.
March 24 — SL #2
Top 5
- 1st: Franziska Gritsch 🇦🇹 (1997) — 1:52.41
- 2nd: Madison Hoffman 🇦🇺 (2000) — +0.21
- 3rd: Eleri Smart 🇨🇦 (2001) — +1.13
- 4th: Amelia Smart 🇨🇦 (1998, Atomic) — +1.16
- 5th: Justine Lamontagne 🇨🇦 (2002) — +1.22
Race Analysis
Franziska Gritsch used eight seasons of World Cup experience to control the race and take the win.
Madison Hoffman, a University of Utah standout and NCAA double champion in GS and SL (2023), showed powerful, confident skiing to finish second.
Eleri Smart continued the University of Denver pipeline with a composed run to third, earning her first career NorAm podium, while her sister Amelia Smart, a three-time NCAA champion, finished just behind in fourth.
Justine Lamontagne, one of the most decorated NCAA athletes in the field, capped her collegiate career at Montana State with a 2026 NCAA double title in GS and SL, and rounded out the top five.
Women’s Slalom — NorAm Title
Although 🇦🇹 Gritsch secured the NorAm SL title, World Cup start positions go to the top North Americans
Women’s Slalom
- 1st: 🇺🇸 Kjersti Moritz (USA, 2004)
- 2nd: 🇨🇦 Sarah Bennett (CAN, YOB to confirm)
Women’s Giant Slalom — NorAm Title
Both women’s NorAm Finals giant slalom races in Aspen were canceled due to warm temperatures, preventing any additional results from impacting the standings.
As a result, Franziska Gritsch (AUT, 1997) secured the NorAm giant slalom title based on prior results.
However, World Cup start positions are awarded to the top North American athletes in the standings for the 2027 World Cup season:
- 🇺🇸 Logan Grosdidier (USA, 2008)
- 🇨🇦 Arianne Forget (CAN, 2003, Atomic)
At just 17 years old, Grosdidier, the youngest member of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, earns a World Cup start opportunity for the 2027 season, marking a significant step forward in his progression.
Forget, already showing consistency across disciplines, adds a World Cup GS start to her résumé for the 2027 season following a strong NorAm campaign.
Women’s Overall — NorAm Title
Franziska Gritsch 🇦🇹 (AUT, 1997) secured the women’s NorAm overall title, capping a consistent season across disciplines.
However, as a non-North American, Gritsch does not take a World Cup quota position.
The top North American finisher, Logan Grosdidier 🇺🇸 (USA, 2008) of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, delivered one of the standout performances of the season.
At just 17 years old, Grosdidier has earned NorAm World Cup start positions in all four disciplines for the 2027 season, highlighting both her versatility and rapid progression across speed and technical events.
Men’s Giant Slalom
March 23 — GS #1
Top 5
- 1st: Bridger Gile 🇺🇸 (1999, Head, Oakley) — 2:12.45
- 2nd: Johs Braathen Herland 🇳🇴 (2003) — +1.88
- 3rd: Patrick Kenney 🇺🇸 (1997, Völkl, Marker, SHRED) — +2.09
- 4th: Adrian HunsÂhammer Minde 🇳🇴 (2002) — +2.35
- 5th: Yann Schrag 🇨🇠(2004) — +3.03
Race Analysis
Bridger Gile, skiing on home snow in Aspen, opened the series with a composed and controlled performance. The Stifel U.S. Ski Team World Cup veteran used his familiarity with the terrain to take the win, saying “it meant a lot to do it at home.”
Johs Braathen Herland, the University of Utah standout and two-time NCAA GS champion (2025, 2026), showed strong pace to finish second and set the tone for his eventual overall title.
Patrick Kenney, another Stifel U.S. Ski Team World Cup veteran and former University of New Hampshire All-American, delivered a consistent performance for third.
March 24 — GS #2
Top 5
- 1st: Bridger Gile 🇺🇸 (1999, Head, Oakley) — 2:08.16
- 2nd: Patrick Kenney 🇺🇸 (1997, Völkl, Marker, SHRED) — +0.44
- 3rd: Isaiah Nelson 🇺🇸 (2001) — +1.24
- 4th: Johs Braathen Herland 🇳🇴 (2003) — +2.19
- 5th: Adrian HunsÂhammer Minde 🇳🇴 (2002) — +2.46
Race Analysis
Bridger Gile completed a sweep in Aspen, combining strength and efficiency across both runs to secure a second victory. “Winning one race is hard, so to win two days in a row is a super sweet feeling,” he said.
He entered the series carrying speed and confidence built over the past month, noting “I’ve been skiing fast since the beginning of February. This was just the moment to put it together.”
The Highlands track added another layer to the performance, with Gile describing it as “a really cool hill — it’s got pitch, terrain, but also really good flow.”
Patrick Kenney continued his consistent form in second, while Isaiah Nelson, a rising member of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, secured third and a key World Cup opportunity.
Men’s Giant Slalom — NorAm Title
Although 🇳🇴 Herland secured the overall NorAm GS title, World Cup start positions go to the top North Americans
Men’s Giant Slalom
- 1st: 🇺🇸 Bridger Gile (USA, 1999)
- 2nd: 🇺🇸 Isaiah Nelson (USA, 2001)
Men’s Slalom
March 25 — SL #1
Top 5
- 1st: Cooper Puckett 🇺🇸 (2003, Head) — 1:47.47
- 2nd: Jevin Palmquist 🇺🇸 (2007, Atomic) — +0.04
- 3rd: Matej Vidović đź‡đź‡· (1993, Head) — +0.21
- 4th: Maximilien Hoder 🇺🇸 (2005) — +0.91
- 5th: Stanley Buzek 🇺🇸 (2005) — +0.93
Race Analysis
Cooper Puckett delivered a composed performance to take the win, holding off a tight field. The Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete has already competed in seven World Cup slaloms this season and scored in his very first World Cup start in Levi, showing the level he is now bringing to the NorAm circuit.
Just behind, Jevin Palmquist missed the win by just four hundredths. The rising American, who finished fourth at the 2026 FIS Junior World Ski Championships in slalom, continues to show he can compete at the front against both established and experienced athletes.
Matej Vidović, the NorAm slalom title winner, added another podium with a strong second run, while Maximilien Hoder—a World Cup start qualifier—and Stanley Buzek rounded out a tightly packed top five.
March 26 — SL #2
Top 5
- 1st: Jevin Palmquist 🇺🇸 (2007, Atomic) — 1:49.86
- 2nd: Matej Vidović đź‡đź‡· (1993, Head) — +0.01
- 3rd: Étienne Mazellier 🇨🇦 (2001) — +0.36
- 4th: Cooper Puckett 🇺🇸 (2003, Head) — +0.79
- 5th: Bradshaw Underhill 🇺🇸 (2000) — +0.99
Race Analysis
Jevin Palmquist responded one day after narrowly missing victory, delivering a composed performance to take the win by just one hundredth. The American continues to build momentum after a fourth-place finish at the 2026 FIS Junior World Championships in slalom, showing he can execute under pressure at the highest level of this field.
Matej Vidović, the NorAm slalom title winner, pushed hard again and finished just off the top step, missing the win by the smallest margin of the week.
In third, Étienne Mazellier, out of Stoneham, Canada, delivered a strong, balanced performance to secure the podium and continue Canada’s depth in the discipline.
Cooper Puckett, fresh off his win on March 25, backed it up with another solid result in fourth, while Bradshaw Underhill rounded out the top five in a tightly contested race.
Men’s Slalom — NorAm Title
The 2026 NorAm slalom title was shared by Matej Vidović đź‡đź‡· (CRO, 1993, Head) and Maximilien Hoder 🇺🇸 (USA, 2005), marking a tie at the top between the experienced Croatian and one of the rising American talents.
However, World Cup start positions are awarded to the top North American athletes in the standings for the 2027 World Cup season:
- 🇺🇸 Maximilien Hoder (USA, 2005) — Mount Mansfield Ski Academy
- 🇺🇸 Jevin Palmquist (USA, 2006, Atomic) — Team Summit
Both athletes represent the next generation of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team pipeline, with Hoder coming through Mount Mansfield Ski Academy and Palmquist developing with Team Summit.
Their results underline the continued strength of the American development system, with young athletes stepping into World Cup start opportunities.
Men’s Overall — NorAm Title
Johs Braathen Hæland 🇳🇴 (NOR, 2003) of the University of Utah secured the overall NorAm title, continuing a dominant season that included a GS title and multiple podium performances.
However, as a non-North American, Hæland does not take a World Cup quota position.
The top North American finisher, Isaiah Nelson 🇺🇸 (USA, 2001) of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, emerged as one of the biggest stories of the season.
Nelson has earned NorAm World Cup start positions in all four disciplines for the 2027 season, highlighting both his versatility and progression across speed and technical events.
About the Author: Matt Garcka
