Freestyle and moguls athletes from around the world will convene at Winter Park Resort to kick off the competition season with the annual U.S. Freestyle Selection Events. 130 athletes will compete from Monday, Jan. 9, to Thursday, Jan. 12, in moguls and dual moguls. The skiers hail from Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, Italy and across the U.S., including Colorado. Many of these skiers are from U.S. Ski & Snowboard member clubs and the U.S. Freestyle Team.

The event will take place at the Ambush Mogul Course, so spectators will be able to watch the action right from the base area, including the deck of De-Railer Bar. The first mogul competition will be on Jan. 9 and the second will be on Jan. 11. Pairs of athletes will race each other during the dual moguls competition on Jan. 12. Dual moguls is a a nail-biting, head-to-head sport, and a new addition for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The U.S. Selection Event is an International Ski Federation competition. According to U.S. Ski & Snowboard, results from this event will be added to the Grand Prix List. The list ranks athletes from their results at both U.S. National Championships and U.S. Selection Events. The results qualify athletes for starts on the NorAm Tour and then in domestic World Cups.

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The selections events and NorAm Tour are the second-highest level of competition in the U.S., designed to prepare athletes to compete on the World Cup stage. World Cup stops include venues in the United States and Canada.

Notable Colorado athletes

Landon Wendler — Landon is an athlete on the U.S. Moguls Team and has been competing at the highest level since 2021. He grew up training with the Steamboat Spring Winter Sports Club in Steamboat. In 2018, he was the moguls Junior National Champion. In 2022, he already had three FIS World Cup starts in Ruka, Finland, Idre Fjall, Sweden and Alpe d’Huez, France. When not on the World Cup circuit or training in his home state of Colorado, Landon trains with the Wasatch Freestyle team in Utah.

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Charlie Mickel — Charlie Mickel, originally from Durango, is a U.S. Moguls D Team athlete. Growing up, Charlie was involved with multiple clubs in Colorado, including the Telluride Ski & Snowboard Club, Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and the Durango Winter Sports Club. Now a student at the University of Utah, Charlie is a contender on the FIS World Cup circuit, with three starts so far in Sweden, France and Finland. 

Anabel Ayad — Anabel Ayad, a Colorado native, is keeping the tradition of high-level skiing in the family as her mother, Anna Battelle, is a four-time Olympian. Anabel trains with the Steamboat Winter Sports Club and is a senior at Steamboat Springs High School. Aside from being a Rocky Mountain All-Star, she is also the top-ranked skier in Colorado for women’s moguls.

Evelyn Harris — Evelyn joined the Park City Ski and Snowboard Club as an athlete after graduating from Summit High School in 2022. Evelyn grew up skiing in Colorado, specifically in Summit County with Summit Freestyle. Evelyn has competed for seven years and her top accomplishments include three top-ten finishes in Junior National competitions.