‘Icy’ Idre Fjäll promises fast runs at Moguls World Cup
Dec 05, 2024·Freestyle
For years, Idre Fjäll has been a key pit stop for the world’s best moguls skiers as an elite training ground and competition venue.
Less than a month after hosting the FIS Open moguls event, the picturesque Swedish slopes are about to feature world-class action again, this time for the FIS Freestyle Moguls World Cup.
The season is new, but given the level of competition a week ago in Finland, keen watchers can expect similar tight contests to play out in Idre.
Kingsbury keen on double success again
King of Moguls Mikael Kingsbury will be riding on confidence, not simply because of his emotional season-opening win in Ruka. Idre was also where the Canadian picked up two World Cup victories last season, winning the Moguls and Dual Moguls.
But reigning Moguls World Cup holder Ikuma Horishima could disrupt the Canadian’s dominance, especially if he can repeat his rare 1440 from last week.
This season, the Japanese skier is not holding back on his jumps. He said: “Before the season started, I set a goal of doing a double full and 14 combination if I make it into the superfinal. I wanted to challenge myself if I made it into the top six. I want to try it at every final.”
At Idre, home ground advantage could also play a big role.
Sweden’s Walter Wallberg will relish this, especially given his promising start at the previous stop. The 24-year-old’s skis were the quickest down the course in Finland, where he was runner-up to Kingsbury.
He said: “It was a super good start to the season, (to get) second place in Ruka, then coming here to Idre. This is almost my second home. I train a lot here during the pre-season. It’s a course I like and I’ve done well here.
“Ski faster than everyone else and jump a little bit bigger – that’s my plan. I know I can ski very fast. It’s going to be a tough course. It's very icy and a lot of people are going to ski a little bit too fast. I’ll just try to keep it simple, be the first one down and keep it together all the way down.”
Anthony v Laffont rivalry takes next stage
On the women’s side, Jakara Anthony will be buoyed by her success on these grounds last year. The Australian was on the podium in Moguls and Dual Moguls then, taking a win in the former, and will no doubt be looking to do better than her runner-up finish last week.
However, she will have to keep stiff rival Perrine Laffont at bay. The Frenchwoman looks to be in perilous form and hungrier than ever for victory.
At the Idre Fjäll World Cup leg, Dual Moguls will also be contested. The event will feature at the Olympic Winter Games for the first time at Milan-Cortina 2026, and honing in on speed this season will be even more crucial for those looking to do well there.
Skiers will be tested on Idre Fjäll’s "Mascots Delight", a challenging 240-metre course with a steep 27.8% incline that demands the highest levels of skills and precision.
Competition on Friday will begin with women’s qualification at 08:50 local time, followed by men’s qualifications at 11:00. Finals will take place from 13:30.
On Saturday, preliminary rounds for Dual Moguls start from 10:15, while finals will take place from 13:30.
WATCH LIVE
Extensive TV broadcast coverage is available for fans to follow the action, along with streaming on FIS TV. We warmly invite you to join us live and help spread the word about the live streaming of the competition in Idre available on our YouTube channel.
Here are the links and information about geo-restrictions:
Friday, 6 December
Saturday, 7 December
Please note that due to broadcasting rights restrictions, live streaming availability may be limited in certain regions.
However, the livestream for the finals is accessible in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Singapore, and South Korea. For the qualifications, the livestream is available globally, with the exception of geo-restrictions in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
QUICK LINKS
Idre Fjäll World Cup FIS data page (start lists, results, etc)
Photos: Moguls
