Upper Clutha athletes Luca Harrington (Wānaka, 21) and Luke Harrold (Lake Hāwea, 17) have both claimed second-place finishes in major freeski events in China, extending a strong start to the northern hemisphere season.

Luca reached the Big Air World Cup podium (Beijing) for the sixth time in a row, while Luke impressed with a breakthrough result at the inaugural Freeski Snow League at Yunding Snow Park.

Luca topped qualifying for the Beijing Big Air final and delivered two high-scoring runs - a 92.75 for a switch right triple corked 1800 and an 89.75 for a right triple corked 1980 - to finish runner-up and move into the overall World Cup lead for 2025/2026.

Luca said landing his opening trick set him up for the rest of the competition. 

“Getting that first trick done gave me a lot of confidence going into run two,” he said. 

“The level of the sport is incredible at the moment and to stay at the top means the world to me.” 

Norway’s Ulrik Samnoey won the Beijing Big Air, with Austria’s Matej Svancer taking third.

Meanwhile Luke Harrold battled his way through a demanding new head-to-head format created by snowboarding legend Shaun White. 

Luke was the youngest skier in the field and defeated three-time Olympic medallist David Wise in the quarter-finals and Britain’s Gus Kenworthy in the semis, delivering highly technical runs that included a switch left alley-oop double corked 1260 and a left double corked 1620.

Luke Harrold in action at The Snow League. PHOTO: The Snow League / Jenny Lang

Luke said competing against some of the sport’s biggest names was a milestone moment. 

“It felt good to compete against the people I have watched skiing for a long time… it was an amazing event,” he said.

In a tense final against Canada’s Brendan Mackay, Luke forced the match to a deciding third run before finishing second, with Kenworthy rounding out the podium.

The Kiwi freeski and snowboard halfpipe team return to action next weekend at the opening stop of the 2025/26 FIS Halfpipe World Cup, held in the same Yunding halfpipe. 

Snowboarders Lyon Farrell and Dane Menzies also compete tonight in the Beijing Snowboard Big Air final.