Wānaka’s Finley Melville Ives (17) secured a career-best fourth place at the FIS Freeski Halfpipe World Cup in Calgary yesterday (Sunday February 18).

Up against some of the best in the world, including 2024 X Games Champion and Beijing 2022 Olympic bronze medalist Alex Ferreira (USA) and current World Champion Brendan Mackay (Canada), Finley delivered an incredible performance.

Finley’s second run was flawless, going absolutely massive, including a hugely technical right double cork 1620 rotation, linked into a left double cork 1260 and a left double alley-oop 900. 

“That was the best run of my life and I am really happy to have done it in front of the awesome crowd in Calgary,” Finley said. 

“After I landed my 1620 I was smiling under my facemask and when I got to the bottom I was just so thrilled.”

Finley with Snow Sports NZ coach Brad Prosser after the event. PHOTO: Snow Sports NZ

Finley sat in a nail-biting third position right up until the final athlete Jon Sallinen (Finland) took his run. Jon put down a highly technical run that just bumped Finley off the podium. 

Alex Ferreira took the win, becoming the first freeskier ever to win every stop of a World Cup Halfpipe season and in the process securing the 2024 Crystal Globe. Jon Sallinen finished in second place, with Seung Hun Lee (Korea) claiming the first World Cup podium of his career in third. 

The event marked the final stop on the 2024 Freeski Halfpipe World Cup circuit, with Finley finishing in tenth overall. Lake Hāwea’s Luke Harrold (15) finished in eighth place overall in his first World Cup season.

For full results click here.