Eighteen-year-old Finley Melville Ives has made history as the youngest New Zealander to win a FIS Freeski World Cup, claiming victory in the Freeski Halfpipe in Calgary with a stellar performance.
The Wānaka skier delivered a dream run in the finals, scoring an impressive 92.75 on his first attempt, which remained unbeaten despite a tense wait as top competitors followed. Melville Ives, who described the moment as “surreal,” stood atop the podium alongside freeski legends Nick Goepper and Alex Ferreira.
Fellow Kiwi Luke Harrold finished just outside the podium in fourth. This victory marks Melville Ives’ first World Cup podium and places him fourth in the overall tour standings, with the World Championships in Switzerland now on the horizon.
18-year-old Finley Melville Ives has just claimed his maiden World Cup podium in the form of a victory at the FIS Freeski Halfpipe World Cup in Calgary!
Fin is now the youngest Kiwi to ever win a FIS Freeski World Cup in any discipline, incredible!
P: @FISfreestyle pic.twitter.com/I8LN5hWujB
— Snow Sports NZ (@snowsports_nz) February 16, 2025
