The planning for the next Olympic cycle is already underway. Representatives from the global Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski community met in Geneva, Switzerland, this week for the 2026 FIS Autumn Meetings, looking ahead to the 2026-27 World Cup season, the 2027 Freestyle World Championships in Montafon, Austria, and the 2030 Olympic Winter Games in the French Alps.
Following the success of Milano Cortina 2026, FIS is now focusing on building more stable World Cup calendars, expanding athlete development pathways, improving event safety and finding new ways to grow the visibility of Freestyle disciplines.
Among the biggest developments is the addition of Snowboard Mixed Team Parallel to the Olympic program for French Alps 2030. After fearing Parallel Giant Slalom might be cut, the International Olympic committee not just decided to keep it but to give Snowboard Alpine two medal events by adding the mixed team event.
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Snowboard Alpine Builds Toward 2030
Snowboard Alpine will have 33 World Cup competitions across 12 locations in eight countries during the 2026-27 season. The discipline counted 670 active athletes in 2026, with FIS highlighting junior competition as an important pathway into the World Cup. Expanding youth competitions and development camps, including camps on additional continents, will be a priority during the new Olympic cycle.
FIS also wants to increase athlete storytelling and digital content as it looks to build the discipline’s audience ahead of future Olympic program decisions.
Snowboard Cross Looks for a More Sustainable World Cup
Snowboard Cross will retain its full Olympic program in 2030, including men’s, women’s and Mixed Team competitions. The discipline’s 2025-26 World Cup season reached a cumulative television audience of 37 million despite a reduced calendar, but the cost of staging competitions remains a challenge. FIS is therefore looking for a more financially sustainable World Cup structure through 2030. A temporary adjustment to participation fees for double events was approved by the committee and will go to the FIS Council for final approval.
Several nations have expressed interest in hosting Snowboard Cross during the next Olympic cycle, but FIS says the priority is turning that interest into longer-term commitments. The major championship target for next season will be the 2027 World Championships in Montafon.
Ski Cross Gets Tougher and Safer
Ski Cross will visit 10 locations across eight countries during the 2026-27 World Cup season, while the European Cup will feature nine competition blocks at eight venues in six countries. Safety standards are also changing. New FIS-compliant Ski Cross gate panels and Level A cut-resistant underwear will become mandatory for the 2026-27 season. Fluor controls will also continue throughout the World Cup and almost all European Cup competitions.
Athletes have called for larger and more technically demanding courses, and FIS says the goal is to create greater separation between competitors without simply increasing speed or risk. Women’s Ski Cross development is another priority, with FIS working toward a more connected pathway from development camps through the European Cup and into consistent World Cup participation.
The federation is also exploring multi-year agreements with organizers as part of its proposed Cross Vision 2030 framework.
Street Style Could Be Coming to the World Cup
Park & Pipe enters the new season with a full World Cup schedule following strong exposure at Milano Cortina. The 2026-27 calendar includes four Big Air events each for Snowboard and Freeski, six Snowboard and five Freeski Halfpipe competitions, and four Slopestyle events for each discipline.
But one of the more interesting developments is happening outside the traditional Olympic events. FIS is working toward introducing Street Style at World Cup level in 2027-28, with two test events currently planned. The long-term ambition is to potentially bring Street Style to the Olympic program for 2034. Street Style sees riders put down tricks off urban features like stairs, railings, etc.
FIS is also looking at ways to make Halfpipe competition more accessible at junior and lower-level events. Allowing smaller pipes could enable more countries to host competitions and create additional development opportunities for athletes.
The 2027 Junior World Championships at Secret Garden, China, will feature Snowboard and Freeski Halfpipe, Big Air and Slopestyle, along with Street Style.
AI Judging Moves Forward
Technology is also becoming a bigger part of Freestyle competition. FIS is continuing development of an AI judging project, although the system is intended to support judges rather than replace them.
Potential applications extend beyond competition scoring. FIS sees opportunities for the technology to help with judges’ education and training while also producing new data and visualizations for digital content and television broadcasts.
Aerials also recently tested a remote data-service operation, with the competition in Štíty, Czech Republic, supported remotely from Graz, Austria. FIS says the approach could reduce staffing requirements and costs at future events.
Moguls and Aerials Face Calendar Questions
Moguls and Aerials are entering the new cycle with a focus on development, education and event delivery, but World Cup calendar stability remains an issue. After several seasons with strong schedules, the number of World Cup competitions has contracted. FIS is considering whether future calendars should move away from the traditional block-based format to create a more sustainable structure.
Development programs are also expanding, including education for judges and Technical Delegates, Moguls course-building education and data-service training.
Asia remains a major focus for Freestyle development, with FIS looking to expand existing programs and establish smaller development projects in additional nations.
Montafon 2027 is the Next Big Event
The next major test will come in March 2027, when Montafon hosts the FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships. The event will feature Moguls, Dual Moguls, Aerials and Aerials Mixed Team competitions, along with the Snowboard and Freeski disciplines.
The championships will also feature a new team event for the first time at a FIS World Championships: Dual Moguls Mixed Team.
For FIS, the Geneva meetings marked the transition from Milano Cortina 2026 to the next Olympic cycle. The immediate challenge is delivering the 2026-27 World Cup season and Montafon 2027. Beyond that, FIS is already looking toward French Alps 2030 and 2034, with the same questions looming across the disciplines: How can World Cup calendars become financially sustainable? How can more athletes reach the top level? And how can Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski continue to grow without compromising safety or the character of the sports?