Making the Moguls

The FIS Freestyle World Championship is nearly here! Right now, is it more all about excitement or nerves?
We’re right on track, so I’m feeling pretty relaxed at the moment. What’s got me on edge the most is juggling all the disciplines at once and, of course, the weather – though I can’t do a thing about that. We’ve got Plans A, B, C, and D lined up, and we’ve run through all those scenarios, so we’re ready. We’re tackling it in stages too – starting with finishing the moguls, then moving on to ski cross, snowboard alpine parallel slalom, snowboard cross, and finally aerials, step by step. The key is to get into the groove.

Since 2022, you’ve been the president of the organising committee for the Women’s Ski World Cup in St. Moritz. Now, for the World Championships, you’re overseeing the competitions on Corviglia. How does this shift in roles feel for you?
Oh, it’s definitely a change. It took me a little while to get the hang of the different disciplines, but I’m finding it pretty exciting – you really have to be open to new stuff. That said, the experience I’ve gained over the past few years has been a major help with both the planning and now the actual execution. The core ideas behind the events are pretty similar, though the details can vary quite a bit.

How familiar were you with moguls before all this?
Up until three years ago, we had zero experience with moguls here. Then we had our first meeting, went through the rulebook, and started asking ourselves all sorts of questions: Which slope would work for this event? How can we pull off the competition without using too much snow? Two years back, we hosted the European Cup, which was a fantastic learning experience and really helped us get a feel for the sport. For the World Championships, we brought in the pros to assist us – and the head coach of Swiss Ski is also helping out with the creation of the mogul slope

What do you need to keep in mind when grooming the mogul slope?
There are specific guidelines we have to follow, but we’ve also got a bit of wiggle room. When it came to selecting the perfect slope, we really only had one option: the Tschainas slope on the far edge of the Corviglia area (on the left side of the Salastrains chairlift). First, the slope is groomed with a snowcat – a machine that allows our skilled drivers to assess precisely which sections are on point and which still need some tweaking. After that, the roughly 30 cm of snow left on the line is pushed into piles that are carefully placed at regular intervals. Next, we shape those piles by hand with shovels. Finally, skiers come in to slide and ski on it – and that’s how the moguls get their final shape.

Where do you get to exercise some creative freedom
When it comes to the spacing of the moguls, there aren’t any strict rules. You can go from a bigger hill to a smaller one or shift from a 3-metre gap to a 2.5-metre one. It’s a bit like giant slalom – there, the distances vary within a certain range, too. And everything around it can be tweaked as well. Take the finish area, for instance – we want the competition to be easily visible for spectators, not tucked away off the beaten track. The Tschainas slope is the perfect venue for this.

With as many as 200 athletes competing in the qualification round, how do you make sure the slope quality stays consistently high?
It’s not really an issue. The athletes have four possible lines to choose from – two on the left and two on the right. That’s why we’ve set up four jump options. Generally, athletes prefer a line that isn’t too tough. And by regularly sliding the slope, we maintain perfectly groomed and consistent moguls, so the athletes get to ski on a perfectly groomed line.