Valle Nevado, South America’s premier ski resort, hosted the Andes Cup from July 28 to August 2, kicking off the South American Cup Park & Pipe series of events. The competition attracted nearly 40 elite athletes from over six countries competing in high-level freeski and snowboard disciplines in two slopestyle and two big air events for each sport.
The event is part of the South American Cup circuit, where points are awarded that count towards the World Cup and with which participants can also qualify for the World Cup. The world-class snow park of Valle Nevado provided the stage on which the athletes competed not only against each other, but also against the difficult weather conditions. Despite these challenges, the athletes delivered spectacular performances and earned important FIS points for their chances of places on the upcoming World Cup tour.
In the men’s freeski category, Chilean Francisco Salas, American Luke Votaw and Argentinian Cristobal Colombo showed outstanding performances. In the women’s competition, Chilean Javiera Rojas dominated with three wins in a row and Olympian Dominique Ohaco from Chile showed a strong performance in the Big Air competition.
The snowboard competitions were hotly contested. Former World Cup athlete Antonia Yañez from Chile celebrated a triumphant comeback and won all four competitions. The Italian Arianna Vergani also secured podium places together with the Chileans Josefa Arellano and Julieta Pizarro. Among the young participants, the Chilean Olympian Leon Lorenzini and the Argentinian Santiago Magni were the stars.
In the men’s snowboard category, Chilean World Cup snowboarder Yañez, Argentinian Fede Charadio and his teammate Valentin Moreno each took the win, while Pedro Pizarro and young Chilean athletes Benjamin Villegas and Andres Erlandsen also showed strong performances.
These events in Valle Nevado not only showcased incredible sporting talent, but also introduced important innovations to improve performance and sustainability. Live Heats technology enabled results and scores to be displayed in real time on a screen at the start gate, increasing excitement for competitors and spectators. In addition, compost and recycling bins were installed to reduce waste and environmental impact.
The Andes Cup is organized by the Chilean Ski and Snowboard Federation, with the support of the National Sports Institute (IND) and sponsors such as Avene, Rossard, Oakley, Thule, LBS, Opinel, Stanley, El Montañés, The North Face, Snickers and media partners Chilenieve, Revista HD Sports and Global Vía Pública. Due to its success, the event is scheduled to return to Valle Nevado in 2025.
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