All South Tyrolean podium athletes. © FISI South Tyrol

Snowboarders and freestylers crown their Italian champions

Last week, the freestylers determined the national champions on the Seiser Alm, while the alpine snowboarders fought for gold, silver or bronze in the parallel giant slalom and slalom in Cortina.

08 April 2025

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Last week, the Seiser Alm hosted the Italian Freeski Championships. The overall winners of the IFT Coppa Italia were also honored. Lotta Recla (Vitamin F) was crowned overall winner in the "Pulcini" age group. Colin Vinatzer (Gröden) took second place in the 2012-13 age group. Alex Putzer (Gröden) prevailed in the 2011-12 age group, ahead of Jakob Aichner (Hafling). Heidi Pescollderungg (Vitamin F) won the junior women's race, with her teammate Nina Mairhofer taking third place.

A number of podium finishes were also achieved at the national championships. Maria Gasslitter (Val Gardena) took second place overall in the slopestyle and also achieved this position in the junior age group. Niklas Oberrauch (Val Gardena) also took home the silver medal in the overall ranking. In the "Allievi" category, Max Von Aufschnaiter (Val Gardena) won the gold medal, with Alex Putzer taking second. Maya Recla also took second place in the young women's category of the same age. Gold and silver were also awarded in the Ragazzi category: Colin Vinatzer (Val Gardena) prevailed ahead of his teammate Peter Von Aufschnaiter.

Girorgio Busulini won bronze in the ski cross competition. © FISI South Tyrol

The picture was similar in the Big Air. Maria Gasslitter once again finished second overall and also took silver in the junior women's category – just like Niklas Oberrauch in the men's category. Elia Hofer (Vitamin F), another South Tyrolean, celebrated bronze, and even won gold in the juniors, ahead of Mattia Mersa (Gröden) and Ryo Scherlin (Alpe di Siusi).

In the "Allievi" category, Von Aufschnaiter, Putzer, and Recla repeated their placings from the slopestyle, while in the "Ragazzi" category, Von Aufschnaiter won ahead of Vinatzer. The Criterium Nazionale Pulcini was also held on Europe's largest alpine pasture, with Lotta Recla winning the slopestyle and big air events. Enea Genetti (Val Gardena) took two second places in the "Cuccioli" category.

Medal shower at the championships of the “Brettlrutscher”

What the "big" South Tyrolean snowboarders can show in the World Cup, the "little ones" can do too. At the Italian Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, which took place last weekend, South Tyrol's young snowboard virtuosos took home several category victories.

From the U13 category up to the general category, the new Italian champions in parallel slalom and parallel giant slalom were sought in Cortina d'Ampezzo. And among the youngest athletes, a Villnöß native excelled, as Lia Holzknecht won the U13 title in both disciplines. Giorgia Perri of ASV Gherdëina took third place in both. The U13 Italian parallel slalom champion also comes from South Tyrol and is named Matteo Bogliolo (ASV Burgstall). He finished second in the giant slalom, while Moritz Irsara of ASV Villnöß took third place in both disciplines.

Max Von Aufschneiter, Elia Hofer, and Ryo Schernlin. © FISI South Tyrol

In the U15 category, Tobias Mutschlechner of ASV Vigil achieved the same feat as Lia Holzknecht in the U13 category: The Marebbe native won both the parallel slalom and the giant slalom. In the latter event, he beat Maris Baumgartner of Villnöß in the final, who thus became runner-up in the Italian championships, as did fellow U15 women's Lena Obwexer (U15 women's parallel slalom) and Muriel Dorfmann (UXNUMX women's parallel giant slalom). Dorfmann finished third in the slalom, and Natalia Laneve (ASV Gherdëina) took bronze in the giant slalom.

In the "Aspiranti" category, Thomas Fachin (ASV Burgstall) raced to gold in the parallel slalom and silver in the parallel giant slalom. In the women's category, Lucy Call (ASV Vigil) achieved two second-place finishes, and Emma Dorfmann (South Tyrolean national team/ASV Villnöß) took third place in the giant slalom. Her national team colleague Sofia Federspieler, also from ASV Villnöß, achieved two Italian runner-up finishes in the junior women's category. Viktoria Lamber (South Tyrolean national team/ASV Villnöß) and Sophie Rabanser (Carabinieri) took third place.

Roland Fischnaller with his gold medal. © FISI South Tyrol

In the junior category, Tommi Rabanser (Carabinieri) celebrated a double victory, becoming Italian champion in both the parallel slalom and the parallel giant slalom. Mike Santuari (Carabineri) took second place in the slalom and third place in the giant slalom, Manuel Haller (Police) finished second in the giant slalom, and Kevin Crazzolara (South Tyrolean National Team/ASV Gherdëina) took third place in the slalom.

South Tyrol's snowboard aces once again performed well in the "Assoluti" category. Leading the way was Jasmin Coratti, who became a double Italian champion and thus also clinched her first national titles. In the men's event, Roland Fischnaller won the parallel giant slalom title, relegating Gabriel Messner and Edwin Coratti to second and third places, respectively. In the parallel slalom, Tommi Rabanser finished second and Aaron March third.

The ski crossers are also still pushing

Giorgio Busulini won the bronze medal in the U21 age group at the Italian Ski Cross Championships at Passo San Pellegrino last week. The ASV Kronplatz Racing Center athlete finished 22nd overall and subsequently competed in the Junior World Championships in France. In the general age group, Dominik Zuech (Lana) finished second at the national championships and won the silver medal, while Yanick Gunsch finished fourth.