Athlete's Guide to Freestyle Canada Moguls and Park Canada Cup U14-U18+ 2025-26

Under the Freestyle Canada 2025-2026 Canada Cup Guidelines, ages are based on January 1, 2026:

Canada Cup Development Series (moguls, dual moguls, and park and pipe):

• U14: ages 12 and 13
• U16: ages 14 and 15
• U18+: age 16 and over

Canadian Junior Championships (moguls, dual moguls, aerials; and slopestyle, big air, halfpipe):

• U14: ages 12 and 13
• U16: ages 14 and 15
• U18: ages 16 and 17

Categories can be merged if needed, and Freestyle Canada can merge categories with fewer than 5 athletes. Age exemptions are available case by case from Freestyle Canada for athletes who meet the quota criteria and the minimum skill level for the Train-to-Train stage.

FIS Series and FIS minimums: FIS Series events need a FIS age and licence (date of birth 2012 or earlier in 2025-26). Under the FIS rules (June 2026), the minimum age for international moguls is 13 and for major events (World Cup, World Championships, Olympics) it is 15; international junior competitions have a maximum age of 19 for moguls, dual moguls and aerials. For 2026-27 the FIS table sets the basic FIS licence level at those born in 2013 and earlier.

Sources: https://cdn.sanity.io/files/5hgz6u4c/production/31c8f9f9018f590f0dd3d545d01cae92e9af892c.pdf and FIS ICR Book VI (June 2026) rule 2013.4, https://assets.fis-ski.com/f/252177/x/74599b71fa/sbfsfk-new-icr-spring-2026_clean.pdf

Under the Freestyle Canada 2025-2026 Canada Cup Guidelines:

Development Series (moguls at Canyon and Calabogie, park and pipe at Winsport and Horseshoe):

• Freestyle Canada gives each Provincial/Territorial Sport Organization (P/TSO) a base quota: 15 spots per P/TSO for moguls (field of 90) and 10 per P/TSO for park and pipe (field of 90). Extra spots go to P/TSOs that ask, by round robin using their share of athlete licences in U12, U14, U16 and U18.
• P/TSOs get quotas by November 7 and allocate spots to their own athletes. They confirm any request for more spots by October 22, Freestyle Canada confirms final quotas by October 29, and P/TSOs confirm athlete lists 1 month before the event.
• You need at least a Freestyle Canada Provincial level athlete licence and to be registered. Registration closes 3 weeks before the event; unregistered spots go to alternates.

FIS Series (for example moguls at Apex and Panorama, park and pipe at Sun Peaks and Wentworth):

• Freestyle Canada selects athletes using its rankings. Priority is National Team athletes, then ranked athletes from the previous season, then up to 10 wild cards for injured or fast-progressing athletes, then remaining spots offered to P/TSOs first come first served, and unused Canadian spots go to foreign athletes.
• You need a FIS age and licence (date of birth 2012 or earlier in 2025-26). The guiding principle is that athletes should be in the top third of their provincial events and able to compete a 360 and/or invert on a Train-to-Train level course.
• Early and mid-season quotas are confirmed by October 29, and late-season events at least 3 weeks before the event.

Source: https://cdn.sanity.io/files/5hgz6u4c/production/31c8f9f9018f590f0dd3d545d01cae92e9af892c.pdf

Under the FIS International Competition Rules (June 2026), which the Canada Cup guidelines follow, a moguls run is evaluated on three components:

• Turns: 60% of the score.
• Air: 20% of the score.
• Speed: 20% of the score. Speed Score = 48 minus 32 times (your time divided by the pace time), with a maximum of 20.0.

The pace time is the course length in metres divided by the pace speed: 10.30 m/s for men and 9.00 m/s for women.

Tie-breaks go first to the better Turns score, then the better Air score without degree of difficulty, then the faster time.

Judge panels at Canada Cup: FIS Series and Championships moguls and dual moguls use 7 scoring judges and 1 Head Judge; Development Series uses 5 to 7 judges plus the Head Judge; Junior Nationals moguls and dual moguls use 7 judges and 1 Head Judge. For FIS events the pace time is the FIS rule above; Development Series and Canadian Junior Championships calculate pace time from the first run (see the Development Series question).

Sources: FIS ICR Book VI (June 2026) rules 4206 to 4207, https://assets.fis-ski.com/f/252177/x/74599b71fa/sbfsfk-new-icr-spring-2026_clean.pdf and https://cdn.sanity.io/files/5hgz6u4c/production/31c8f9f9018f590f0dd3d545d01cae92e9af892c.pdf

Canada Cup rules are guided by the FIS International Competition Rules (ICR); where the ICR and Canada Cup rules conflict, the Canada Cup rules take precedence.

• Criteria (FIS ICR, June 2026): judges consider execution, difficulty, amplitude, variety and progression. Each judge scores out of 100 (whole numbers). With 6 or more scoring judges the highest and lowest scores are discarded; with up to 5 all scores count. Judges take falls, mistakes and stops into consideration.
• Panel sizes (Canada Cup Guidelines 2025-2026): Canada Cup FIS Series and Championships slopestyle, big air and halfpipe use 5 scoring judges and 1 Head Judge. Development Series park and pipe uses 3 to 5 scoring judges and 1 Head Judge. Junior Nationals Championship slopestyle, big air and halfpipe uses 5 judges and 1 Head Judge.
• Scoring software: 2025-2026 FIS series slopestyle, big air and halfpipe events are scored with Live Heats, as are Development Series park and pipe events. Scores shown on live scoring are unofficial until the Technical Delegate and Head Judge sign off the results.

Sources: https://cdn.sanity.io/files/5hgz6u4c/production/31c8f9f9018f590f0dd3d545d01cae92e9af892c.pdf and FIS ICR Book VI (June 2026) rules 3402 to 3403, https://assets.fis-ski.com/f/252177/x/74599b71fa/sbfsfk-new-icr-spring-2026_clean.pdf

Under the Freestyle Canada 2025-2026 Canada Cup Guidelines:

FIS series moguls: single moguls has a one-run qualification, the top 16 advance to finals 1 and the top 6 advance to finals 2 (the medal round). Dual moguls goes duals from the start, using FIS points for seeding and the singles results. The jury, in consultation with Freestyle Canada, can adjust formats and finals field sizes.

Development series moguls: singles are best of 2 runs. Duals go from the start, seeded from singles and run by age category; the 2 best U14, 3 best U16 and 3 best U18 face off in an overall bracket if time allows.

FIS series slopestyle and big air: qualifications are best of 2 runs or jumps in heats of 20 to 30 (up to 35 if approved by Freestyle Canada's director of events and the Head Judge). The top 40% of qualifiers move to finals, with a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 21 athletes. Slopestyle finals are best of 2 runs; big air finals count the best 2 of 3 jumps, with 2 different direction jumps counting.

Development series park and pipe: best of two runs or jumps, with heats by gender and age categories mixed (they can be merged into one heat when needed).

Any format change at event time is a jury decision discussed at the first team captains' meeting.

Source: https://cdn.sanity.io/files/5hgz6u4c/production/31c8f9f9018f590f0dd3d545d01cae92e9af892c.pdf

Under the Freestyle Canada 2025-2026 Canada Cup Guidelines:

• No repeated jump categories in moguls. You cannot do two jumps from the same category, for example a back tuck and a back flip with a mute grab, or a 360 and a 360 with a grab. Same-category jumps are allowed with additional rotations or a bigger difference, for example a 360 and a 720.
• Pace time: in the Development Series and Canadian Junior Championships, the pace time is calculated after the first run from the fastest time of the 3 best combined turns and air scores (no speed points) per gender. Speed points are then calculated from that pace time.
• Dual moguls points: in the Development Series and at Junior Nationals, dual moguls points are split between judges. With a 5-judge panel, judges 1 to 3 give 5 points each for turns, judge 4 gives 5 for air, and judge 5 (overall) gives 3 points for speed, 1 for air and 1 for turns. With a 7-judge panel, judges 1 to 4 give 5 points each for turns, judges 5 and 6 give 5 for air, and judge 7 (overall) gives 3 for speed, 1 for air and 1 for turns. The overall judge allocates by time differential: under 1.5 is 2/1 and 1.5 or more is 3/0.
• Merged categories and medals: results are published by discipline and age category, with a medal ceremony for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each. Freestyle Canada may merge categories with fewer than 5 athletes.
• Combined Champion (Junior Nationals): you must compete in all related events (slopestyle, big air and halfpipe, or single moguls, dual moguls and aerials). FIS World Cup placing points go to the top 15 in each event and the highest total of your three events ranks highest. A tie goes to the athlete ranked higher in slopestyle or moguls.

Source: https://cdn.sanity.io/files/5hgz6u4c/production/31c8f9f9018f590f0dd3d545d01cae92e9af892c.pdf

• Helmet and ski brakes: under the Freestyle Canada 2025-2026 Canada Cup Guidelines, ski brakes and a protective helmet are mandatory at all times on the course, in training and in competition, with no exceptions. The FIS rules say the same for freestyle (moguls and aerials): competitors wear a helmet and ski stoppers in training and competition, in line with the FIS equipment specifications.
• Helmet wear: FIS rules say helmets must be worn according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
• Other equipment: for FIS events the FIS ICR is the equipment reference. There are no ski length requirements in FIS moguls and aerials.
• Poles in park and pipe: in the Canada Cup Development Series, poles are not mandatory for park and pipe events, but athletes are judged accordingly.

Sources: https://cdn.sanity.io/files/5hgz6u4c/production/31c8f9f9018f590f0dd3d545d01cae92e9af892c.pdf and FIS ICR Book VI (June 2026) rules 2012.6 and 4010, https://assets.fis-ski.com/f/252177/x/74599b71fa/sbfsfk-new-icr-spring-2026_clean.pdf

Under the Freestyle Canada 2025-2026 Canada Cup Guidelines:

• Air qualification, as designated by a qualified Air coach, is required for all inverted manoeuvres for all Freestyle Canada members.
• Freestyle Canada considers misty, rodeo, flat spin, flair, cork, bio and underflip to be inverted manoeuvres.
• At non-FIS events only, the Technical Delegate does 5 random verifications of air qualification.
• If you have qualified an invert with a twist, you can perform all inverts with twists in that axis (back, front or sideways).
• In park and pipe, an athlete who has qualified a double invert with a twist can perform all double inverts with twists in that axis.

Source: https://cdn.sanity.io/files/5hgz6u4c/production/31c8f9f9018f590f0dd3d545d01cae92e9af892c.pdf

Under the Freestyle Canada 2025-2026 Canada Cup Guidelines:

• All athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers must have a valid Freestyle Canada membership. Coach and team officials register through the SnowReg event link; a coach licence is required for the free coach lift tickets (maximum 1 per 4 athletes).
• Development series events require at least a Freestyle Canada Provincial level athlete licence and registration. FIS series events require a FIS age and licence.
• Every competitor must have their own medical and life insurance that is adequate and covers the manoeuvres performed in training and competition.
• Athletes, officials and other members take part at their own risk. The organizing committee, the P/TSO, Freestyle Canada and the resort are not responsible for accidents, damaged or lost equipment or second- or third-party claims.
• After an accident, your coach is responsible for filing an accident report with Freestyle Canada.
• Refunds: no refunds once the event has begun (the start of the first practice session). A refund for injury is considered if the injury is reported to Freestyle Canada's events coordinator at least 1 week before the event, with a medical note sent by your coach. Any refund incurs card and/or SnowReg transaction fees.
• Recommended entry fees: Development series $280, Canadian Junior Championships $300, FIS series $325 (before taxes).

Source: https://cdn.sanity.io/files/5hgz6u4c/production/31c8f9f9018f590f0dd3d545d01cae92e9af892c.pdf

Under the Freestyle Canada 2025-2026 Canada Cup Guidelines:

• FIS events: coaches should know the protest rules in FIS ICR 3050. The Technical Delegate may have to explain them if an official protest is needed.
• Non-FIS Canada Cup events: if a coach brings a concern to a Jury member, the Jury may consider it without a written complaint and, if needed, decides the protest. Jury members share any issue under consideration with the Technical Delegate before confirming a decision.
• Video: the Jury may view video to resolve disputes or decide whether a rerun is needed. The degree of difficulty (DD) of a jump may be corrected, but judges' scores cannot be altered based on video review. A DD dispute must be presented to a Jury member before the official results are approved, and approved by the Head Judge.
• Judges' questions: in moguls, the Head Judge and at least one turns judge and one air judge stay available for at least 15 minutes after the awards presentation to answer coaches' questions. In park and pipe, the Head Judge and at least one judge from each panel (if the panel is split) do the same.
• Behaviour: Freestyle Canada's Code of Conduct and Discipline and Complaints policies apply to anyone, including athletes, coaches, officials and parents, who shows unacceptable behaviour in the context of the event. Depending on severity, disqualification and/or expulsion from the competition site may follow. The guidelines state zero tolerance for offensive language or behaviour.
• Results become official once signed off by the Technical Delegate and the Head Judge. Live scores are unofficial.

Source: https://cdn.sanity.io/files/5hgz6u4c/production/31c8f9f9018f590f0dd3d545d01cae92e9af892c.pdf

Under the Freestyle Canada 2025-2026 Canada Cup Guidelines:

• Each Canada Cup event provides 2 days of practice before the first competition day, and every athlete must take part in at least 1 practice day before the competition day. Once the first practice day has started, the competition is closed to new entries.
• Practice time can be shortened or cancelled for extraordinary circumstances such as weather or course breakdown. The jury makes the final decision in consultation with the connection coach.
• You must wear your bib visibly at all times on the competition site, including official training sessions, course inspection, the competition and the medal ceremony.
• Each athlete must be represented at the team captains' meeting (TCM) by the team captain appointed by the club or team. A team captain who is not present when a vote is taken loses the right to speak on that vote (one vote per team).
• If you spot a start list error, team captains have 15 minutes after becoming aware of it during the TCM to tell scoring. After that, the error is attributed to the team leaders and the missing or incorrectly placed names are added to the beginning of the start list.
• Coaches and athletes must not change the course without permission from the Chief of Course, Chief of Competition or Technical Delegate.
• Any official wishing to speak to an athlete must do so in the presence of a witness.

Source: https://cdn.sanity.io/files/5hgz6u4c/production/31c8f9f9018f590f0dd3d545d01cae92e9af892c.pdf