Sadowski-Synnott crowned Slopestyle World Champ

Zoi Sadowski-Synnott has been crowned the 2025 FIS Snowboard Slopestyle World Champion in Corvatsch, Switzerland.

The Wānaka 24-year-old has finished on the podium at all five Slopestyle World Championships she has dropped into during her decorated career, with Saturday's (NZ time) record-breaking win her third Snowboard Slopestyle World Champion title.

“I can’t really believe it," she says. "I didn’t really think about it coming into this week. I was just feeling incredibly grateful for this whole winter after my injury last year and really thankful for the support from my sponsors, my team, my friends and my family.”

Despite cloudy conditions causing flat light, the 12 riders came out firing in the first run of the finals, with the five women who dropped right before Sadowski-Synnott lacing top to bottom runs on the technical course. With an uncharacteristic bobble on her third jump, Sadowski-Synnott was sitting in sixth place after the first run with just one run left to go to determine the World Championship title.

Echoing her Beijing 2022 Olympic Slopestyle Gold, Sadowski-Synnott was the final athlete to drop into the course, with it all on the line for the top spot. Showing the depth of her experience, she dug deep, remained composed and stomped one of her trademark technical runs, executing a full pull and leap frogging into the top spot with the only score of the competition in the 90s.

“That was crazy, I messed up my first run and put so much pressure on myself coming into the last run, all the girls were riding so good, and I was stoked to watch everyone’s runs - it just vibed me up to land that run. I have never done that [run combination] in contest before so I am super stoked!”

Sadowski-Synnott’s winning run included a cab 270 on, 270 off on the top rail and a backside double corked 1260 melon grab on the third jump, but it was her entire top to bottom technical run, executed flawlessly, that put her in the top spot, over three points clear of her nearest competitor.

Japanese riders Kokomo Murase and Reira Iwabuchi rounded out the podium in second and third.

Sadowski-Synnott’s teammates Tiarn Collins and Dane Menzies both competed in the men’s finals finishing in 12th and 15th respectively, unable to put down full runs but both landings some impressive tricks.

In the Freeski Slopestyle World Championships finals, Ruby Star Andrews and Luca Harrington both secured career best Slopestyle World Championships results finishing in 5th (Andrews) and 6th (Harrington). Teammate Ben Barclay finished in 16th place.

The Snowboard Park & Pipe Team will next be in action on Saturday 29 of March with the Snowboard Big Air finals set to go down at 7.30am NZT.