New Zealand snowboarder Zoi Sydowski-Synnott has won her first ‘Snowboard Crystal Globe’ after victory in the 2025 slopestyle world cup in Austria.
The 24-year-old from Wanaka secured her podium finish after qualifying in top place. The conditions were, in her words, “just a bit gnarly” to compete on Friday.
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“To qualify in first and then manage to get this result and walk away with the Globe feels pretty unreal because I’ve never had one of these before. It feels pretty good to hold one of these [the Globe],” she said.
The Olympic gold medallist is just the second Kiwi to ever win a FIS (International Ski and Snowboard Federation) Snowboarding Crystal Globe. Tiarn Collins became the first, after securing the men’s snowboard slopestyle Globe in 2022.
“It wasn’t even on my mind, I just wanted to get back into this season strong and healthy coming off my ankle injury last year,” she said
Sadowski-Synnott laced together a solid qualification run on her first attempt; her technical run included a front blunt 450 out of the A-Frame rail and a huge backside double-corked 1080 on the final jump.
The Flachau Snowboard Slopestyle Finals were set to go ahead on Friday (local time) but adverse weather conditions forced the final round of competition to be cancelled.
FIS rules, results were able to be taken from qualification and as the top qualifier, Sadowski-Synnott was stoked to take the win.
“It’s actually insane to win this given the level of competition these days is crazy. I’m so inspired riding with all the girls and stoked to be back among them.
“You just never really know what’s going to happen, and we’ve got World Championships left, (I’m) pretty excited,” she explained.
Sadowski-Synnott was joined on the podium by Annika Morgan of Germany was second and Mari Fukada of Japan third.