See It in Action — Video Feature Below
WHERE CONSISTENCY IS TESTED
Some stops asked for explosiveness. Others asked for restraint.
Lac-Beauport, Quebec sat firmly in the second category. A two-day FIS World Cup double-header in the heart of the 2026 Olympic qualification season compressed performance, recovery, and decision-making into a narrow window. There was no reset between days — only the requirement to return to the same hill and execute again.
For athletes navigating a shortened qualification calendar, consistency mattered more than a single standout jump.
TWO DAYS, ONE HILL
The Lac-Beauport World Cup offered a straightforward but demanding format: two individual competitions on consecutive days at Le Relais Ski Resort. No travel reset. No change in environment. Just repetition under pressure.
With earlier schedule disruptions tightening the Olympic qualification window, this stop became a midpoint measure — not of peak difficulty, but of sustainability. Athletes were asked to manage energy, adapt quickly, and carry lessons forward from one competition day to the next.
It was a format that exposed margins.
PREPARATION UNDER CONSTRAINT
Preparation into Quebec reflected the realities of a compressed season, with the Lac-Beauport double-header arriving just days after the New Year. Following the holiday break, Ashton traveled through Rochester, New York en route to Canada. During travel, he became ill, limiting on-snow training in the days leading into competition.
Rather than force volume, the approach shifted toward preservation — prioritizing health, recovery, and clarity over additional reps. With limited training available, readiness was managed through restraint, relying on foundational work rather than last-minute correction.
In an Olympic qualification year, managing health became part of execution.
FIS FREESTYLE SKI WORLD CUP 2025/26
- Discipline: Aerials (Men & Women)
- Dates: January 6–7, 2026
- Location: Lac-Beauport, Quebec, Canada
- Venue: Le Relais Ski Resort
- Format: Two Individual World Cup competitions
DAY 1: QUALIFICATION INTO FINALS
Ashton opened the Lac-Beauport double-header with a composed performance. In qualification, he executed a bFFF, scoring 101.65, advancing cleanly into Finals-1 and positioning himself firmly within the field.
Returning to the same jump selection in Finals-1, he executed another bFFF, scoring 97.60, and finished 10th overall. The performance reflected stability across rounds and effective management of finals pressure on a World Cup stage.
The result carried forward into Day 2, with Ashton retaining bib #11 — a small but telling indicator of consistency within the double-header format.
Not everything changes between days. That’s the point.
DAY 2: RAISING THE CEILING
January 7, 2026 began with a personal-best qualification performance, as Ashton executed a bFFF for 113.40, his highest World Cup score to date.
In Finals-1, he increased difficulty, executing a bFdFF and scoring 77.88, with a finish of 11th overall. The landing carried too much speed through the outrun, while the air and technique remained solid — a reminder of how quickly margins tightened when difficulty increased in Finals.
The placement reflected the realities of finals skiing, where risk, execution, and precision converged quickly. Coming off a personal-best qualification score earlier in the day, the decision to step up difficulty underscored intent and competitiveness within the field.
Across the Lac-Beauport double-header, the throughline held: consistency through qualification, composure under pressure, and continued progression inside a compressed Olympic qualification window.
No apology. No justification.
FROM OBSERVATION TO EXECUTION
One year earlier, Lac-Beauport had represented a different role. In 2025, Ashton was present at this World Cup stop but did not compete — an accurate reflection of where he stood in the progression toward consistent starts at this level.
Returning in 2026, the context shifted. With earned starts, the focus moved from access to execution — navigating qualification, finals pressure, and the demands of consecutive World Cup competition on the same hill.
It wasn’t about arrival. It was about operating within the level.
LOOKING AHEAD
Lac-Beauport became part of the season’s foundation — two starts absorbed, one hill measured twice, and another set of data added to an Olympic qualification year still unfolding.
With little time between stops, the Tour turned quickly toward Lake Placid, New York, where another World Cup followed just days later. There was no reset — only carryover.
The road doesn’t change tone mid-season. It just keeps moving.