World Cup disappointment sparked Kingbury's historic career

Sixteen years after a crash on WinSport's moguls course changed the trajectory of his career, Mikaël Kingsbury returned to the same hill—not as an aspiring teenager, but as the most decorated moguls skier in history.

Fresh off his final Olympic Games and just one day after serving as Parade Marshal for the Calgary Stampede, Kingsbury reflected on the place where everything changed.

In January 2010, an 18-year-old Kingsbury arrived in Calgary for his first-ever World Cup competition, eager to test himself against the world's best.

“My first World Cup was special because I had the opportunity to ski against my idol (Alex Bilodeau) for the first time. Unfortunately, I crashed, but it was also the turning point in my career,” he said on Saturday, July 4, during a meet-and-greet at WinSport, organized by Freestyle Alberta.

Looking back, Kingsbury now sees that weekend as the moment his career truly began.

Mikael Kingsbury trains ahead of the 2020 World Cup at WinSport in 2020. Photo: Dave Holland

“I remember on the second day, I pulled out to the course, and I was having good training. In my head, I was like, ‘I have the skills to make the final in my first World Cup.’ ”

It was supposed to be the biggest moment of his young career. Instead, it became the most important failure of his life. A crash dropped him to 54th place, turning what looked like a dream debut into a difficult lesson. He was 36^th in the previous day’s World Cup.

“Instead of going back to the hotel being sad, for the first time I had athlete accreditation, so I decided to go up in the chair, and go to the top of the course for the final rounds,” said Kingsbury. “I watched my idols and the best skiers in the world and how they were preparing before competing.

“There was something that clicked in my head. I got sent down to the Nor-Am Tour and this is when I went from just a good athlete to becoming dominant.”

Kingsbury used to start his run listening to music, but then he began studying his competitors, observing how they prepared, listening to their scores and adapting before each run. He shifted from focusing solely on his own performance to understanding the competitive landscape around him.

Three weeks later, he stood atop the podium in consecutive Lake Placid Nor-Am Cup events, launching a career that would redefine excellence in freestyle skiing.

Over the next decade and a half, Kingsbury became the most decorated moguls skier in history, collecting five Olympic medals, nine World Championship titles and an unprecedented 100 FIS World Cup victories. Yet Calgary remained one of the places he always looked forward to competing.

“Every time I was flying from Montreal to Calgary, I always felt super confident about the course here. The pitch changed and I felt it was always built for my style of skiing. It was one of my favourite events.,” he said.

The same athlete who crashed in his World Cup debut would eventually own the WinSport course. Kingsbury stood on the Calgary podium 10 times, including nine victories, making it one of the most successful stops of his remarkable career.

Following his retirement after the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Italy, where he won a silver in moguls and gold in dual moguls, Kingsbury's connection to Calgary came full circle, returning to the city—this time riding a horse, rather than his skis.

“I had never really ridden a horse before, so I was a little nervous,” said Kingsbury, who was co-Parade Marshal with Olympic speed skater Courtney Sarault. “Being on a horse can be a little intimidating. It was easier than I expected, but it was special to see a lot of people.”

Every athlete remembers where their journey begins.

For Mikaël Kingsbury, that place was WinSport.

A crash, a chairlift ride and a new way of thinking transformed a promising teenager into the greatest moguls skier the world has ever seen. Today, that same course continues to inspire the next generation of athletes chasing their own first World Cup start—and perhaps their own extraordinary story.