By Jack Burden

While the sport’s hyper-focus on performance can sometimes be to its detriment, the IWWF performance-based ranking lists serve as the best tool for regularly assessing the worldwide competitive landscape. Highlighting the most substantial movers on this list gives us insights into rising stars and in form skiers to watch in the upcoming season. Here, we present the most significant ranking improvements from the 2022 to 2023 year-end IWWF Top 25s.

Leading the charge in the IWWF’s year-end Top 25 this year is 18-year-old American Emma Davis, making an impressive leap of 47 spots between 2022 (No. 69) and 2023 (No. 22) in women’s overall.

Davis had a breakthrough year, marked by winning slalom, tricks, and overall at the Jr. US Open in Maize, Kansas. Additionally, she made it to the slalom and trick finals at the Under-17 World Championships in Santiago, Chile. Currently, she stands as the youngest skier in the IWWF Top 25 for women’s overall, alongside Canada’s Megan Pelkey.

Chilean Martin Labra, recognized primarily for his phenomenal tricking ability and dominance in the junior ranks, makes a notable appearance for his late-season charge in the jump event. Labra broke 200 feet for the first time just before the World Championships and achieved another personal best at that event, for an almost 8 meter (26 foot) improvement throughout the year. He is the youngest skier, by four years, in the IWWF Top 25 for men’s jump.

The list is dominated by women’s jumpers (four) and men’s slalomers (three), showcasing the most significant improvements throughout 2023.

Biggest Ranking Movers Among IWWF Year-End Top 25 (from Dec. 27, 2022 year-end rankings to Dec. 26, 2023 year-end rankings):

+47 Women’s Overall: Emma Davis, USA (0.5@12m/4,770/23.2m to 2.25@12m/6,570/33.3m)

+43 Women’s Jump: Meg Harraway, NZL (33.3m to 42.6m)

+39 Women’s Jump: Lara Butlin, AUS (35.1m to 43.5m)

+37 Men’s Jump: Martin Labra, CHI (53.9m to 61.8m)

+29 Women’s Jump: Katrine Anderson, DEN (36m to 43.3m)

+29 Women’s Jump: Maise Jacobson, DEN (35.9m to 42.5m)

+24 Men’s Slalom: Ryan Canepa, USA (5.5@10.75m to 3@10.25m)

+23 Men’s Slalom: Nick Parsons, USA (5.25@10.75m to 2.75@10.25m)

+19 Women’s Slalom: Samantha Dumala, USA (3.25@11.25m to 2.5@10.75m)

+17 Men’s Slalom: Corey Vaughn, USA (2@10.25m to 3.63@10.25m)