Inside this year’s edition, we’ve packed stories that reach from local hill laps to far-flung backcountry dreams — a full celebration of skiing in all its messy, joyful, unpredictable glory. We kick things off at home with young Aussie freeride phenom Finn Jacobsen, whose rise through the junior freeride ranks is the kind of story that makes you stop and wonder what the next generation is really capable of.

From there, it’s a deep dive into some of the season’s standout moments: Billy Lloyd-Blainey’s double backie over the Charlotte Pass road gap; Kai Jones’ emotional comeback from a brutal injury; and a look at what it took for Charles Beckinsale and his crew to build Australia’s biggest jump and a world-class superpipe — right in the middle of one of the lowest-snow years in memory.

But it’s not all local. We went global too. To Hakuba, where the storms kept rolling in and the powder was as deep as it gets. To Chamonix, where big mountains meet bigger consequences. To BC’s Powder Highway, chasing cold smoke turns through Kicking Horse, Revelstoke, and Fernie — a reminder that the road trip remains the purest form of ski adventure.

And if you’re just here for the gear, we’ve got you covered. Our Chillfactor Picks section is back with some of the best new kit for the 2025 season — jackets, skis, boots, and tech from trusted brands, plus insights from those who’ve put it all through the wringer.

This is our 26th year telling the stories that matter to Aussie skiers. From seasoned tourers to stoked groms just finding their edges, Chillfactor 2025 is for anyone who knows that even an average snow season can hold some unforgettable days. All you’ve got to do is show up.Available now in newsagents across Australia and New Zealand — or head to subscribe.chillfactor.com to subscribe and have it delivered straight to your door.

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The Jib League’s process is simple. There is an open day that anyone can enter with skiers hitting the park in a jam session watched by the organisers. Seven skiers are chosen form that session to join 15 invited skiers for the pro sessions. That involves three different sessions over three days on three different elements.

The sessions are films and screened at a local venue that night, the skiers voting for whoever they thought was the best skier on the day. The skier with the most votes after all three sessions wins.  

Perisher skier Martin Longhitano took time out from his annual guiding gig in Italy and headed to Innsbruck in February for the first event with a pair of 2002 Dynastar Concept twin-tips skis over his shoulder. He progressed through the open day to the pro sessions where he finished fourth overall after the three days. It seems the 20-year-old skis didn’t hinder his performance.

“I found the skis in the Jindy Op shop,”

Martin told Chillfactor. “They were the skis used by the generation of skiers I looked up to as a kid. They’re lots of fun but very different to a modern ski. The dimensions are 103/72/95 and they have a very light swing-weight. I thought Jib League was the event to use the old school twin tips.” 

It is early days, but there is talk of the Jib League potentially heading to the southern hemisphere with Cardrona a likely venue. But who knows, it’s an event an Australian resort could easily host. “I have mentioned it to them,” Martin said. “It would be amazing.”

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