Livernois will cap off his junior career in Kappl Austria next week, then aims to qualify for the adult 2027 FWT
By Mario Carr EBS CONTRIBUTOR
Brother and sister Hayes and Kira Livernois dreamed of competing at this Junior Championship together, but after Kira suffered a season-ending knee injury last year, Hayes will represent the Livernois family alone. Both siblings have been elite competitors in freeride as teenagers, and hope to one day compete together as adults on the tour.
From Vermont, the Livernois family has spent their winters at a condo in Big Sky since 2020. They believe this mountain has helped them take their freeride to the next level.
“I travel a lot, I love traveling, and every time I come back here I’m excited to ski here again,” Hayes said while riding Challenger with his dad.
Scott Livernois loves to watch his kids compete and excel in freeride and is excited to see what the increased level of competition will bring out of Hayes.
“He’s been at the top of the sport for three years. I’m excited for him, and for him to be able to do what he wants to do now,” Scott said.
Junior freeride competitions do not allow athletes to produce inverted tricks, but there are no restrictions at the adult level.
Watch: Hayes’ Junior Freeride Championships podium run of 2025.
“There’s a lot of stuff that I would’ve liked to do–flat spins, corks and all that… but now it’s like you don’t have to worry about that at all, anything goes… I just love skiing and I really also like to show everybody what I’m capable of.” Hayes said.
Hayes is a confident skier who doesn’t shy away from the competitive nature of freeride. It’s the competition that motivates him to continue progressing.
“I’m always chasing that feeling of when I go through the finish gates after I land a sick run,” Hayes said.
One of the areas where he has grown the most over the past few years is in the air. Big Sky Ski Education Foundation Freeride Coach Wallace Casper, and Freeskiing Coach Cody Ling with Bridger Ski Foundation had positive things to say about Hayes’ evolution as a skier, and his potential in freeride at the adult level. By working hard and working consistently in freeride, as well as the terrain park, Hayes has set himself apart from other riders.
“He’s an extremely talented skier with a great foundation… But the more time he has spent in the park, the more I’ve seen his style develop and he just looks so smooth and effortless as he’s riding the mountain now,” Coach Ling said.
Ling also mentioned that freeride is 90% mental and 10% ability based, and that Hayes has a good head on his shoulders.. He believes Hayes is confident and carries himself with humility while letting his skiing do the talking. Ling also believes he’s got another great thing going for him in his sister Kira.
“When you do see two siblings that are finding success in the same sport and same discipline, I think some pretty special things happen. So it’s so cool to see the way that those two support each other,” Ling said.
Coach Casper took notice of Hayes in a Big Sky competition back in 2019, and let his father Scott know that he saw great potential. Over the course of his junior career, it’s Hayes’ consistency that has impressed Casper the most and that consistency will be the key to success at the adult level.
“It’s really rare you see the kid crash. He’ll push things pretty hard and he’s pretty dialed in with what he can pull off… That’s how you make it to the Tour, by being consistent like that and consistently getting good scores,” Casper said.
Hayes sees the mountain from a unique angle, according to his coaches. Casper explained that he is a perpetual optimist when it comes to seeing his way through challenging lines.
“He’s not cocky, he’s confident. He knows what he can do and he does it… You don’t get to Hayes’ level just by natural talent… He really works hard.”
Livernois has placed in the top three, for the past three years as a junior rider and because he is competing at the championship once again this year, he will automatically qualify for four-star events at the adult level. By choosing to forgo the first four-star event of the adult season for his junior championship, Livernois will have four more competitions in which his top three scores will be taken in order to qualify for the Challenger Series where he can fight to earn the right to compete on the Pro Tour in 2027.
