Canada's Fraser will be hoping to end his World Cup season with a flourish on his home halfpipe

Amy Fraser's halfpipe season has been training for her wings.

The 28-year-old freestyler from Calgary posted career-best results despite the weather.

“I have a good mentality,” Frazier said. “I feel like I can go in and be like, 'Try your best and whatever it is, it's going to happen.'

Reigning men's world champion Brendan Mackay and Fraser will lead Team Canada to the season-ending World Cup on home soil Thursday and Saturday at WinSport's Canada Olympic Park.

Rachel Carker will not compete in Calgary. The 2022 Olympic bronze medalist from Erin, Ont., wrote in an Instagram post last month that she had re-injured her back.

Fraser is ranked second in the world behind Olympic champion Aileen Gu of China. Frazier arrives in Calgary with his first career World Cup win and his first X Games medal in one week.

“I feel like it's just a culmination of hard work and consistency and determination in my skiing and a lot of moving parts falling into place,” Fraser said. “I came to the sport after a long time and I participate in competitions while learning more and more. It was a harrowing process in itself.

“I am very surprised how the season will go. I'm healthy and in one piece, and to be honest, I'm really excited about it. We didn't have any training this season.”

The weather has limited Team Canada's pre-season training as well as Fraser's preparation for the X Games in Aspen, Colo., in January.

“I think I skied a day before I went to the X Games,” he said.

Three days after finishing third in Aspen behind gold medalist Gu and world champion Zoe Atkin of the United States, Frazier beat both in the World Championships qualifier in Mammoth, California.

Due to inclement weather, qualifying was moved up by one day, so Frazier spent another day training in California.

The wind and snow forced the crews to cancel the final. Medals were awarded according to the qualification results.

“I was really excited to be on the top of the podium, but I felt it wasn't a complete race,” Fraser said. “We did not reach the finals.

“We didn't all throw the best runs we could, but we did the best we could given the conditions and the competition.

“We knew during the week that Mammoth had very bad weather. Post one of my best runs this season in the qualifiers. I definitely skied with the intention of “Okay, that's it.” It's a mini-final and that's how we treated it.”

She opened the world championship season with a bronze medal at the 2022 Olympic venue in Beijing and finished fifth in Copper Mountain, Colo., in December.

Alberta's warm winter weather, which killed slopestyle snowboarding in Calgary this month, delayed the opening of the halfpipe, which Fraser learned the sport at the relatively late age of 21. He finished fourth and seventh at the World Cup in Calgary last year.

“Honestly, I'm nervous about performing in front of a home crowd because a lot of friends and family will be coming,” Fraser said.

“You feel like you're at a dance party in front of them, and I want to dance well in front of everyone. I just want to ski well and not be embarrassed. I'm good at setting up all the apps, but since it's at home, it's a little extra pressure.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on February 14, 2024.