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SKI SETUPS

Freeride & Big Mountain

Jess Hotter

  • Freeride Skiing
Nationality
New Zealand
Hometown
Ohakune, New Zealand (Turoa)
Primary discipline
Freeride Skiing

About Jess Hotter

New Zealand freeride skier from Ohakune (born New Plymouth), skiing since age 4 at Turoa. Won the 2022 FWT Ski Women overall title - the first Kiwi ever to win an FWT title since record-keeping began in 2008 - backed by wins at Fieberbrunn and Ordino-Arcalis and a 2nd at Kicking Horse, holding off runner-up Hedvig Wessel by 2,500 points despite a serious mid-run crash at the Verbier final.

Won the 2022 FWT Ski Women overall title, the first New Zealander to win an FWT title since record-keeping began in 2008, with wins at Fieberbrunn and Ordino-Arcalís and 2nd at Kicking Horse, finishing 2,500 points ahead of Hedvig Wessel. Her title-clinching run at Verbier's Bec des Rosses came despite a serious crash mid-run.

Sponsors: HEAD; Mons Royale; Tyrolia; Pieps; Snowcentre Auckland

Setup

1 item

Skis

Head Kore (freeride line, no single Wessel-specific width confirmed)

  • Off-piste

Confirmed via HEAD's own Kore product page listing her as an endorsing athlete.

Freeride/all-mountain ski series with two Titanal layers for stiffness and dampening; endorsed by multiple HEAD freeride athletes including Wessel, J. Hotter, Abel Moga, and J. Rollins.

Setup verified 20 July 2026

Sources

  1. https://www.freerideworldtour.com/riders/jessica-hotter/
  2. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/whanganui-chronicle/news/ohakune-freeride-world-tour-champion-jess-hotter-on-fear-skiing-after-crash/TELNJGB4KGA7R2AECCF3NWS3WQ/
  3. https://www.head.com/en_MT/ski/ski-news/fwt-verbier-2022
  4. https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018969321/extreme-skier-jess-hotter-s-a-film-star
  5. https://festivalif3.com/en/film-guide/ski/2023/fortune_hunters/