Ms Slush Cup 2025 Harriet Lucas

For the second year in a row, aspiring competitive freeride athlete Harriet Lucas has been crowned Ms. Slush Cup. Originally from the UK, Harriet’s passion for skiing started as a child. Her parents, both avid skiers, would routinely pack her and her siblings up for various European ski holidays. After completing her schooling and craving adventure, Harriet signed up for a ski instructor course in Austria. She spent several seasons instructing there and honing her big mountain skiing.

In 2020, due to Brexit-related visa complications, Harriet and her partner moved to Banff to teach at Sunshine Village for the 2020/21 winter season.

Upon arriving in Banff, Harriet recalls feeling like she had finally found home. In her own words, “There was something so special about being in the Canadian Rockies.” Over the five winters she has spent in Banff, her skiing has taken off. This year, she qualified for the World Freeride Challenger Series. She credits her love of big mountain skiing for her Slush Cup success.

This year, dressed head to toe in pink as a ripping flamingo, Harriet defended her Slush Cup crown with a super-clean pond skim and a 180 out of the pool, cheered on by friends and family from near and far. The award for biggest fan goes to her sister Liz, who proudly wore a shirt featuring the reigning Ms. Slush Cup. Liz flew in from the UK just to see her little sister defend her title.

“It’s funny. Never in a million years would I have thought I’d be Ms. Slush Cup,” laughs Harriet. “The first time I saw Slush Cup, I thought, what is this—and how mad do you have to be to want to participate? Five years ago, there was absolutely nothing that would have made me want to test my chances… but the more I hung around, the more I thought, gosh, it looks like fun.”

Motivated by a desire to stay dry during her Slush Cup debut in 2024, Harriet hit the jump with as much speed as she could. Having watched her friends flounder before her, her one and only goal was not to get wet. She admits she surprised herself when she landed on the water. With both skis under her, she regained focus and kept skiing.

“This year, I had the advantage of having made it across last year. I knew what I needed to do—I needed a costume that could slay, I needed to hit the jump with as much speed as I could, I needed to compress the jump, land, and spin out,” explained Harriet.

When asked about her training regime, Harriet jokes, “It has to be fun. The more fun you’re having, the better you ski. If you feel your nerves—shake it out. Sing out loud, jump around, do what you can to stay calm—and stay hydrated. But for real, ski as much as you can. Get comfortable on all sorts of terrain.”

Post-Slush Cup victory, Harriet is headed south to New Zealand. She’ll spend the summer coaching freeride skiing at Treble Cone on the South Island. Fear not—she’ll be back in Banff for winter. At present, she has no plans to go for a Slush Cup three-peat, but she may be available for private coaching for any future Slush Cup hopefuls.