Australia's Winter Olympic brigade lacked their usual golden glow, with the 2026 medal contenders, including defending champion Jakara Anthony, missing the podium.
The World Cup season for mogul and aerial skiers kicked off in Ruka, Finland, while snowboarders competed in their second big air event in China as they all build towards the Games in Milan-Cortina in February.
Conditions for the events proved tough going, hampering the performance of a number of athletes, including Anthony and her Australian moguls teammate Charlotte Wilson.
Canadian all-time great Mikael Kingsbury was fourth in the qualification round, but opted to sit out the remaining rounds on the icy slopes.
The 33-year-old suffered an injury in summer training and didn't want to risk further damage.
Beijing 2022 champion Anthony was also returning from a fractured collarbone and was among the pace-setters, qualifying third for the final.
Wilson suffered a big crash, losing both her skis as she tumbled down the hill, but incredibly emerged unscathed.
Anthony also skied off course in the medal round to place sixth, with American Tess Johnson taking top honours.
Matt Graham, the 2018 Olympic bronze medallist, missed the Ruka podium by just 0.49 points in the men's event, while Cooper Woods got his season off to a promising start, placing ninth.
Japan gun Ikuma Horishima defied the conditions to lay down a massive cork 1440 jump to take top spot.
In the aerials event, also contested in tricky conditions, Canberra's Laura Peel, the Crystal Globe winner last season, topped qualifying but then missed a spot in the super final and finished 10th.
While another Italy medal chance, Danielle Scott, also had an off night, the Australian team could at least celebrate Airleigh Frigo making her first medal round, placing sixth.
Reigning Olympic champion, Chinese veteran Xu Mengtao, added another gold to her collection.
In China, snowboard ace Tess Coady, also on the comeback trail after shoulder surgery, made her second successive big air top-six final, although the 2022 Olympic bronze medallist missed the podium.
The mogul skiers will compete again in Ruka, with the Finnish resort stepping in after the cancellation of World Cup rounds in Sweden and Georgia.
