Having had to cancel November's season-opener in Austria, the campaign kicked off with an exciting competition in Font Romeu, France, last weekend.

It was no surprise to see women's world champion Tess Ledeux triumph in front of her home crowd, scoring 81.25 points to top the podium ahead of Switzerland's Giulia Tanno.

Fellow Swiss competitor Sarah Hoefflin was third and will have high hopes of a podium finish this weekend.

Hosts Italy are looking towards Silvia Bertagna, who missed last week due to a sore knee.

Canada's Elena Gaskell and New Zealand's Margaux Hackett are also worth looking out for.

The men's competition in France was won by Mark Hendrickson of Canada, ahead of Jesper Tjader of Sweden.

But he will have to defeat Alex Hall of the United States, who is making his first slopestyle appearance this season and is a major threat.

Compatriot Colby Stevenson also has a strong Seiser Alm record, having won there four years ago, while American Nicholas Goepper triumphed at the same venue in 2018.

This year will be the fourth straight FIS Freeski Slopestyle World Cup in the Dolomites, and is a real riders' favourite.

It features three multifaceted jib features in a row, leading into three jumps with different take-off options and sizes.

Qualifications take place today, with the finals scheduled for tomorrow.