The Austrian star, winner of the first Olympic gold medal in the discipline when it made its debut on the programme at Pyeongchang 2018, arrives at the event in the Italian city as one of the favourites.

Gasser will go up against the likes of 2016 X Games Oslo big air winner Cheryl Maas, and four-time X Games champion Silje Norendal of Norway when the competition takes place tomorrow.

The Japanese duo of Reira Iwabuchi and Miyabi Onitsuka, first and second respectively at the season opener in New Zealand last month, could also be in contention.

In the men's event, 2015 slopestyle world champion Ryan Stassel of the United States, World Championships big air bronze medallist Marcus Kleveland of Norway and Finland's three-time world champion Roope Tonteri are all in action.

Following the snowboarding event tomorrow, it will be the turn of the freestyle skiers to tackle the big air ramp - the largest in Italy and among the biggest in the world.

The World Cup in Modena coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Skipass winter sport and tourism festival in the same city. 

It will be the first event of the 2018-2019 competitive season to be held in the Northern Hemisphere and the only one in Italy.