Jakara Anthony has been forced to settle for silver but still claimed an Australian record in the opening World Cup moguls event in Finland.
The reigning Olympic champion was pipped by French arch-rival Perrine Laffont, who missed last season when Anthony dominated, topping the podium in 14 of 16 events.
Anthony laid down an impressive run in the super final in Ruka to score 80 points from the judges, but was narrowly outscored by Laffont on 81.13.
American Olivia Giaccio claimed bronze with 76.95 points.
The 2018 PyeongChang Olympic gold medallist and two-time world champion, Laffont is returning after taking a year's break from the sport, setting up an enthralling battle between the world's two best female mogul skiers.
Despite the narrow loss the silver is Anthony's 42nd World Cup medal, eclipsing the previous Australian record of 41 held by aerial skiing great Kirstie Marshall.
"Pretty happy with what we have been able to achieve walking away with a second place at the start of a super long season, it's a great way to kick it off," said the 26-year-old from Barwon Heads in Victoria.
"It's great to have so many chicks up that top end of the sport, that's what makes it exciting, we are all going out there each day fighting for that top spot, which means we are all pushing each other.
"Breaking the record for the most World Cup medals is an impressive stat - I never find out about these things until I have broken it - that's a cool one.
"Super proud of me and my team and how we have been able to go about completing that, it's been a big journey, there is still a long way to go and we will be looking to rack up a few more this season."
In the men's event, Matt Graham and Cooper Woods qualified for finals in third and ninth place and were unlucky not to progress through to the top-six super final, finishing 10th and 13th respectively.
Canadian Mikael Kingsbury finished in first place ahead of Sweden's Walter Wallberg and Ikuma Horishima of Japan.
Also in action for Australia was Charlotte Willson who finished in 20th place in her World Cup debut, and in the men's event Oliver Logan finished in 44th with George Murphy unable to finish.
The World Cup mogul skiing tour next moves to Sweden for a single and dual mogul event on December 6 and 7.
