Everything You Need To Know About Ski Halfpipe Ahead of Milan Cortina 2026

Flipping, twisting, and turning through the air, the world’s premier ski halfpipe competitors will take flight in the Italian Alps seeking Olympic glory.

The immensely entertaining ski event will appear on the Olympic sports program for a fourth time at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. It certainly can be argued that in no other men’s Winter Olympic event does Team USA possess greater experience, talent, and success versus the world.

Example A is David Wise. The ski halfpipe phenomenon soared to gold at the event’s Olympic debut at Sochi 2014 and defended his title at PyeongChang 2018. The Reno, Nevada-based athlete added a silver medal to his shiny collection at Beijing 2022.

The 35-year-old Wise and his U.S. teammate Nick Goepper are the only freestylers to have medaled at three consecutive Winter Games. Both will attempt to add to their records in Italy this February. “Do I think there’s a possibility I could win gold at age 35? – absolutely; I wouldn’t still be trying if I didn’t think I could,” Wise, confidently tells POWDER. 

Further cementing the U.S. status as a dominant air force is Alex Ferreira, who launched to silver and bronze medals at PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022, respectively. The Aspen, Colorado skier is a smart bet to increase his medal total in Italy.

California skier Maddie Bowman matched Wise’s feat, also claiming ski halfpipe gold at the Sochi 2014 debut. She’s now retired, but her career also included five X Games titles.

Prior to ski halfpipe’s Olympic debut in Sochi, the event was showcased and tested at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria. It captivated fans and officials with flying colors.

When and Where Will Ski Halfpipe Take Place at Milan Cortina 2026?

Men’s and women’s freeski halfpipe will be contested at the Livigno Snow Park, a new venue being created for the Milan Cortina Games. The fresh pipe should present an even playing field.

Men’s qualification runs are scheduled for Thursday, February 19, 2026. Finals will unfold at night, under the lights in Livigno, the next day, Friday, February 20.

Women’s qualification is set for Feb. 19, at night. Medals will be determined at finals on Saturday, February 21, also in the glow of the Italian lights.

How Is Ski Halfpipe Judged?

Ski halfpipe is judged on amplitude, difficulty, and execution. Six judges grade runs based upon a 0-100 scale. The final score to determine Olympic medals is the average of all scores, after the highest and lowest scores are dropped.

Variety, progression, and overall impression are also considered in the scoring process.

The Best Halfpipe Skiers/Favorites to Win Medals

Women

Chinese American wunderkind Eileen Gu will be a favorite to defend her Beijing 2022 ski halfpipe gold medal. The 22-year-old’s first Olympics were stellar; then age 18, she became the first freestyle skier to achieve three medals at one Games.

The captivating freeskier/fashion icon continues to push limits in her sport and will bring tremendous star power to the Olympic venues in Italy.

Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin is the 2024 world champion, an event Gu missed due to injury, and should be her worthiest challenger. China’s Fanghui Li is also one to watch. Versatile Californian Kate Gray, 19, and Colorado’s Svea Irving, 23, are Team USA’s best hopes.

Men

Two-time Olympic champion David Wise, two-time defending World Cup champion Alex Ferreira, three-time Olympic slopestyle medalist Nick Goepper, and Hunter Hess lead the formidable U.S. squad into the Olympic season.

Four U.S. men will qualify, and a medal sweep in Livigno isn’t out of the question. 

Standing in their way will be New Zealand’s rising stars, Finley Melville Ives, 19, who defeated the Americans at the 2025 world championship, and his teammate Nick Harrold, 17.

Interview With Team USA Halfpipe Coach Mike Riddle

Canadian Mike Riddle is the head coach of the U.S. ski halfpipe team, not a bad gig considering the immense talent and vast experience of his athletes. Riddle won an Olympic silver medal, finishing runner-up to Wise, in Sochi 2014.

The 39-year-old from Whistler, British Columbia, elaborated on coaching the high-octane squad, which has relished success at the highest international level.

“I do feel that getting to the top, and staying there, are two different beasts, and the amount of support for our athletes to access all the best training opportunities makes it easier for them to attain sustained success,” Riddle tells POWDER.

“To stay at the top of the game is a collaborative effort and requires all athletes to keep pushing and the coaches and support staff supporting that progression.”

Riddle says that the guys motivate one another to unleash their absolute best, ultimately bolstering the team dynamic. “It’s definitely a bit of a strange dichotomy at play here; freeskiing is a very individual sport, but we operate in a team environment most of the time,” Riddle says. 

“There’s a different level of buy-in to everything the team does amongst the athletes, but I think they would all say they are better off individually, at least in part through the team camaraderie and culture we have established.

“On those best days on hill, competition and training, I very much see them feed off each other; each one pushing to one-up their friends and competitors on their next hit and celebrating each other’s victories.”

Four men and four women are the maximum who can qualify for the U.S. Olympic team. Competition will be fierce, especially on the men’s side, as the U.S. boasts six of the top ten ranked athletes in the world.

Related: David Wise Won’t Back Down—The 35-Year-Old Halfpipe Legend Wants Gold at Milan 2026