Molly Armanino Contemplates Freeride's Olympic Inclusion and Whether She'll Try To Qualify

It was a season of highs and lows for elite freerider Molly Armanino. Inspiring execution at times, and unexpected misfortune at others.

The 33-year-old Kirkwood, California, skier seized the moment, unleashing a near-flawless run that blended style and precision to capture a bronze medal at the World Championships in Andorra in early February.

However, her season success took a dramatic turn later that month at a relocated event in Kühtai, Austria. Armanino crashed after snagging a buried rock while attempting to land a routine jump, fracturing her tibia and fibula. The unfortunate incident resulted in immediate surgery on her left leg on February 28th, abruptly ending both her competitive and filming seasons.

Her Austrian doctor, father, and other specialists advised that she should prepare for a long and arduous recovery. Molly had other plans.

“In my head, I was like, that’s not gonna happen, there’s no f***ing way,” Armanino tells POWDER. “I focused really hard on the recovery, which was a lot of acupuncture, a lot of yoga, and I just moved my leg nonstop. It healed up and I actually came back really fast, within nine weeks I was back skiing.”

Despite the expedited recovery, the incident and injuries triggered Armanino to do some soul searching and contemplate her competitive Freeride World Tour future. Returning to full-time status with TGR Films, shooting more often with partners K2 and Stio, and pursuing other non-competitive endeavors seemed like the right move. 

Armanino, a former ski racer, revealed to POWDERthat she is “going to take the year off from competition” while hoping for “a newfound appreciation for skiing” as the remarkably talented and creative freerider that she is.

“I just want to get back to where I want to be; I just want to ski, I just need to ski, focus on the mental side and the magic around freeride, and then come back with a different mindset – that ultimately is my goal for this year,” Armanino explains.

However, adding to the complexities surrounding her future decisions and path, freeriding (skiing & snowboarding) was added to the Alpes 2030 Olympics Winter Games program in France, by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), on July 7th, 2026. While Armanino doesn’t intend to immediately alter her latest course, the potentially golden opportunity to ski for Olympic glory has both motivated and inspired her, while also slightly clouding her thoughts.

“Sometimes, with something like freeride there’s an aspect to it that’s so important to keep it free and for the soul, like beautiful artwork on a mountainside, where it’s only up to you to be creative – and then you create something like the Olympics, where FIS (International Ski Federation) takes control, there’s new rules and regulations around how you ski, and people get hesitation about it,” Armanino said.

“At the same time, I’ve always really enjoyed competing because it creates value for the sport, makes it meaningful, and inspires a lot of people, young girl and boys. 

“It is a little shocking because as I said, I was gonna be done with the tour and just move on to filming. But now, having these goals within skiing creates meaning for me,” she says, seemingly alluding to further competitive success and Olympic aspirations.

“Otherwise, I kind of fall into existential crisis mode, like what am I really doing with this sport. And I think that’s the value of having freeride in the Olympics,” says the Freeride World Tour standout.

Benefits of a Future U.S. Freeride Team

Undoubtedly, freeriding’s elevation to Olympic status will spark fresh opportunities, attract new sponsors, create additional revenue streams, and generate support from the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and Stifel U.S. Ski Team.

“I got an email that a few of us are in the mix for the U.S. Freeride Ski Team, the first ever, and they’re going to make a decision on it for this coming season,” Armanino reveals.

“We’ll have a team that’s dedicated to performance, with support, coaching, and training, and ideally, sponsorships. The fact that the U.S. is taking freeride seriously is going to create a lot of support for kids coming into our sport.

“I’ve never had real training, coaching, or support, so I believe this is going to progress how we freeride, in general.”

Armanino also tells POWDER that her overall recovery and revamp to doing what she loves is progressing exceedingly well. She says she’ll be “in full swing” when she heads south to Argentina in a few months, perhaps a pivotal step in making the first U.S. Freeride Team.

The Road to Alpes 2030

Molly will be 36-years-old as the Alpes 2030 Olympic flame is lit, and while it will assuredly be cutthroat to punch a ticket as one of just 11 female freeride skiers invited to France, the determined athlete has certainly defied the odds before. 

Despite the inevitable challenges and stern competition that awaits, notably a cast of up-and-coming talent pushing limits in the sport, Armanino is bullish on her chances to carve a new chapter in her career.

“I really believe that freeride takes a lot of wisdom to get to a certain point with one’s skiing,” says the well-traveled, 33-year-old skier. “The more you age, the better, the wiser, and more technically sound you get. I actually still have a lot of learning to do within competition.

“You grow with the sport as you age, you obtain this wisdom and the magic that comes with it. That’s why I don’t think the Olympics are necessarily out of the question for me. 

“Having the Olympics in 2030 definitely gives me the motivation to keep going as a competitive athlete.”

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