By EDDIE PELLS, AP Nationwide Author
LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — The subsequent time you see a senior citizen barreling down the mountain, possibly doing a double-cork whereas he’s at it, don’t suppose twice. Which may simply be your neighborhood’s pleasant new Olympic champion.
Alex Ferreira, the freeskier who often dons prosthetics to look 80 and calls his alter ego “Hotdog Hans” when he’s not kicking butt within the halfpipe, added a gold medal Friday night time to the silver and bronze he’d gained on the final two video games to “end the rainbow,” as his mom mentioned.
The 31-year-old, a longtime fixture on the slopes and within the faculties and rec facilities in Aspen, Colorado, additionally put America within the win column for the primary time in two weeks of halfpipe, slopestyle and large air motion on the Livigno Snow Park.
“I’m going to drink copious quantities of beer,” Ferreira mentioned when requested how he would have a good time.
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United States’ Alex Ferreira celebrates in the course of the males’s freestyle snowboarding halfpipe finals on the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Picture/Gregory Bull)
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United States’ Alex Ferreira celebrates in the course of the males’s freestyle snowboarding halfpipe finals on the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. (AP Picture/Gregory Bull)
He’s enjoyable like that. This was a preferred victory all throughout the park, squeezed out of a decent, brutal, all-night battle with Estonia’s Henry Sildaru — who skis slopestyle and large air, too, identical to Eileen Gu — and Canada’s Brendan Mackay.
Bedlam and tears broke out within the stands after Mackay laid down the night time’s final run, a strong one, however got here up 2.75 factors wanting Ferreira’s profitable rating: 93.75.
When the Canadian’s mark got here up, Ferreira bent to at least one knee and flashed a smile that lit up the mountain.
“Greatest second of my life,” he mentioned.
Requested what the very best factor concerning the new gold medalist was, Mackay mentioned there was an excessive amount of to checklist.
“However actually, the largest factor that stands out about Alex, is that he’s simply an extremely good man,” he mentioned.
Amongst these close to the medal stand to congratulate Ferreira was two-time Olympic titlist David Sensible, who made the journey regardless of not making the Olympic staff. He was ranked eighth on this planet in halfpipe this season — a real signal of how deep the American staff runs.
Additionally sharing hugs was Nick Goepper, the American three-time medalist in slopestyle who switched to the halfpipe in quest of his first gold.
Within the night’s most visceral signal of what this contest actually meant, Goepper threw warning to the wind on his final run and flung his physique excessive above the halfpipe, his again slamming wickedly on the deck earlier than he bounced to the underside of the pipe.
He was fortunate to stroll away from that — not as lucky that Mackay’s 91 on the final run of the night time bumped him from third to fourth by a scant 2 factors.
“To go for it in that second took severe guts,” Ferreira mentioned. “He’s an actual man.”
Drama involving Hess prolonged past the halfpipe
Clutch snowboarding and big crashes had been solely a part of the drama that performed out amongst these halfpipe riders. The present began two weeks earlier.
American Hunter Hess opened the morning’s qualifying by touchdown an excellent run, then placing his thumb and forefinger in the shape of an “L,” in a nod to the eruption that occurred Feb. 8 when President Donald Trump known as Hess a “complete Loser,” in response to Hess’ saying “Simply because I’m carrying the flag doesn’t imply I signify every little thing that’s happening within the U.S.”
“I had per week that was fairly difficult,” Hess mentioned after qualifying, talking of the threats and vitriol lobbed his approach after the president weighed in. He completed tenth within the remaining and didn’t cease for interviews.
Ferreira fills within the remaining lacking piece to a unbelievable profession
Ferreira, not surprisingly, spent the whole aftermath of the competition smiling. There’s extra to return.
He has already shot six episodes of his YouTube streamer “Hotdog Hans,” an entertaining journey to the mountain by which the 80-something daredevil does truck-driver grabs and 1080s in entrance of unsuspecting resort goers who can’t consider their eyes.
“Simply making an attempt to carry some humor and funniness to the world,” he defined.
In between the enjoyable and video games lies a extra severe pursuit.
Ferreira went 7 for 7 in World Cup occasions in 2024 — the type of undefeated streak that basically doesn’t occur a lot in sports activities, particularly not on this one, the place expertise, just like the medals, are unfold very evenly throughout america, Canada, Estonia — the world.
These type of streaks, in Olympic off-years, can typically go away a man questioning.
“You don’t need to peak two years earlier than the Video games,” mentioned Gus Kenworthy, the 2014 slopestyle silver medalist who completed sixth on this one. “However I’m stoked for him that it labored out tonight. It was probably the greatest runs I’ve seen him do in a very long time, possibly ever, and I’m completely happy.”
When Ferreira’s skis smacked down flippantly on the fifth of 5 butter-smooth landings within the contest winner, he began whipping round his proper ski pole — his signature transfer in what now goes down as his signature win.
A couple of minutes later, his sisters and oldsters had been crying and he was on the highest step of the rostrum, singing out loud because the “Star-Spangled Banner” performed for the primary time on the Livigno Snow Park.
He was once the very best freeskier on this planet with out an Olympic title. Not anymore.
“He had the silver, the bronze and he wanted the gold,” mentioned Alex’s mom, Colleen Ferreira. “He was pushed. A 12 months in the past, he mentioned he was going to do that, and he did it.”
AP Sports activities Author Joseph Wilson contributed.
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
