- The U.S. Grand Prix in Aspen is a World Cup event serving as an Olympic qualifier for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games.
- Despite early-season snowfall challenges, the slopestyle and halfpipe courses are ready for competition.
- The event features slopestyle and halfpipe competitions for both men’s and women’s skiing and snowboarding.
Qualifying at the 2026 U.S. Grand Prix in Aspen, Colorado, begins Wednesday, Jan. 7, as the United States’ ski and snowboard team takes another step in naming its roster for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
The World Cup event will serve as a chance for American shredders to punch their ticket to Italy. The event will include slopestyle and halfpipe events for both men and women – there is no Big Air competition in Aspen. It’s the official kickoff of the slopestyle season for Team USA.
Stars Red Gerard and Chloe Kim are among those who have already clinched their spots.
Here’s everything you need to know about the action in Aspen:
No snow, no problem
It’s been a challenging season in Colorado (and the entire American west, in general) for snowfall. Competition organizers moved the slopestyle course from Buttermilk, where the halfpipe is located, to nearby Snowmass on Dec. 25. The course was operational by the first day of practice on Jan. 4. And the best news? Organizers reported a foot of snow overnight on the morning of Jan. 6.
The massive 22-foot-tall halfpipe, the Olympic qualifying standard, is nearly 550 feet in length and 70 feet wide and has an 18-degree pitch. It’s in good condition and organizers wanted Buttermilk looking pristine for its turn hosting X Games from Jan. 23-25.
What’s the difference between halfpipe and slopestyle?
Halfpipe: Boarders and skiers drop into the u-shaped ditch and try to perform five tricks that are judged. Highest score wins.
Slopestyle: Boarders and skiers do tricks while going down the mountain, using jumps and obstacles. They are judged, and the highest score wins.
2026 Toyota U.S. Grand Prix schedule (all times in MST)
Wednesday, Jan. 7
- 9-10:30 a.m. – women’s freeski slopestyle qualification/women’s snowboard halfpipe qualification
- 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. – men’s freeski slopestyle qualification, heat 1/men’s snowboard halfpipe qualification, heat 1
- 1:30-2:40 p.m. – men’s snowboard halfpipe qualification, heat 2
- 2-3:30 p.m. – men’s freeski slopestyle qualification, heat 2
Thursday, Jan. 8
- 9-10:20 a.m. – women’s freeski halfpipe qualification/women’s snowboard slopestyle qualification
- 11:20 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – men’s freeski halfpipe qualification, heat 1
- 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. – men’s snowboard slopestyle qualification, heat 1
- 1:30-2:40 p.m. – men’s freeski halfpipe qualification, heat 2
- 2-3:30 p.m. – men’s snowboard slopestyle qualification, heat 2
Friday, Jan. 9
- 9:30-11:15 a.m. – freeski slopestyle finals
- 1-3 p.m. – snowboard halfpipe finals
Saturday, Jan. 10
- 9:30-11:15 a.m. – snowboard slopestyle finals
- 1-3 p.m. – freeski halfpipe final
Team USA athletes to watch in Aspen Grand Prix
American athletes to watch in Aspen this week:
Jamie Anderson (women’s snowboarding): Trying to come back after briefly retiring and having two children.
Alex Ferreira (men’s freeski): He already qualified for the Games and was the winner of the most recent World Cup in Copper Mountain, Colorado.
Alex Hall (men’s freeski): The reigning Olympic gold medalist in slopestyle, he also won at Aspen last year.
Mac Forehand (men’s freeski): Has podiumed at this event before and was a 2022 Olympian. He won silver in slopestyle at the 2025 World Championship.
Oliver Martin (men’s snowboarding, slopestyle/halfpipe): The 2025 World Championships double bronze medalist heads to Aspen after a third place in Big Air at Steamboat Spring, Colorado, in December.
Red Gerard (men’s snowboarding, slopestyle/halfpipe): 2018 slopestyle gold-medal winner who, now at 25 years old, is looking to get back on top.
Alessandro Barbieri (men’s snowboarding, halfpipe): His third-place finish in Calgary last season is the only podium result by an American man in this discipline in almost three years. The last rider from the USA to win a Halfpipe World Cup event was Shaun White, whose last career victory came at Buttermilk’s sister resort Snowmass in January 2018.
Maddy Schaffrick (women’s snowboarding, slopestyle): Stepped away for nearly a decade and was an assistant coach on the 2022 Olympic team before reentering high-level competition.
Who are the international stars?
China’s Su Yiming (men’s snowboard, slopestyle), a former child actor, won back-to-back Big Air World Cups at the end of last year.
In women’s free ski slopestyle, Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland is the reigning Olympic champion.
Halfpipe stars like Ayumu Hirano (Japan), Scotty James (Australia), and Chloe Kim (USA) are already qualified and aren’t on the initial starting lists but could decide to enter.
Who already qualified for the 2026 Olympics?
Men’s Freeski: Alex Hall, Alex Ferreira, Nick Goepper, Quinn Dehlinger, Troy Podmilsak
Women’s Freeski: Jaelin Kauf
Men’s snowboarding: Red Gerard
Women’s snowboarding: Chloe Kim
When is the U.S. Olympic ski, snowboard team announced?
There will be a formal ceremony in downtown Aspen at 6 p.m. local time Jan. 10 after the second and last day of finals wraps up. But the qualification season will continue after Aspen.
