BEND, Ore. -- U.S. Ski & Snowboard just announced that Bend Olympian Hunter Hess has been named to the 2026-27 Stifel U.S. Freeski Team.

Hess's Team USA bio notes that the 28-year-old began skiing at age 3 and developed skills at Mt. Bachelor through the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation. Next year will mark 10 years since he joined the U.S. Freeski Halfpipe Team.

 Hess has reached the World Cup podium seven times and has won two X Games bronze medals.

He also co-founded MAGMA, a noted film series, with Olympic freestyle champion and best friend Alex Hall, along with filmmaker Owen Dahlberg.

At this year's Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Hess placed fifth in qualifying and 10th in the halfpipe final after suffering a fall and injuries.

Here's Friday's full announcement:

2026-27 Stifel U.S. Freeski Team Announced

U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced the athletes who have accepted their nominations and have been named to the 2026-27 Stifel U.S. Freeski Team rosters. All athletes qualified for the team based on predetermined slopestyle/big air and halfpipe criteria. 

2026 Olympic champion Alex Ferreira leads the men's halfpipe team, joined by 2026 Olympic teammates Nick Goepper, Hunter Hess and Birk Irving, who are all looking to build on last season's success.

After competing for Great Britain since 2019, Olympic medalist and four-time Olympian Gus Kenworthy returns to the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, adding even more depth to the halfpipe program. Nick Geiser and 2026 Olympian Kate Gray earned promotions to the Pro Team and Hunter Maytin, 2026 Olympian Abby Winterberger, junior world champion Alexander Swedenborg and Lainey Belle Steen join the freeski Rookie Team.

The slopestyle and big air roster is led by 2026 Olympic silver medalists Alex Hall and Mac Forehand and 2025-26 big air Crystal Globe winner Troy Podmilsak. 2026 Olympian Avery Krumme earned a promotion to the Pro Team after a breakout season. Marty Kingston, Steen and Beau Woodring join the Rookie Team, rounding out a group of young athletes eager to prove themselves on the World Cup stage.

"This team has never been deeper," said Skogen Sprang, Stifel U.S. Freeski Team sport director. "From our Olympic medalists to our newest rookies, we have athletes at every level who are ready to win and they push each other every day. That depth is what keeps this program at the top of the sport.”

The 2026-27 Stifel U.S. Freeski Team kicks off its World Cup season Nov. 26-28 with big air in Innsbruck, Austria, and concludes in Silvaplana, Switzerland, April 1-4, 2027. This season will also feature the FIS Freestyle World Championships, taking place in Montafon, Austria, March 7-20, 2027. The full schedule is here.

STIFEL U.S. FREESKI TEAM

(Hometown; Club; College; USASA Series; Birthdate)

HALFPIPE

PRO TEAM Women

• Hanna Faulhaber (Carbondale, CO; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Colorado Mountain College; Rocky Mountain Series; 9/4/2004)

• Kate Gray (Crowley Lake, CA; Mammoth Freeski Team; Unbound Series; 6/29/2006)*

• Svea Irving (Winter Park, CO; Winter Park Freeski Team; University of Colorado Boulder; Rocky Mountain Series; 2/27/2002)

• Riley Jacobs (Oak Creek, CO; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; University of Colorado Denver; Rocky Mountain Series; 8/14/2003)

Men

• Tristan Feinberg (Aspen, CO; Rocky Mountain Series; 4/23/2003)

• Alex Ferreira (Aspen, CO; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Aspen/Snowmass Series; 8/14/1994)

• Nick Geiser (Carbondale, CO; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Colorado Mountain College; Aspen/Snowmass Series; 10/4/2004)*

• Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, IN; Cork Tech Freeski; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/14/1994)

• Hunter Hess (Bend, OR; Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation; Salt Lake Community College; Central Oregon Series; 10/1/1998)

• Birk Irving (Winter Park, CO; Winter Park Freeski Team; Rocky Mountain Series; 7/26/1999)

• Gus Kenworthy (Telluride, CO; Telluride High School; Southwest Colorado Series; 10/1/1991)

• Matt Labaugh (Avon, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; Colorado Mountain College; Rocky Mountain Series; 1/5/2004)

ROOKIE TEAM Women

• Keva Kelly (Truckee, CA; Olympic Valley Freestyle Freeride Team; North Lake Series; 12/23/2010)

• Lainey Belle Steen (Silverthorne, CO; Team Summit/Cork Tech Freeski; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/7/2011)**

• Abby Winterberger (Truckee, CA; Olympic Valley Freestyle Freeride Team; North Lake Series; 5/1/2010)**

Men

• Ben Fethke (Boise, ID; Park City Ski & Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 4/14/2006)

• Hunter Maytin (Aspen, CO; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club; Aspen/Snowmass Series; 4/1/2008)**

• Cael McCarthy (Steamboat Springs, CO; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Rocky Mountain Series; 5/18/2005)

• Kai Morris (Aspen, CO; Pro Team Foundation; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/22/2004)

• Alexander Swedenborg (Fort Worth, TX; Cork Tech Freeski; Big Mountain West Series; 2/17/2009)**

SLOPESTYLE & BIG AIR

PRO TEAM Women

• Ella Andrews (Northampton, MA; Killington Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 2/23/2007)

• Marin Hamill (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard; University of Utah; Big Mountain West Series; 4/5/2001)

• Rell Harwood (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard; University of Utah; Big Mountain West Series; 6/1/2001)

• Grace Henderson (Madbury, NH; Waterville Valley BBTS; University of Utah; New Hampshire Series; 4/28/2001)

• Avery Krumme (Squamish, British Columbia; BC Freestyle Team; 8/23/2008)*

Men

• Mac Forehand (Winhall, VT; Stratton Mountain School; Southern Vermont Series; 8/4/2001)

• Alex Hall (Salt Lake City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard; University of Utah; Big Mountain West Series; 9/21/1998)

• Hunter Henderson (Madbury, NH; Waterville Valley BBTS; University of Utah; New Hampshire Series; 12/28/2002)

• Troy Podmilsak (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 8/23/2004)

• Konnor Ralph (Helena, MT; Wy’East Mountain Academy; Salt Lake Community College; Mt. Hood Series; 1/27/2003)

• Colby Stevenson (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard; University of Utah; Big Mountain West Series; 10/3/1997)

ROOKIE TEAM

Women

• Lainey Belle Steen (Silverthorne, CO; Team Summit/Cork Tech Freeski; Rocky Mountain Series; 11/7/2011)**

• Beau Woodring (Sun Valley, ID; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/27/2013)**

Men

• Anders Chapman (Hood River, OR; Wy’East Mountain Academy; Mt. Hood Series; 10/7/2006)

• Marty Kingston (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 8/29/2007)**

• Hugh MacMenamin (Hudson, WI; Wy’East Mountain Academy; Mt. Hood Series; 1/23/2006)

• Henry Townshend (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard; Big Mountain West Series; 2/16/2006)

• Walker Woodring (Sun Valley, ID; Rocky Mountain Series; 3/13/2010)

* promoted to Pro Team

** newly named to the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team

2026-27 Freeski Coaches & Staff

• Chief of Sport: Anouk Patty

• Senior Vice President of High Performance: Gillian Bower

• Freeski Sport Director: Skogen Sprang

• Freeski Athletic Development Coach: Mark Dyer

• Freeski Team Manager: Leigh Harris

Halfpipe Team

• Pro Team Head Coach: Mike Riddle

• Pro Team Coach: Ryan Carey

• Rookie Team Coach: Lyman Currier

• Athletic Trainer: Tara Riley

Slopestyle/Big Air Team

• Pro Team Head Coach: Dave Euler

• Pro Team Coach: Ryan Wyble

• Rookie Team Coach: Nicko Drew

• Rookie Team Coach: Leah Stroud

• Athletic Trainer: Courtney Kenefick

Follow the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team Instagram: @usskiteam Facebook: @usskiandsnowboard TikTok: @usskiandsnowboard X: @usskiteam YouTube: @usskisnowboardteam Threads: @usskiteam