Feb 21, 2026
3 min read
American freestyle skier Alex Ferreira won men's halfpipe gold at the Olympics on Friday, posting the winning score in his third and final event.
LIVIGNO, Italy — Next time you see an older man falling down a hill, maybe doing a double cork, don't think twice.It could be your neighbor's friendly new Olympic champion.
Alex Ferreira, a freeskier who was known to wear prosthetics to look 80 and transform into a character called "Hot Dog Hans" when he's not kicking ass in the halfpipe, added a gold medal Friday evening to the silver and bronze he won in the last two games to "complete the rainbow," as his mother said.
The 31-year-old, a longtime fixture on the slopes and at the schools and recreation centers in Aspen, Colo., also got America into the win column for the first time in two weeks in the halfpipe, slopestyle and big flight at Livigno Snow Park.
"I'm going to drink a lot of beer," Ferreira said when asked how he would celebrate.
He's funny like that.It was a famous all-park victory, with second-placed Estonia's Henri Sildaru - a big-air skier like Eileen Gu - and third-placed Canadian Brendan McKay pulling out of a tough, brutal battle all night.
Bedlam and tears broke out in the stands as Mackay scored the final run of the night, solid but 2.75 points off Ferreira's winning score: 93.75.
When the Canadian sign appeared, Ferreira got down on one knee and emerged with a smile that lit up the mountain.
"Best time of my life," he said.
When asked what the best part of being a new Olympic champion is, Mackay said there are too many.
"But honestly, the most important thing about Alex is that he's a really nice guy," she said.
Among those near the medal stand to congratulate Ferreira was two-time Olympic champion David Wise, who made the trip despite not making the Olympic team.He was ranked eighth in the world in the halfpipe this season - a true sign of how deep the USA team runs.
Even three-time American slopestyle medalist Nick Goepper, who switched to Halfpipe in search of his first gold hugs.
In the most visceral sign of what the night was really about, Goepper threw caution to the wind on his final run and threw his body over the halfpipe, viciously hitting the deck with his back before bouncing down the pipe.
He was lucky to walk away from it -- not so lucky that McKay's 91 on the last run of the night bumped him from third to fourth by just 2 points.
"It took a lot of courage to walk at that time," Ferreira said."He's a real man."
Clutch skis and massive crashes were just some of the drama that unfolded among these halfpipe racers.The show started two weeks early.
American Hunter Hess opened the morning qualifier with a nice landing, then a thumb and index finger in an "L."It was disappointing in the outrage that occurred on February 8, when President Donald Trump called Hess a "total failure" and responded to Hess by saying "the reason I carry the flag does not mean that I represent everything that is going on in the USA."
"I had a really tough week," Hess said, after qualifying.
Ferreira, not surprisingly, was all about the competition.There is more to come.
He has already produced six episodes for YouTube streamer “Hotdog Hans.”This episode is a hilarious mountain trip where a reckless truck driver in his 80s catches the 1080s for unsuspecting resort visitors who can't believe their eyes.
"I'm trying to bring some humor and irony to the world," he explained.
Between entertainment and sport there is a serious progression.
Ferreira has won seven points from seven World Cup appearances in 2024 - an unbeaten streak that doesn't come along very often in a sport, especially one where talent is evenly distributed around the world, as is the number of medals - in America, Canada and Estonia.
In the Olympic years, such stripes can sometimes leave a man wondering.
"You don't want to hit your peak two years before the Games," said 2014 downhill silver medalist Gus Kenworthy, who finished sixth in the event. It's the best run I've seen him do in a long time, maybe ever, and I'm glad."
When Ferreira's skis landed softly in the competition winner's fifth soft landing, he began whipping around his right ski pole – his signature move that is now considered his victory.
Minutes later, her sisters and parents were crying and she was on stage, singing loudly as the "Star-Spangled Banner" played for the first time at Livigno Snow Park.
He was once the best free skater in the world without winning an Olympic title.
"He got silver, bronze, he needed gold," said Alex's mother, Colleen Ferreira, who was kicked off.He said he was going to do it a year ago, so he did it."
