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35-Year-Old Olympic Legend Aiming for Fourth Ski Halfpipe Medal In Italy

Originally posted on Powder | By Brian Pinelli | Last updated Oct 8, 2025 1:05 PM ET

David Wise is a two-time Olympic and five-time X Games ski halfpipe champion.

At age 35, the Reno, Nevada, freeskiing icon is still amped, driven by the desire to further push limits and compete at a fourth Olympic Games.

“The beauty of the Olympics is that we get to take our sport in front of a crowd that’s never been in front of it before,” Wise tells POWDER, in a video interview from his home in Reno.

“I’ve been to Livigno before and honestly, it’s one of my favorite Italian towns to visit.

“I think we’re all looking forward to having a new venue to compete at.

“The food and culture there is just amazing too.”

However, Wise is not planning an Italian holiday. Serious business remains. His longevity, competing in a sport where injuries are frequent, is mind-boggling. “I’m constantly asked 'why are you still doing it' and I’m like ‘well, I haven’t found the limit of what I’m capable of yet,’” says the well-traveled American athlete. “I still have some crazy ideas that I want to accomplish on a pair of skis in a halfpipe, so that’s what keeps me coming back.”

The Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games will be held from February 6 to 22, in multiple regions of northern Italy.

One can sense that Wise not only hopes to add to his sport’s record books, but also act as a freestyle skiing ambassador to Italy, a country that despite being renowned for its artists and creativity, style and flair, has never truly embraced the sport.

"To me, that is kind of a conundrum – they love to climb and jump off cliffs, but they don’t build good terrain parks,” Wise said. “And they’re rebels like us, so I wonder why those guys don’t love freestyle skiing more than they do.”

Perhaps Wise will help to change that culture in February?

More Records and Milestones Within Sight

As far as potential records to topple, Wise could become the first freestyle skier – along with U.S. teammate Nick Goepper – to achieve Olympic medals at four consecutive Winter Games. Following his gold medal performances at Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018, he kept his streak intact, adding a silver medal at Beijing 2022.

Yet another lofty goal, but one that is within reach, would be equaling snowboard mega-legend Shaun White with a third Olympic halfpipe gold medal.

“Do I think there’s a possibility I could win gold at age 35? – absolutely, I wouldn’t still be trying if I didn’t think I could,” Wise says, confidently.

Wise is one of just three freestyle skiers to have won two Olympic gold medals, along with Chinese superstar Eileen Gu, who captured ski halfpipe and big air gold at Beijing 2022, and Canadian mogul skier Alexandre Bilodeau, who won consecutive Olympic titles in 2014 and 2018.

His toughest competition will probably come from his U.S. teammates – 2024-25 World Cup champion Alex Ferreira, three-time Olympic slopestyle medalist Nick Goepper, Colorado’s Birk Irving, and Oregon’s Hunter Hess, among others. Team USA is nearly guaranteed to send four athletes, considering their strong track record in the event.

“We have many guys who could podium on any given day, so narrowing the team down to four will be the hardest part,” he says.

Quality Family Time Awaits

His wife Alexandra, daughter Nayeli, 14, and son Malachi, 11, will accompany him, sharing the Italian experience and cheering on his every trick.

“To them, it’s just a natural extension of who they are, but it’s been really cool lately as my kids are turning into the adult humans they’re going to be,” Wise says.

“I’ve always wanted to have fun with them and take them on adventures, but now to share the same passions is really enjoyable – she wants to be a professional skier and he wants to be a pro mountain biker.”

Soaring to Gold in Sochi

Wise’s Olympic journey began at the Sochi 2014 Games, as ski halfpipe made its Olympic debut with 28 athletes from 13 countries. It was an unforgettable night in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia.

Battling brutal weather and a deteriorating halfpipe – heavy snow at times, sleet and freezing rain at others – Wise overcame both the natural elements and his rivals. David and his coach made a strategic decision to pivot to his ‘C Run’ repertoire of tricks to combat the conditions. It proved to be a Wise decision – no pun intended.

“Ironically, my ‘C Run’ ended up winning the Olympics on a crazy night,” Wise recalls.

Wise received a 92.00 gold-medal winning score on his first run of the final, a performance that still included right and left-sided double corked 1260s. “For me, it was a culmination of getting this sport into the Olympics, and then winning the first gold medal,” he said.

The victory gave him the Triple Crown of Olympic, World Championship and X-Games gold.

Setting Precedent in PyeongChang

His PyeongChang 2018 story was equally as astounding.

Brainstorming at a World Cup in Tignes, France, in which he uncharacteristically failed to reach the final, it dawned upon Wise that no one had ever executed four tricks with four different takeoffs – spinning both left and right, launching frontside and backside – across a single run.

Wise was motivated to do exactly that, and uncorked a triumphant third and final run at the Winter Olympics in South Korea. His U.S. teammate Ferreira appeared certain for victory, but Wise, who had crashed twice in previous runs, delivered in the clutch. His innovative ‘quad run’ narrowly secured his second Olympic gold medal.

“Once I landed that run with all four directions doing double corks all four ways, I didn’t care care if the judges liked it or not – I accomplished what I came there to do,” he noted. “To this day, it is still the greatest run of my competitive career.”

Beijing Silver and Subsequent Injuries

At Beijing 2022, Wise was defeated by Nico Porteous of New Zealand, settling for silver, but still earning his third consecutive Olympic medal.

In January 2023, he won at yet another X Games, achieving his first major title in five years. Two months later, Wise tore his ACL at the World Championships, ending his 2022-23 season.

Most recently, he severely bruised his tibial plateau in January, withdrawing from the X Games, but now informs: “my body has never felt better.”

Onward Toward the Olympics in Italy

In Italy, Wise and fellow competitors will hit a new halfpipe with morning qualification runs at the Livigno Snow Park on Thursday, February 19, 2026. Finals follow the next day, Feb. 20, with three evening runs under the lights.

Wise forges forward and upward – after two decades of delivering scintillating pipe performances – seeking at least one more headline-grabbing, memorable run in Italy.

“I still sometimes wonder if I’ve been in a coma this whole time and this is all just a good dream,” Wise said.

A true trailblazer – who established the high ceiling that halfpipe enthusiasts still aim for today – Wise hopes to close the book, writing one more compelling chapter, in an Italian drama destined for a happy ending, no matter the result.

Stay tuned in here at POWDER for more stories and news coverage ahead of The Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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