A Skier Wearing Jeans Keeps Winning in the Halfpipe

Goepper, however, during his first season as a halfpipe competitor in the World Cup, quickly proved that he was one to watch, earning several podium finishes. He also took fourth during the 2024 X Games Aspen SuperPipe event. Goepper won his first halfpipe event in Secret Garden, China, earlier this month, becoming the oldest man and first in his 30s to stand atop a freeski World Cup podium.

Meanwhile, Goepper took a new, unserious approach to social media. He shared silly reels and, at the X Games, wore the denim jeans now associated with his return to competition.
 
The whole comeback, in some ways, feels like a bit. The jeans, the Instagrams jokes, the absurdity of leading a successful pipe career after dominating the slopestyle circuit—everything about Goepper’s current tact is irregular.
 
The skier’s desire to perform, win, and inspire isn’t a joke, though.
 
“The journey is the best part. All the people are a part of it. I hope to show the world if you love what you do and believe in yourself you can make anything happen,” he said after the Secret Garden win.

The endgame is the Olympics. In pursuit of a Milano-Cortina 2026 invite, Goepper constructed a desert training compound with a wooden ramp. To simulate halfpipe skiing, he wore rollerblades, soaring off the ramp into an airbag. That off-season training seems to be paying off.

Tomorrow, Goepper will have the opportunity to prove again that a guy wearing jeans from Indiana can win on the world stage. The Toyota US Grand Prix halfpipe finals kick off at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday. You can watch it live for free on Outside TV.

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