Freestyle Skiing
Hunter Hess
- Halfpipe
- Nationality
- United States
- Hometown
- Bend, Oregon, USA
- Born
- 1 October 1998
- Primary discipline
- Halfpipe
About Hunter Hess
American halfpipe skier from Bend, Oregon, who joined the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation at age nine. Missed the 2022 Olympics after tearing his MCL in training. Finished runner-up overall in the 2023-24 FIS World Cup halfpipe standings (265 points, behind teammate Alex Ferreira) and won back-to-back X Games SuperPipe bronze medals in January 2024 and January 2025 - in 2024 edging three-time Olympic medalist Nick Goepper. Finished 5th at the 2025 World Championships. Qualified for his first Olympics in 2026, where at a press conference he gave a measured answer about representing the U.S. amid immigration-enforcement policy under the Trump administration; the remarks drew criticism from President Trump personally (who called him a 'real loser') and support from fellow Olympians including Eileen Gu and Chloe Kim. He went on to finish 10th in the Olympic halfpipe final.
A two-time X Games medallist, with bronze in 2024 and 2025. Landed the world's first ski halfpipe triple cork, in training at Timberline Lodge, Oregon in 2021.
Sponsors: Völkl (skis - Revolt 84 for pipe per an aggregated secondary source; brand relationship itself independently confirmed via Dew Tour's own athlete profile page, which lists 'Dragon Alliance, Völkl, Dalbello, Marker' as his sponsors), Dalbello (boots, brand only, model unconfirmed), Marker (bindings, brand only, model unconfirmed), Dragon Alliance (goggles), Peak Performance (outerwear, joined September 2025 per Newschoolers, in addition to his ~10-year Völkl relationship).
Setup
4 items
Skis
Völkl Revolt 84
- Halfpipe
Voelkl Revolt 84
Reusing existing DB product (id 169, Voelkl Revolt 84) - an aggregated secondary source specifically places Hess on the Revolt 84 for pipe; the Völkl brand relationship itself is confirmed via Dew Tour's own official athlete profile.
Halfpipe-oriented twin-tip, narrower 84mm waist width than the park/slopestyle-oriented Revolt 90; part of Völkl's 2025-26 Revolt line-up built with the brand's halfpipe pros.
Boots
Dalbello
- Halfpipe
Dalbello (model unspecified)
Brand confirmed via Dew Tour's own official athlete profile page; specific model not named.
Freestyle/halfpipe boot.
Bindings
Marker
- Halfpipe
Marker (model unspecified)
Reusing existing DB product (id 171); Marker brand confirmed via Dew Tour's own official athlete profile page for Hess.
Freeride/park binding.
Goggles
Dragon Alliance
- Halfpipe
Dragon Alliance (model unspecified)
Confirmed via Dew Tour's own official athlete profile page for Hess.
Goggle sponsorship.
Setup verified 11 July 2026
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_Hess
- https://dewtour.com/riders/hunter-hess/
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2026/02/18/hunter-hess-balance-training/
- https://www.newschoolers.com/news/read/Real-Talk-Hunter-Hess-finally-comp-success-ASH-life-sponsored-skier
- https://www.usskiandsnowboard.org/athletes/hunter-hess
- https://www.peakperformance.com/ca/en/hunter-hess