Aspen
FILE - Jamie Anderson, of the United States, celebrates winning gold after the women's slopestyle final at Phoenix Snow Park at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Monday, Feb. 12, 2018. Still bothering many of the riders was the way the slopestyle contests went down at the Pyeongchang Games four years ago. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)
Dissed: Olympic snowboarders still irked by secondary status

By Eddie Pells Jan. 28, 2022 11:43 AM EST

FILE - Yuto Totsuka, of Japan stands on the podium after finishing first in the snowboarding halfpipe finals, Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021, at the Dew Tour at Copper Mountain, Colo. A crew of Japanese riders appears poised to take over the halfpipe in Beijing with four bona fide gold-medal contenders in the Hirano brothers — Kaishu is four years younger than Ayumu— along with Ruka Hirano (no relation) and Yuto Totsuka, who is ranked first in the world after dominating the halfpipe for the past two years. (AP Photo/Hugh Carey, File)
Chairmen of the boards: Japanese team powerful in halfpipe

By Pat Graham Jan. 24, 2022 01:24 PM EST

Who me? Japan's Sena Tomita wins a Winter X Games gold

By Eddie Pells Jan. 22, 2022 08:44 PM EST
ASPEN, Colo. (AP) — Japan's Sena Tomita thought it was a mistake when they placed the gold medal around her neck. The 22-year-old halfpipe rider won...

FILE - Silver medalist Aaron Blunck of the United States competes during the Men's Freeski Halfpipe event at the FIS Freeski World Cup in Chongli county near Zhangjiakou in northern China's Hebei province on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019. In a crash a year ago, Blunk landed on the lip of the halfpipe and lacerated his kidney, broke ribs, fractured his pelvis and bruised his heart. While down in the halfpipe and waiting for a helicopter to take him to the hospital, he told his coach: "Please don't let me die." He's now a medal contender. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)
Olympian Aaron Blunck finds peace after scary halfpipe crash

By Pat Graham Jan. 22, 2022 01:14 PM EST

France's Tess Ledeux holds her gold medal after landing a 1620, the first in a women's big air competition, at the Winter X Games on Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, at Buttermilk in Aspen, Colo. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times via AP)
3 flips for Hirano but a 4th win for James at Winter X

By Eddie Pells Jan. 22, 2022 12:31 AM EST

FILE - Shaun White, of the United States, is shown after his third run in the snowboarding halfpipe finals, Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021, during the Dew Tour at Copper Mountain, Colo. Shaun White is likely heading to the Olympics for a fifth time. For the first time, the snowboarding star and three-time gold medalist on the halfpipe won't be the favorite. (AP Photo/Hugh Carey, File)
White 1 of 4 US snowboarders to defend Olympic titles

Jan. 21, 2022 06:43 PM EST

United States' Kai Owens watches scores after competing in the finals of a World Cup freestyle moguls competition at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Teen Kai Owens makes Olympic moguls team, returning to China

By Pat Graham Jan. 21, 2022 06:17 PM EST

FILE - Men's slopestyle bronze medalist Mark McMorris, of Canada, smiles during the medals ceremony at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2018. McMorris has endured quite a pounding over more than a decade of hard riding that has made him Canada's most-decorated snowboarder. At 28 and heading into his third Olympics, he is missing one thing from an already awe-inspiring resume. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
McMorris in search of one more win: Olympic snowboard gold

By Eddie Pells Jan. 21, 2022 03:38 PM EST

FILE - A worker wearing a face mask to protect from the coronavirus uses a blower to clean the snow on a decoration for the Beijing Winter Olympics Games on display at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, Jan. 20, 2022. The U.S. Olympic team's top doctor says all of the 200-plus athletes heading to Beijing for the Winter Games next month are fully vaccinated, and not a single one asked for a medical exemption. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)
100%: Chief medical officer says all US Olympians vaccinated

By Eddie Pells Jan. 20, 2022 04:25 PM EST

FILE - Gold medalist Scotty James of Australia celebrates after winning the men's snowboard halfpipe final at the freestyle ski and snowboard world championships, Friday, Feb. 8, 2019, in Park City, Utah. James envisions the best tricks at this year’s biggest halfpipe contests as the kind that only he can perform. One big question is whether the judges will agree. (AP Photo/Alex Goodlett, File)
In private halfpipe, Aussie boarder schemes for Beijing gold

By Pat Graham Jan. 20, 2022 01:05 PM EST

FILE - In this Feb. 14, 2018, file photo, gold medal winner Shaun White celebrates after the men's halfpipe finals at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. With the mountains closed and the halfpipes shuttered during a pandemic that turned the world and its sports upside down, White put double-corks on hold and saved his most intense workouts for his mind. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)
AP Interview: White streamlines life on road to '22 Olympics

By Eddie Pells Feb. 01, 2021 02:33 AM EST

FILE - In this Jan. 26, 2020 file photo, X Games rookie Colby Stevenson pauses before getting the Best in Snow award in Aspen, Colo. Nearly four years after Stevenson suffered a fractured skull he was on top of the freestyle world at the Winter X Games, winning slopestyle and the Knuckle Huck event last winter. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times via AP, File)
Freestyle skier takes time to reflect each May 8 after crash

By Pat Graham Jan. 31, 2021 03:39 PM EST

CORRECTS TO THE ASPEN TIMES, NOT THE ASPEN DAILY NEWS - Winter X Games rookie Eileen Gu prepares to drop into the superpipe during women's finals at the 2021 Winter X Games Aspen on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021, in Aspen, Colo. Gu took home the gold in her first superpipe final. (Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times via AP)
A 17-year-old daredevil could be China's next Olympic star

By Eddie Pells Jan. 30, 2021 10:10 AM EST