Ayumu Hirano
FILE - Alex Hall of the United States, checks the score following his run in the slopestyle finals, Friday, Dec. 17, 2021, during the Dew Tour freestyle skiing event at Copper Mountain, Colo. There's a legion of freestyle skiers and snowboarders at the action park who refuse to subscribe to the “spin to win” theory. It's the idea that maxing out flips and twists is the only way for them to score big with the judges.(AP Photo/Hugh Carey, File)
Winter X daredevils ride fine line between height, happiness

By Pat Graham And Eddie Pells Jan. 28, 2023 11:07 AM EST

A police officer guards next to a fence surrounding an Olympic hotel at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)
EXPLAINER: Halfway through Olympics, what's happened so far?

By The Associated Press Feb. 12, 2022 11:55 PM EST

Japan's Ayumu Hirano competes during the men's halfpipe finals at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Hirano wins Olympic gold, and saves snowboarding from a mess

By Pat Graham Feb. 11, 2022 03:58 AM EST

United States' Shaun White poses in the halfpipe course after the men's halfpipe finals at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
4th place can't spoil White's Olympic goodbye: 'I'm not sad'

By Eddie Pells Feb. 10, 2022 10:25 PM EST

3-time halfpipe champion Shaun White finishes 4th in his final Olympics; Ayumu Hirano of Japan wins gold

Feb. 10, 2022 09:57 PM EST
ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — 3-time halfpipe champion Shaun White finishes 4th in his final Olympics; Ayumu Hirano of Japan wins gold. ...

Vladyslav Heraskevych, of Ukraine, stands in the mixed zone after finishing the men's skeleton run 4 at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Olympics Live: IOC won't act on 'No War in Ukraine' sign

Feb. 10, 2022 08:29 PM EST

FILE - U.S. Olympic Snowboarder Shaun White speaks at a press conference in Turin Italy, Feb. 6, 2006. The Beijing Olympics will be the fifth Olympics for the three-time gold medalist. And the last Olympics for the 35-year-old — get this — elder-statesman who is now more than double the age of some of the riders he goes against. (AP Photo/Greg Baker, File)
One more Olympic ride: End means a new beginning for White

By Eddie Pells Feb. 01, 2022 03:11 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

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

Shaun White of the United States, flies in the air during the final run of the snowboard halfpipe competition at the Laax Open, on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, in Laax, Switzerland. White finished third, marking his first podium finish since he won his third Olympic gold medal in 2018 and all but cementing his spot at next month’s games in Beijing. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)
With Olympics waiting, White climbs the podium in Laax

By Eddie Pells Jan. 15, 2022 01:39 PM EST

FILE - Shaun White, of the United States, executes a trick 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)
Shaun White all but wraps up spot in his 5th Olympics

Jan. 13, 2022 10:11 AM EST

Shaun White, of United States, reacts after stumbling on his third run in the halfpipe finals Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, during the U.S. Grand Prix snowboarding event at Copper Mountain, Colo. (AP Photo/Hugh Carey)
White finishes 8th, ticket still unpunched for 5th Olympics

By Eddie Pells Dec. 11, 2021 05:21 PM EST