U.S. skiers Forehand and Hall keep pushing slopestyle to new heights

Since winning the freeski slopestyle Crystal Globe in 2019 when he was just 17 years old, U.S. freeskier Mac Forehand has not stopped pushing himself.

Now 23, Forehand’s focus on progressive, stylish skiing continues to pay dividends for the Connecticut native, as illustrated by his slopestyle silver medal at the Engadin 2025 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships in March. Fellow U.S. teammate Alex Hall claimed bronze behind Forehand, while Norway's Birk Ruud defended his title from 2023.

By the time the two U.S. skiers dropped into the Corvatsch course for the men’s final on 21 March, Forehand had already put together a 2024/25 campaign to be envious of, racking up two second place World Cup finishes in slopestyle and big air at Laax and Tignes respectively.

The 23-year-old also took bronze in slopestyle at the X Games Aspen 2025 in January to add to his four other X Games medals.

Forehand admitted that pushing himself on the slopes to achieve such results while also staying injury-free during a busy competition season is a balancing act.

“It’s definitely a fine line,” he said.

“But I like to push myself a lot (in contests) too, so I just try to land on my feet and not my head.”

Savvy skiing

The 23-year-old has learned much from competing on the World Cup circuit since 2017, and his 2024/25 season reflects this.

“Sometimes I’m stubborn and I want to put down a really heavy run in qualifying and then I don’t make finals. This year I think it was good to just play it smart (in qualifications) and I made it into most of the finals,” said Forehand.

Of his eight World Cup starts in 2024/25 across slopestyle and big air, Forehand qualified for seven finals.

“We’re all pushing ourselves so hard these days and the level is so crazy, so just to get through without any injuries and to survive mostly is good,” he said.

Pushing himself on the course is both an exhilarating and nerve-wracking experience that also requires mental preparation, Forehand said.

"It’s super hard. I’m definitely a bit of a mental headcase when it goes to competing. I’m very in my head the night before and I never sleep well, ever.

“It’s been helping a bit, but it’s definitely hard to get your mind to just think about the run you’re doing because there’s so much going on.”

Luckily the 2019 Globe winner also has a few self-calming tricks up his sleeve that seem to be helping once it is time to drop in and stomp the on-snow tricks of his trade.

“Last year I started closing my eyes before I dropped. I’d give my coach the double fist pump, I close my eyes, do two big deep breaths – in my nose, out my mouth – then open my eyes, click my poles and then drop, every time.

“I’ve been doing that ever since last year and I like it a lot. It’s a nice routine to do now and I guess it’s working.”

The support of his U.S. ski teammates also helps keep the mood light in between competition.

“I’m rooming with Hunter (Henderson) and he has a messed up shoulder, and I have messed up thumbs, so we’re helping each other out in the kitchen while we’re cooking because our bodies hurt so much (laughs).

“It’s kind of funny but it kind of sucks, too.”

Train together, win together

Living, travelling and competing alongside a U.S. freeski squad so full of heavy-hitters has helped elevate Forehand and his teammates to a level few other nations can match – a fact that reigning Olympic slopestyle gold medallist Alex Hall can attest to.

However, the 26-year-old also draws a lot of inspiration from international skiers such as New Zealand’s Luca Harrington, who won the 2024/25 Crystal Globe for big air, and Swiss star Andri Ragettli, who finished fourth behind Hall at Engadin 2025.

“All the riders in the final have their own unique approach and style. They’re all so good,” said Hall.

“Andri Ragettli unfortunately got fourth but I respect his work ethic so much and he really puts in a lot of effort and a lot of time into competing.

New tricks and no fear

Like his teammate Forehand, Hall also enjoys progressing the sport and taking risks to win big.

Since clinching slopestyle silver as a 17-year-old at the Lillehammer 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games, Hall has won 12 X Games medals and in 2022 became the the first skier to win medals across three men’s disciplines – slopestyle, big air and knuckle huck – at the same X Games.

This was the same year Hall won slopestyle gold at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games with a new ‘pretzel’ trick that amazed spectators and judges alike: a right double cork 1080 bring-back on the final jump where he was able to stop his rotation mid-air to come back the other way.

Leading up to the 2025 World Championships, Hall ended the 2024/25 FIS Freeski World Cup season with the slopestyle Crystal Globe following two victories in Tignes and Aspen, and third place in Laax behind Forehand.

Hall’s bronze medal in Engadin is his second World Championships podium after he previously claimed bronze at the 2021 edition.

Despite his long list of accolades, the Olympic champion – who in June was among the first four U.S. skiers to be selected for the Milano Cortina 2026 Games – doesn’t like to get ahead of himself.

“I try not to put any pressure on myself for these things,” Hall said.

The qualification period for freestyle skiing at Milano Cortina 2026 closes on 18 January 2026, with a total of 30 men and 30 women competing in slopestyle and big air. The maximum number of athletes from the same nation in any event is four per gender.