Alex Hall skier opens Milano Cortina run with slopestyle gold defense in Livigno

Alex Hall, the American freeski star better known as “A Hall,” starts his Olympic title defense Saturday as men’s freeski slopestyle begins at Livigno Snow Park. Hall arrives with momentum from recent season hardware and a reputation for blending competition precision with a street-and-film creativity that has helped define modern slopestyle.

With finals scheduled early next week, the opening qualification round is the first real signal of whether Hall’s 2026 form matches the expectations that come with being the reigning Olympic champion in the discipline.

The immediate schedule: slopestyle first, then big air

Hall’s first key moment comes in men’s slopestyle qualification on Saturday, Feb. 7. The slopestyle final follows on Tuesday, Feb. 10, with men’s big air later in the Games.

All times below are ET.

Why Alex Hall is a central name in men’s slopestyle

Hall’s Olympic résumé already includes slopestyle gold from Beijing 2022, plus a deep run of podium finishes across major events. Over the last two seasons, he has also added top-tier consistency: he’s credited with a big air season title in 2024 and a slopestyle season title in 2025, a combination that underscores both difficulty and repeatability.

That matters in Livigno, where the course design places a premium on balance: rails demand precision and composure, while jumps reward amplitude, control, and trick selection that fits the scoring moment. In slopestyle, even small mistakes on rails can erase a medal-level run before the jump line begins.

The field is stacked, and the margins are thin

Men’s freeski slopestyle has evolved into a discipline where podium contenders often overlap in technical ceiling, making execution and decision-making the separator. Several international rivals enter the Games with recent big-event wins and world-title credentials, and the depth of contenders means qualification is rarely a formality.

Hall’s advantage has often been his ability to deliver a coherent, high-difficulty run under pressure—linking rail creativity with jump tricks that stay clean enough to score. The risk is that a single missed connection can push an athlete from “favorite” into a multi-person traffic jam fighting for the last final spots.

What makes Hall’s style different

Hall’s skiing is regularly described as a blend of contest efficiency and freeride imagination. He’s known for switching between highly technical competition runs and film-style lines that prioritize originality, flow, and unusual features.

That dual identity can be a competitive edge. Athletes who spend time outside strict contest courses often bring fresh rail ideas and trick variations into slopestyle, which can lift a run when judges are looking for something more distinctive than a standard high-difficulty template.

The pressure point: defending without chasing

For a defending champion, the trap is trying to “win the highlight reel” in qualification. In slopestyle, a controlled, clean run is frequently more valuable than a chaotic high-risk attempt that introduces a fall risk on rails.

Hall’s near-term goal is straightforward: qualify comfortably, then decide how aggressive to be in finals depending on what the rest of the field shows. If top scores in qualification look conservative, finals may turn into a game of incremental upgrades. If the field shows peak difficulty early, the final could demand a bigger swing.

What to watch next in the coming days

The best indicators of Hall’s medal chances will show up quickly:

• Rail cleanliness: whether he links features without checks, stalls, or balance corrections

• Run composition: whether the trick set looks like a “safe qualify” plan or a finals-ready blueprint

• Landing quality on jumps: small deductions can separate medals when difficulty is similar

• Weather and speed: slopestyle outcomes can shift if conditions change pace and visibility

If Hall looks clean on rails and lands with confidence on the jump line Saturday morning, he’ll head into Tuesday’s final with the most valuable asset in this sport: options—multiple viable run builds depending on what it takes to win.

Sources consulted: International Ski and Snowboard Federation, International Olympic Committee, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, TIME