Leadville’s Blackwell preps for elite competition in Olympic halfpipe

Sometimes, all Chase Blackwell can do is stare in awe.

The Leadville-based snowboarder was at a training camp in Switzerland shortly before the start of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, working out with United States teammates and some of the other top riders from around the world.

“It’s insane. All the tricks that were going down, it’s rewriting the book,” Blackwell said. “It’s taking what’s been done at previous Olympics and completely making a whole new ballgame.”

But Blackwell isn’t a sidelined observer for the progression that’s expected to unfold in the men’s snowboard halfpipe competition, which begins at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday with qualification runs at the Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, Italy. The finals are set to follow at 11:30 a.m. Friday.

He’ll be one of those athletes looking to push that progression, one of four United States riders lined up to compete in a wildly deep field of elite competitors.

Chase Josey is the veteran of that group. The 30-year-old rider is competing in his third Olympics.

Jake Pates, 27, is back for his second Olympics. He qualified for the team in 2018, then missed several years of competition after sustaining a brain injury in 2019. 

Alessandro Barbieri, meanwhile, is the youngest of the group at 17.

Blackwell, who is from Longmont and now is based in Leadville, is 26 and competing in his first Games.

“The support I’ve gotten in from Colorado in general, from Longmont and Leadville, has been great,” he said. “Colorado is the No. 1 state with the most athletes here.”

The event will feature 25 athletes from 11 nations. There may be even heavier hitters outside the U.S. contingent.

Australia’s Scotty James is a five-time Olympian who already has Olympic silver and bronze. He’s won the last five halfpipe competitions at the X Games and enters as one of the event favorites. Right behind him is Ayumu Hirano of Japan, who has three Olympic medals and is the defending champ from 2022.

It all has Blackwell in a unique mindset: awed but determined; eager but reverent.

“The snowboarding level is just so crazy high at the moment that you don’t really know how it’s going to play out,” he said. “Everyone has their days, and you never know when your day is going to come.”

Going big before going home

Blackwell is hoping his day is right around the corner.

The first step is to get through the qualification round, where riders will have two cracks at laying down a good run. The top 12 scores from that round will advance to Friday’s finals.

For the first step, Blackwell is hoping to lean on two tricks in particular. 

“The 1260 is feeling pretty good, and I have that switchback 1080 at the top,” Blackwell said. “I think that will get me into finals. You’re going to have to up it … for the podium. First things first, you gotta land runs and you gotta get to the finals. That’s what I’m looking to do. Then after that, maybe I can do more with some more 1260s or maybe a 1440.”

A 1440 is four full spins on the board, and many of the top finishers, especially in Friday’s final, will likely be aiming to land at least one.

Blackwell said he’s put plenty of focus there, ready for just this moment. Still, it all provokes a bit of anxiety.

“Almost every day that we’re going for the big tricks, I’m uncomfortable,” he said. “You have to be riding a little uncomfortable, like full charging, and you can’t hold back because that’s when it gets scary or when you could get hurt. You’ve got to go full send.”

So far, Blackwell said he’s trying to keep any nerves at bay by making the most of his time in the Olympic athlete’s village. His lodging is a short commute to the halfpipe, and the village he’s staying in is loaded with old-world charm.

“And the food is amazing,” he said. “I mean, we’re in Italy, so there are so many fresh pizzas and pasta. We grilled steaks. So good. I just feel really lucky that this is the Olympics I’ve gotten the chance to go to.”

Original Reporting from SummitDaily.com