Hunter Hess’ journey from Bend to the 2026 Winter Olympic Games
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)-- What started as casual midweek laps on the mountain has turned into an Olympic dream realized.
“I just kind of started doing it for fun,” Hunter Hess said. “I’d go out mid-day or mid-week and do some Wednesday skiing. Slowly but surely, it blossomed. I had a bunch of friends who did it, and my whole community was really centralized around skiing.”
That community helped carry Hess all the way from Bend to Milan-Cortina, for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
The Summit High School alum officially qualified for his first Olympic Games in January, earning a spot on the U.S. Men’s Freeski Halfpipe Team. And it all began with MBSEF.
“As my friends progressed, I wanted to progress with them,” Hess said. “MBSEF was a huge leading cause for all of this. They pushed me so hard and got me everything I needed to succeed on the contest route.”
A Dream Delayed
Hess’ Olympic ambitions weren’t without heartbreak. Originally targeting the 2022 Winter Games, his path was derailed by a brutal string of injuries.
“The last Olympic qualifying process was crazy,” Hess said. “Everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong. I tore my MCL, did all the recovery, and everything was tracking perfectly.”
Then, the night before he was scheduled to get back on snow, disaster struck again.
“I woke up in the middle of the night with appendicitis,” he said. “I drove myself to the hospital, had immediate surgery, and was out even longer.”
The setbacks forced Hess to confront a difficult decision.
“During that time, I decided it was either walk away and never do it again, or stick with it and see what I could do.”
He chose to keep going — and that decision changed everything.
The Comeback
Now, Hess stands among the best halfpipe skiers in the world. After years of grinding, rehabbing, and rebuilding, his Olympic qualification brought a moment of emotional release.
“It’s been a huge uphill battle, but really gratifying,” Hess said. “After the Aspen tour, I was at lunch with my parents and I just started crying. Everything kind of came flooding in.”
Still, the job isn’t finished.
“My real hope is to go there and bring some hardware home,” he said. “This helped validate the effort, but it’s not like the weight is fully off yet.”
One Goal Down, More to Prove
With the Games approaching, Hess remains locked in on what matters most — his run.
“I’ve had this plan for a run in my mind for about three years,” he said. “I’m not competing against anyone but myself. As long as I stick to that run and that goal, I believe the results will be great.”
He’s confident the preparation is done.
“I’ve done everything I humanly can to prepare for that moment,” Hess said. “Now it’s about keeping things moving in the right direction. I’m not throwing a Hail Mary anymore — this isn’t out of my wheelhouse.”
Back Where It All Began
Despite reaching the top of the skiing world, Hess’ heart remains in Bend and at the top of Mt. Bachelor.
“I was born and raised in Bend,” he said. “The people, the community, it’s been everything. Seeing MBSEF grow and help other kids has been really cool.”
Now, Hess hopes to give back.
“I want to show that their hard work, sacrifices, and dedication paid off,” he said. “I want them to feel like we all made it together. If I can bring home some hardware, I want them to celebrate it with me.”
From midweek laps to the Olympic spotlight, Hunter Hess’ journey has come full circle and now, all that’s left to do is what he does best, Ski.
