Winter Olympics qualifying will go through Colorado and California

2018 Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard competing at the Visa Big Air in Aspen, Colo. Photo: U.S. Ski & Snowboard

PARK CITY, Utah — On Monday, U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced three U.S. Olympic freeski and snowboard qualifying stops for the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.

It will include the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix events at Copper Mountain in Colorado and Mammoth Mountain in California, along with the Visa Big Air at Steamboat Ski Resort in Colorado.

The Toyota U.S. Grand Prix is the longest-running winter action sports tour and has served as a major part of the U.S. Freeski Team and U.S. Snowboard Team Olympic qualification series since 1998, launching Olympic medalists including Chloe Kim, Jamie Anderson, Red Gerard, Shaun White, David Wise and Nick Goepper toward medals.

The Visa Big Air and Toyota U.S. Grand Prix events are sanctioned by the International Ski Federation (FIS) as World Cups.

“The Toyota U.S. Grand Prix has been the beacon of Olympic qualification fervor for more than two decades, and we are thrilled to bring this series back to Copper and Mammoth’s amazing terrain,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Freeski & Snowboard Director Jeremy Forster. “Those two resorts combined with the Olympic history and top-notch facilities at Steamboat Ski Resort for the Visa Big Air presented by Toyota will make for an outstanding Olympic qualifying process. We can’t wait to announce the athletes who will represent Team USA in Beijing this winter.”

Steamboat Ski Resort will host the first and only big air qualifying event on December 3 and 4. Big air is making its second Olympic appearance in 2022 while freeski big air is making its Olympic debut.

A few days later, skiers and riders will hit Copper Mountain’s 22-foot Superpipe on December 8 for the first Toyota U.S. Grand Prix.

In January, the competition will move to Mammoth Mountain’s Unbound Terrain Park for halfpipe and slopestyle events.

The first 2022 Winter Olympics qualification events took place earlier this year at Colorado’s Aspen Snowmass for the U.S. Grand Prix slopestyle and halfpipe competitions.

2021-22 OLYMPIC QUALIFYING SCHEDULE

Visa Big Air presented by Toyota at Steamboat Resort, Colorado
Big Air, December 2-4, 2021
December 2, 2021- snowboard big air qualifications
December 3, 2021- freeski big air qualifications
December 4, 2021 – snowboard big air finals, freeski big air finals

Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, Colorado
Halfpipe, December 8-11, 2021
December 8, 2021 – freeski halfpipe qualifications
December 9, 2021 – snowboard halfpipe qualifications
December 10, 2021 – freeski halfpipe finals
December 11, 2021 – snowboard halfpipe finals

Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain, California
Halfpipe and slopestyle, January 6-8, 2022
January 6, 2022 – freeski halfpipe qualifications, snowboard slopestyle qualifications
January 7, 2022 – freeski halfpipe finals, freeski slopestyle qualifications, snowboard halfpipe qualifications
January 8, 2022 – freeski slopestyle finals, snowboard slopestyle finals, snowboard halfpipe finals