Abby Winterberger

Quick Facts

• Specialty: Women's freeski halfpipe
• Began skiing at age 2
• Winterberger's parents, Jim and Rosemary, shared their passion for skiing with both Abby and her brother Mack, who also competes in halfpipe
• At 15, became the youngest member of Team USA's roster for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 and the only club-level freeski athlete to qualify, bypassing traditional U.S. Ski & Snowboard team pathways

Biographical Information

Abby Winterberger's earliest memories of skiing date back to her toddler years. Winterberger was introduced to skiing at age 2 by her parents Jim and Rosemary, who shared a passion for the sport. She began competing at age 6, initially following her brother Mack onto the slopes and into competitions. Growing up in a region known for breeding Olympic talent, Winterberger development through the Olympic Valley Freestyle Freeride Team allowed her to train in multiple disciplines including moguls, slopestyle, halfpipe and skiercross.

Winterberger's competitive career progressed rapidly through local and regional competitions. She captured gold in both slopestyle and halfpipe at the 2024 USASA Open Class Nationals at Copper Mountain, Colorado, defending her halfpipe title from the previous year. Her versatility across disciplines showcased her technical foundation and natural talent. Despite not having an Olympic-sized halfpipe at her home mountain for regular training, Winterberger's grit and determination enabled her to compete against athletes with more consistent access to world-class facilities.

Making her world cup debut during the 2025-26 season, she earned three top-10 finishes in her first season on the circuit, including sixth place at the final Olympic qualification event in Aspen, Colorado—the highest finish among American women at that competition. She also placed eighth at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain and ninth at Secret Garden, China. Her consistent performances throughout the qualifying period demonstrated her ability to compete against the world's best halfpipe skiers despite her young age.

Winterberger's nomination to compete for Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 in women's halfpipe has been called a rare achievement that may be unprecedented in the history of U.S. freeski halfpipe by her home team. Born in 2010, Winterberger was merely 15 at the time of her Olympic nomination. As the only club-level freeski athlete to qualify for the Games without progressing through the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Rookie and Pro Team pathways, she achieved Olympic selection years ahead of the traditional developmental curve.