COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (KOAA) — The closest thing to flying, that's how athletes describe snowboard halfpipe, a winter sport that combines bravery, technique and gravity. An Olympic-sized halfpipe is 22 feet tall, it's nearly 600 feet long and has a pitch of around 18 degrees.
"Essentially it is half of a tube, and the walls of snow on each side stand about 22 feet tall, shaped half of a pipe and you go back and forth from wall to wall," explained Maddie Mastro.
Copper Mountain in Colorado is home to the first Olympic-sized halfpipe in the U.S. It is where several Olympic athletes practiced and competed before heading to the 2026 Winter Games in Milan.
"It's a lot more technical, I think, than people realize," said Mastro.
The 25-year-old Olympian is an absolute force to be reckoned with in the sport of snowboard halfpipe.
"A lot of work goes into it to make it look so easy and smooth," said Mastro.
When asked about the most difficult aspect of snowboard halfpipe, Mastro emphasized the precision required.
"So, we have a very small margin for error. You have to be very precise and very strategic and good with your technique or you could end up getting really hurt very quickly," said Mastro.
She says this sport defines the term high risk, high reward.
"We have such a small space of landing that you have to land pretty perfectly or it could go really wrong," said Mastro.
To put it into perspective, the halfpipe walls are as high as an average two story building. These athletes soar outside the pipe for an additional five to 20-plus feet, adding to the distance they are above the ground. To top it all off, they have to complete a trick and land on a sheet of ice.
"Easiest way to manage that fear is to find the joy and the fun in it," said Mastro.
Mastro has managed to find lots of success in snowboarding. The 25-year-old has 18 World Cup podiums and four X Games medals. Mastro was the first woman to ever land a double crippler in the halfpipe.
Just last season, she completed three more never-been-done tricks and won the FIS World Cup halfpipe crystal globe. This marks her third appearance at the Olympics.
"So, my focus for the Olympics is landing a run I am super proud of and hopefully they reflect in a medal. I am less focused on what medal I get and more concerned about what my run is," said Mastro.
Mastro will compete Wednesday morning in the qualifying round. The final round for women's snowboard halfpipe is Thursday morning.
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A feature on the I-25 noise wall that you can only notice when it snows
Is the mountain design on the I-25 south wall intentional? It comes out a bit, so when snow falls, it tends to pile up and look like a snowcap.
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