Barbieri Second at Youth Olympic Games
Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team athlete Alessandro Barbieri secured the silver medal in Thursday’s halfpipe competition at the Youth Olympic Games. Barbieri, who made his World Cup debut at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix in Copper Mountain earlier this season, sat in fourth heading into the final run, putting pressure on the rookie for a potential podium finish. Looking as calm and collected as ever, Barbieri dropped into the pipe at the Welli Hilli Park Ski Resort for the final time in Gangwon, South Korea, stomping his third run to earn him a spot on the podium.
“All the training is before and when it’s competition time you’re just on autopilot. That was my autopilot kicking in on that last run. I put it down. I’m stoked,” said Barbieri. “Once I made it to the bottom, it was just a relief of stress. When I saw the second place, it was even better.”
Already a mainstay on the World Cup circuit, Korea’s own Chaeun Lee put down a massive second run to secure the gold in front of his home crowd. Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team rookie Noah Avallone also had a strong performance in finals, taking eighth overall.
Sonora Alba and Rochelle 'Rocke' Weinberg represented the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team for the women, with Alba taking fourth and Weinberg eighth. Barbieri and Alba will meet back up with Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team teammates to compete in the Snow Rodeo FIS Snowboard Halfpipe World Cup in Canada, February 9-10.
Alessandro Barbieri
Alessandro Barbieri from Portland, Oregon is a newer member to the Rookie Halfpipe Team. Prior to his involvement, he took part in the Tahoe Select Snowboard Team. Before he began his snowboarding journey, he was a skier, it wasn’t until age five that he decided to make the switch. Alessandro has a ritual before every time he slides down into the halfpipe, he claps his hands three times and does a little ollie. He says this gets him in the zone and is also a good luck charm. Outside of his boarding career, he is also a competitive kitesurfer.