‘The Wynter Olympics’: Local freeride skier talks about the prospect of the sport’s inclusion in the Olympics
Photo supplied, Wynter McBride
Freeride skier Wynter McBride, seen here in an undated photo, said that freeride skiing could become an Olympic sport as soon as 2030.Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of three stories following a Standard-Examiner editorial board interview with freeride skier Wynter McBride discussing her love of the sport, how it stands out versus other forms of skiing and the prospects of freeride skiing becoming a medal sport in the Winter Olympics.
OGDEN — Wynter McBride is an accomplished freeride skier who is currently fifth in the Freeride World Tour.
And if all goes well in the coming years, she may also have another title.
Olympian.
McBride told the Standard-Examiner she has heard there may be a vote in the coming months on whether or not freeride skiing will be included in the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps.
She said that her understanding of why freeride skiing hasn’t been part of past Olympics is that monetary issues have gotten in the way.
“From what I’ve been told, it’s a budget thing,” she said. “They need to make sure they have funding to be able to do it.”
The Olympics — both summer and winter — haven’t been afraid to try out new sports and derivatives of existing sports throughout the years. Even the 2026 Winter Olympics saw an event make its debut with the inaugural ski mountaineering competition.
However, McBride said there’s also some split opinions within the freeride skiing community about becoming an Olympic sport.
“Within the community in freeride, there’s some people that are really torn — ‘This shouldn’t be an Olympic sport; it’s going to ruin the culture,'” she said. “There was a shift in skateboarding and surfing when (they) went to the Olympics that people are concerned about happening in freeride.”
She, however, sees an upside to freeride skiing becoming part of the Olympics.
“There’s also a big group of people, myself included, that feels it legitimizes the sport if it is in the Olympics,” she said. “That gives us a better path forward as professional athletes.”
McBride said she also thinks ahead to when the Olympics arrive in her backyard in 2034.
“Who wouldn’t want to go to the Olympics?'” she said. “That would be such a cool opportunity and the prospect of it being in my home and the idea I could be competing in the Olympics at home would be incredible.”
She said she intends to work toward competing in the Olympics should freeride skiing be added.
“For me, and maybe it’s how my dad raised me and my siblings, but I want to make sure I’m having fun and enjoying my time and the journey to get wherever it is,” she said. “But I will be taking steps to try to work towards the Olympics if it’s voted on and approved.”
McBride noted that there are already many within the freeride skiing community that have prior Olympic experience.
“There are people who have transitioned from Olympic disciplines to feeride,” she said. “I think a lot of them would like to go back to the Olympics in freeride, too.”
As of mid-March, no formal announcement has been made by the International Olympic Committee about when a decision may be made on freeride skiing’s inclusion in the Olympics.
