Alex Hall may have an Olympic season right around the corner, but you wouldn’t know it listening to his offseason plans.
The reigning slopestyle gold medalist used to ski around 365 days a year when he was younger. These days, he prefers a more laid-back approach.
Hall takes time off after the busy competition and filming winter season to surf, golf and relax. He said it helps him recharge and return to the sport more motivated than he left it.
Don’t get it twisted — Hall is still spending August in New Zealand skiing, July on the airbags practicing tricks at the Olympic Park and some days here and there in the Center of Excellence gym.
Whatever Hall is doing in his offseasons, it’s clearly working for him. He just grabbed the U.S.’ slopestyle and big air early Olympic bids for the Milan Games. He joins halfpipe skier Alex Ferreira there.
Hall said the bids won’t change his offseason. He may be able to take things a little easier at the beginning of the season, however, now with the ability to skip some of the early World Cups.
“It’s super cool to get those bids early,” Hall said. “I don’t think it really changes much.”
He said he will look to defend that gold medal and push for another in big air. He sees slopestyle as his hallmark event, although he does have a big air Crystal Globe.
Hall says the big air field is great at pushing the envelope with their tricks. A little more time off the competition snow in the early season could help him chase that difficulty.
“It definitely gives me a little more freedom, which is nice to have,” added Hall.
While learning of his first Games bid is tough to top, this is the first time Hall gets to celebrate bids early. Previously, the U.S. team handed out two of their four bids per event early, leaving Hall qualifying merely weeks ahead of the 2018 and 2022 Olympics.
Hall hopes to bring his trademark fun-having skiing to Milan. He’s been having a great time this offseason whether relaxing or occasionally hitting the gym at the Center of Excellence.
“It’s pretty standard,” Hall said. “I don’t see the reason for changing that much. … I realized that sometimes it’s nice to take a couple weeks or a month or two off and focus on some other stuff and reset because then you come back really hungry.”