The actress explained that she went the distance in the bathroom on a commercial flight. Drew Barrymore details how she joined the milehigh club: 'Did I say that out loud?' The actress explained that she went the distance in the bathroom on a commercial flight. By Emlyn Travis :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/EmlynTravisauthorphotocba6765b433b4f93b9398d18053153b1.jpg) Emlyn Travis is a news writer at . She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and NME. EW's editorial guidelines February 10, 2026 5:15 p.m.

The actress explained that she went the distance in the bathroom on a commercial flight.

Drew Barrymore details how she joined the mile-high club: 'Did I say that out loud?'

The actress explained that she went the distance in the bathroom on a commercial flight.

By Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and *NME*.

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Drew Barrymore attends the 2025 Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 05, 2025 in Santa Monica, California. Credit:

Craig T Fruchtman/Getty

Drew Barrymore is sharing how she joined the mile-high club.

During Monday's episode of *The Drew Barrymore Show*, the talk show host played a game of table tennis with *Vanished* star Kaley Cuoco that required them to answer a risqué question every time that they lost a round. When asked if she'd ever done the deed aboard a plane, Barrymore simply nodded in response.**

"I figured!" Cuoco exclaimed. "You're a wild child."

A blushing Barrymore responded, "American Airlines," as the audience screamed and applauded. **

Drew Barrymore attends Daytime At Night: An Evening with the Drew Barrymore Show at The Paley Museum on September 09, 2024 in New York City.

Steven Ferdman/Getty

When asked by Cuoco and* Drew Barrymore Show* cohost Ross Mathews if it was a difficult task to accomplish while soaring the spicy skies, Barrymore simply replied, "No, it worked well."

The *Big Bang Theory *alum took a moment to acknowledge that the airline did have good seating. "It was in the bathroom," Barrymore explained, before turning to the audience with a shocked look. "Did I say that out loud?"

Cuoco, meanwhile, revealed that she hasn't earned her wings, despite starring on *The Flight Attendant*. "No, I have not," she said. "100 percent no."

Kaley Cuoco was 'so depressed' before 'Flight Attendant' premiere amid divorce: 'I literally thought I was gonna die'

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Barrymore's admission comes two years after she bonded with Christina Aguilera over both being club members.**

"Doesn't it feel wild?" the host asked the "What a Girl Wants" singer in a 2024 episode of the talk show.* *"It's not the same! If you're curious, like why are people doing it? I'm telling you, elevation. It feels different!"

Barrymore continued, "I can't recommend it more. Sorry, FAA!"

Drew Barrymore attends Broadcasting + Cable Hall Of Fame Awards 33rd Anniversary Gal.

Manoli Figetakis/Getty

And, as it turns out, the mile-high club may not be the final frontier for Barrymore. The *Never Been Kissed *star explained on another 2024 episode of her show that she'd be interested in trying out one of the so-called "smooch cabins" that were to be installed aboard German trains.**

"Yeah, of course I would do this!" she said at the time. "While you're alive, why not try everything? Especially if it's not hurting anyone!"**

Barrymore then clarified, "When I say please try everything, I mean please try everything that doesn't hurt someone else. As long as it's not hurting someone else, do everything you can in life and enjoy it. Sure!"

*The Drew Barrymore Show* airs weekdays on CBS. Check local listings.

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The actor married Michelle Lundstrom in May 2025. Why Steve Burton is taking a 'short break' from General Hospital The actor married Michelle Lundstrom in May 2025. By Emlyn Travis :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/EmlynTravisauthorphotocba6765b433b4f93b9398d18053153b1.jpg) Emlyn Travis is a news writer at . She has been working at EW since 2022. Her work has previously appeared on MTV News, Teen Vogue, and NME. EW's editorial guidelines February 10, 2026 4:15 p.m. ET Leave a Comment :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/generalhospitalSTEVEBURTON021026e5e8a76c60ce4d77bf4c3b046fd49f88.

The actor married Michelle Lundstrom in May 2025.

Why Steve Burton is taking a 'short break' from General Hospital

The actor married Michelle Lundstrom in May 2025.

By Emlyn Travis

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Steve Burton on 'General Hospital'. Credit:

Bahareh Ritter/Disney via Getty

Steve Burton is putting his family first. **

The* General Hospital *star, 55, announced in an Instagram post on Tuesday that he will be taking some time away from the beloved sudser to spend time with his loved ones. **

"Hey everyone, I wanted to share that I'll be taking a short break from General Hospital," Burton wrote. "I'm newly married and looking forward to spending some quality time with my family."

'General Hospital'.

Christine Bartolucci/Disney via Getty

He continued, "I'm grateful for all the support and will be back this summer. Much luv." **

Burton and his partner Michelle Lundstrom tied the knot in an intimate Laguna Beach, Calif., ceremony in May 2025, just four months after they announced their engagement.

'General Hospital' star Nancy Lee Grahn did not love that Jimmy Kimmel had Carrie Underwood on his show

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"Honestly, I've never felt so loved and cared for in my entire life," he told PEOPLE at the time. "I'm incredibly grateful to have her by my side. She is the most amazing, beautiful, and selfless woman I've ever known. I love her so much."**

Burton was previously married to Sheree Gustin, but announced on social media in 2022 that they'd gone their separate ways because she was "expecting her 4th child" and "the child is not mine." The pair continues to co-parent their three children: Makena, Brooklyn, and Jack.

Lundstrom, a "recipe creator" who once appeared on Netflix's* Barbecue Showdown 2*, is also mom to daughters Lilah and Hannah from a previous relationship.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

Burton has played mob boss Jason Morgan on the award-winning soap opera on and off since 1991. He also briefly appeared as Jason's identical twin, Drew Cain, in photos and flashback sequences from 2017 until 2019. **

He checked out of* General Hospital* in 2021, explaining at the time that the series "let me go because of the vaccine mandate." He then returned to *Days of Our Lives* — a program he previously starred on in 1988 — before ultimately finding his way back to *General Hospital *in 2024.**

*General Hospital *airs weekdays on ABC.

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A wellknown London street performer, Franklin was recently diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer. Former Voice U.K. contestant Dean Franklin dies at 36, weeks after cancer diagnosis A wellknown London street performer, Franklin was recently diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer. By Ryan Coleman :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/RyanColemanauthorphoto0081ce8f0254478080f35972c433877b.jpg) Ryan Coleman Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books. EW's editorial guidelines February 10, 2026 5:51 p.m.

A well-known London street performer, Franklin was recently diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer.

Former Voice U.K. contestant Dean Franklin dies at 36, weeks after cancer diagnosis

A well-known London street performer, Franklin was recently diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer.

By Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman

Ryan Coleman is a news writer for with previous work in MUBI Notebook, Slant, and the LA Review of Books.

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Dean Franklin. Credit:

Dean Franklin/Instagram

Dean Franklin, a former contestant on *The Voice U.K.* who was also a beloved London-based street performer, died Saturday at 36.

His mother announced the news on social media Sunday, just weeks after Franklin was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. "As a family we are truly heartbroken to announce that our precious boy Dean Franklin who fought so courageously over 8 weeks and 3 days passed over at [9:39 p.m.] last night," she wrote. "He was surrounded by love."

She also thanked her son's fans and followers for the volume of supportive of messages the family has been receiving, and said she "wanted as his ma to manifest my son's courage to share with you all. As a family we will post in more length when we are able. Until then please know that the love you gave to our Dean and all of us has meant so very much."

Franklin first disclosed that he was dealing with "some serious health stuff" in December, in a video posted to Instagram, which he frequently used to connect with fans about his life and music. In his next post, Franklin revealed he had been diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer.

The singer noted that the cancer, first located in a tumor at the "bottom of my oesophagus," had already spread to several lymph nodes in his abdomen. For the next month, Franklin shared frequent updates with his 30,000 followers on the platform, chronicling treatment, opening up about the financial burden, and giving thanks for support.

Celebrity deaths 2026: Remembering the stars who died this year

Former 'The Voice' contestant dies from snakebite at 26

In his last video, posted Jan. 30, Franklin noted that he had "no symptoms from the primary cancer," at the time of his diagnosis, and that "all my symptoms came once it spread to my liver." He encouraged his followers to "listen to your body and push for answers."

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter***.****

Franklin was already a prolific and well-known street performer by the time he audition for *The Voice U.K.* in 2016. He tried out during the blind auditions, wowing the judges and leading BRIT Award-winner Paloma Faith to serve as his mentor.**

Faith paid tribute to her former mentee Tuesday, writing on social media, "Such a talented and beautiful soul. My heart goes out to your family and particularly your very loved daughter."

The final entry on Franklin's Instagram, posted by his family and confirming his death, has become a place for Franklin's fans, friends, and colleagues to share their memories of the singer, with musician and friend Luke Silva commenting a series of broken-heart emojis and S Club alum Jo O'Meara writing, "Rest in Peace Dean. My thoughts are with you all."

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&34;I couldn't believe how bad it looked,&34; the actress confessed. Kaley Cuoco struggled on The Big Bang Theory set after getting Botox for the first time: 'Nothing moved' &34;I couldn't believe how bad it looked,&34; the actress confessed. By Shania Russell :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/ShaniaRussellauthorphoto5934b684845d480caa4485648c39ef2b.jpg) Shania Russell Shania Russell is a news writer at , with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine. EW's editorial guidelines February 10, 2026 5:26 p.m.

"I couldn't believe how bad it looked," the actress confessed.

Kaley Cuoco struggled on *The Big Bang Theory set *after getting Botox for the first time: 'Nothing moved'

"I couldn't believe how bad it looked," the actress confessed.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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Kaley Cuoco attends the 31st annual Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica, Calif., on January 4, 2026. Credit:

Kevin Winter/Getty

Kaley Cuoco will never forget her first experience with Botox… nor will a few of her *Big Bang Theory* castmates.

The 40-year-old actress, who has long been candid about her history with cosmetic procedures, didn't hold back on self-criticism while recalling what it was like to act after her very first time using the injectable.

"My first Botox, I did my forehead and I did all this stuff and I was so excited," Cuoco shared during a recent visit to Amanda Hirsch's *Not Skinny but Not Fat *podcast.

The actress explained that the same week she got the procedure done, she was shooting an episode of the popular sitcom that required her to be very expressive — which turned out to be much more difficult than expected.

"There is a scene where I have to do this thing with my face and I could not move," Cuoco recalled. "The fact that no one said anything — they probably were thinking it — I couldn't believe how bad it looked."**

Kaley Cuoco as Penny and Johnny Galecki as Leonard on 'The Big Bang Theory'.

Michael Yarish/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Cuoco added that she was doing her best to get through the scene but her face was too stiff to pull it off.

"I was like literally doing these jokes and nothing moved," she said. "My forehead didn't move and it looked like I was trying to move it."

The experience ended up marking an early wake up call for Cuoco, who was much more careful with cosmetic procedures from then on. **

Carrie Coon credits a lack of Botox to getting 'older' and 'complex' roles: 'I tend to play older than I am'

'Big Bang Theory' co-creator admits Penny was initially clichéd 'dumb blonde,' later saw her 'brilliance'

"That's when I thought, 'Whoa. Let's calm it down, let's rein it in,'" she explained. "So I reined it in and now I don't do my forehead."

Cuoco added that despite her imperfect first experience, she "loves a bit of Botox," and still gets the injection around her eyes and neck. She went on to address her breast augmentations, a procedure that she's been through twice, joking, "I would love a third pair."

The actress added that getting the enhancement was the "best decision I ever made."

Cuoco, whose career took off at 21 after she landed the role of Penny on *The Big Bang Theory*, has previously opened up about the motivation behind her breast implants, telling *Redbook* magazine that the procedure helped her to feel "more confident" in her body.**

Kaley Cuoco attends staged benefit reading of "All the President's Men" in L.A. on January 9, 2026.

Matei Horvath/Getty

"I had no boobs!" she said in the 2015 interview. "[The surgery] really was the best thing ever! I always felt ill-proportioned. My implants made me feel more confident in my body. It wasn't about trying to be a porn star or wanting to look hot and sexy."**

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

Two years later, the *Flight Attendant *star told *Women's Health* that she also got a nose job, and defended her decision against critics of cosmetic surgery.

"As much as you want to love your inner self, I'm sorry, you also want to look good," she said. "I don't think you should do it for a man or anyone else, but if it makes you feel confident, that's amazing."

Watch Cuoco discuss her first Botox experience above.**

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Princess Beatrice Was a 'Witness' to Call Where Sarah Ferguson Sought to Walk Back Epstein Pedophile Comments, Emails Suggest Stephanie PetitFebruary 10, 2026 at 11:51 PM 0 Sarah Ferguson and Princess Beatrice on June 17, 2025 Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Sarah Ferguson appears to have discussed press coverage about her connection to Jeffrey Epstein with her daughter Princess Beatrice, who was just 22 at the time, emails suggest Emails from the Department of Justice's latest drop also suggest Epstein claimed that Beatrice "likes" him Sources tell PEOPLE that Princess Beatrice and her sister, Princes...

- - Princess Beatrice Was a 'Witness' to Call Where Sarah Ferguson Sought to Walk Back Epstein Pedophile Comments, Emails Suggest

Stephanie PetitFebruary 10, 2026 at 11:51 PM

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Sarah Ferguson and Princess Beatrice on June 17, 2025

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

Sarah Ferguson appears to have discussed press coverage about her connection to Jeffrey Epstein with her daughter Princess Beatrice, who was just 22 at the time, emails suggest

Emails from the Department of Justice's latest drop also suggest Epstein claimed that Beatrice "likes" him

Sources tell PEOPLE that Princess Beatrice and her sister, Princess Eugenie, "feel pretty duped" as revelations continue to emerge about the extent of their parents' links to Epstein

Sarah Ferguson said she discussed press coverage surrounding her ties to Jeffrey Epstein with her then-22-year-old daughter Princess Beatrice, emails suggest.

The Department of Justice released new documents related to Epstein on Jan. 30, including an email exchange between Ferguson, Epstein and her then-spokesperson James Henderson from April 2011. In the emails, Sarah denies bringing up "p." — believed to stand for pedophilia, based on comments attributed to Ferguson in the press around the time — in the media and discusses her phone calls with journalist Geordie Greig.

In the email exchange, Ferguson claims she spoke to the media because she "had to protect my own brand" but "would not want to hurt Jeffrey anymore, by saying such an untruth."

Furthermore, she appears to say Princess Beatrice was a "witness" to her call with the journalist and discussed a follow-up to the conversation.

"After I hung up from our call with Geordie. Beatrice and I had a discussion and we agreed it was important to call Geordie back and make sure he understood the severity of NOT making a mistake and getting it wrong about Jeffrey, because he was sent to prison for sexual offending, but that he had done his penence and was out of jail and moving on with his life," Ferguson said in the email, presumably referring to Epstein's 2008 conviction for procuring a minor for prostitution and soliciting prostitution. "And Geordie was NOT in anyway to go down the P. route."

"I duly did the call," Ferguson allegedly wrote, adding that Beatrice was a "witness" to it.

Sarah Ferguson and Princess Beatrice in March 2011

Indigo/Getty

An interview with Ferguson, now 66, was published in the London Evening Standard in March 2011 about her ties to Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 awaiting trial on federal conspiracy and sex trafficking charges. There, she apologized for accepting money from Epstein.

"I personally, on behalf of myself, deeply regret that Jeffrey Epstein became involved in any way with me," she said. She reportedly continued: "I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf. I am just so contrite I cannot say. Whenever I can I will repay the money and will have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again."

However, The Sun and The Mail on Sunday first reported in September that Ferguson sent Epstein an effusive email weeks later praising him as "a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family."

Another email from 2015 shows a redacted sender seemingly alerting Epstein that "Princess Beatrice will be joining" their group during a trip to Mexico. "I can see the headlines already. :) Do you still talk to them?" the sender wrote.

Epstein responded, "She likes me it's ok."

PEOPLE has reached out to Ferguson and Princess Beatrice for comment.

Jeffrey Epstein; the former Prince Andrew; Sarah Ferguson

Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty; Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty; Mike Marsland/WireImage

PEOPLE previously reported that Princess Beatrice, now 37, was also present for a meeting ahead of her father's, the former Prince Andrew's, 2019 BBC Newsnight interview surrounding his ties to Epstein, which led to him stepping back from his public royal role.

Producer Sam McAlister called the surprise guest the "curveball of curveballs" in an interview with PEOPLE: "To have prepared to do this incredibly important negotiation and then have to do it on these sensitive and difficult subjects in front of his young daughter really was taking an already extraordinary experience to the next level. Nothing prepares you for a professional experience like that."

Sources tell PEOPLE that Princess Beatrice and her sister, Princess Eugenie, 35, "feel pretty duped" as fresh revelations continue to emerge about the full extent of their parents' links to the convicted sex offender.

"They are pretty torn because they believed [their father]," says renowned royal author Robert Jobson. "Just like the late Queen and Charles, Andrew told them all the same story — that he had done nothing wrong. My understanding is they feel pretty duped by the whole thing."

"I'm shocked by what's come out," Jobson adds. "They were only 19 or 20-year-olds at the time. If, at that age, your parents say we are going to see someone who's a friend of theirs, you don't think much about it beyond that."

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice on Christmas 2025

Henry NICHOLLS / AFP via Getty

King Charles stripped Andrew of his royal titles and honors in October. However, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie — who are not working members of the royal family and have private jobs — were not affected by the move. The sisters spent Christmas with the royal family, as their father and mother were kept out of the gathering.

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Kaley Cuoco 'Couldn't Believe' How 'Bad' She Looked on "The Big Bang Theory" After Getting Botox for the First Time Michelle LeeFebruary 10, 2026 at 10:26 PM 0 Kaley Cuoco recalls getting Botox for the first time while filming 'The Big Bang Theory' Warner Bros.; Amy Sussman/Getty Kaley Cuoco is getting real about a botched Botox job she had during her days on The Big Bang Theory The actress, who appeared on Amanda Hirsch's Not Skinny but Not Fat podcast, said she couldn't move her forehead while acting because of the injectable Cuoco has been candid about her cosmetic enhancements, from her pa...

- - Kaley Cuoco 'Couldn't Believe' How 'Bad' She Looked on "The Big Bang Theory" After Getting Botox for the First Time

Michelle LeeFebruary 10, 2026 at 10:26 PM

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Kaley Cuoco recalls getting Botox for the first time while filming 'The Big Bang Theory'

Warner Bros.; Amy Sussman/Getty

Kaley Cuoco is getting real about a botched Botox job she had during her days on The Big Bang Theory

The actress, who appeared on Amanda Hirsch's Not Skinny but Not Fat podcast, said she couldn't move her forehead while acting because of the injectable

Cuoco has been candid about her cosmetic enhancements, from her past nose job to her last two breast augmentations

Kaley Cuoco's first time with cosmetic injectables was a memorable one for sure.

The actress and mom, 40, has always been candid about her cosmetic work, and she approached the topic with candor again on the Not Skinny but Not Fat podcast with Amanda Hirsch.

In the episode released on Tuesday, Feb. 10, Cuoco recalled getting Botox in her forehead for the first time, around the era of her life when she was on the popular sitcom The Big Bang Theory. The tweak didn't turn out to be what she hoped, she admitted.

The cast of 'The Big Bang Theory' in 2013

Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images

"There is a scene where I have to do this thing with my face, I could not move [it]," she recalled. "The fact that no one said anything — they probably were thinking it — I couldn't believe how bad it looked," she said.

"I was like literally doing these jokes and nothing moved. My forehead didn't move and it looked like I was trying to move it," she confessed.

At that point, she decided to "calm it down and rein it in" before things went too far. But, she still "loves a bit of Botox" and gets the injection near her eyes and in her neck.

Cuoco also touched upon her past breast augmentations. She's already had her breasts done twice and is hoping to go for a third procedure since getting the enhancement was the "best decision" she's ever made.

— sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Kaley Cuoco at the In Conversation 'Based on a True Story' at 92NY in 2024

Dia Dipasupil/Getty

In 2014, the Emmy nominee opened up to Redbook magazine about undergoing the procedure. "I always felt ill-proportioned. My implants made me feel more confident in my body. It wasn't about trying to be a porn star or wanting to look hot and sexy."

Cuoco, who has also gotten a nose job, defended her decision in a Women's Health story that was published in 2016. "As much as you want to love your inner self … I'm sorry, you also want to look good. I don't think you should do it for a man or anyone else, but if it makes you feel confident, that's amazing."

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Japan's surge on the Olympic halfpipe leaves the U.S. with some catching up to do EDDIE PELLS February 10, 2026 at 7:11 AM 0 1 / 4Milan Cortina Olympics Snowboarding Japan's HalfpipeFILE Japan's Ayumu Hirano poses for pictures after winning a gold medal in the men's halfpipe finals at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China.

- - Japan's surge on the Olympic halfpipe leaves the U.S. with some catching up to do

EDDIE PELLS February 10, 2026 at 7:11 AM

0

1 / 4Milan Cortina Olympics Snowboarding Japan's HalfpipeFILE - Japan's Ayumu Hirano poses for pictures after winning a gold medal in the men's halfpipe finals at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)

LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — A generation ago, the sight of an Olympic halfpipe podium drenched in red, white and blue was as common as fresh powder on the mountain — a fitting and expected celebration for a sport born and raised in the United States.

A look at those podiums over the past decade tells a different story.

With Shaun White now in retirement, America's other great champion, Chloe Kim, is the only remaining U.S. snowboarder at these Winter Olympics favored to win a halfpipe medal in the contests that start with qualifying Wednesday.

The rest of the top contenders are from Japan, which boasts defending champion Ayumu Hirano and this year's second-ranked rider, Yuto Totsuka, with Australia's Scotty James and a few others sprinkled in from other spots in Asia and even New Zealand.

It's a generational shift borne from the confluence of several factors — namely, Japan's doubling down of both resources and athletes in snowboarding's most iconic event set against an alarming reduction in the number of actual halfpipes to ride across America.

These days, industry experts say there are a half-dozen or fewer halfpipes spread across American resorts. White said his last conversation with Hirano brought home the investment Japan has made in dry-slope training grounds, expensive air bags and, maybe, most importantly, time and talent.

"It's like, 'OK, so you're dropping triple-14s in a tank top while everyone else is waiting for the snow to hit in some part of the world,'" White said of the Japanese champion's summertime training regimen. "I don't know what would've happened if I had been able to train year-round in snowboarding."

Halfpipes becoming less common in the US

Kelly Clark, the 2002 Olympic champion, grew up in the heart of the Green Mountains in Vermont. Her path to shredding on a halfpipe began at a little resort called Mount Snow.

These days, halfpipes are rare, if nonexistent, on the East Coast, which was also the training ground for Ross Powers and Danny Kass — two of the three members of the Olympic men's halfpipe sweep that officially put this sport on the map at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002.

In 2014, slopestyle joined the Olympic program. The growing popularity of that form of riding, with its less-intimidating rails and jumps, played into what resorts are willing to invest in. It's easier and less expensive to carve out a gentle jump or place piping on a mountain than to dig out a 22-foot steep halfpipe, which takes far more advanced skills to construct — and ride.

"If I were looking 15 years down the road at halfpipe and how common that will be at a resort, then, that I would say could be a little concerning," Clark said. "Will it be that relatable sport that everyone can kind of watch, and participate in?"

Shannon Dunn-Downing, the 1998 bronze medalist, wrote a recent editorial in Slush Magazine titled "Is Halfpipe Dead?"

"If it's not cut well, nobody's gonna ride it," she said in an interview. "Then it's going to kind of sit there empty, and ski resorts see that, and they don't put the effort in if they don't understand the value of having a halfpipe in the first place."

Fewer halfpipes means a shrinking pipeline for up-and-coming US snowboarders

When their sport was dragged reluctantly into the Olympic fold in 1998, most of the best riders were essentially self-taught or privately coached, some of them starting on handmade quarterpipes that they and their friends took days to dig out.

Those who got good would look for funding — and the training access on better halfpipes that it afforded — from the Burtons and Red Bulls of the world in an ecosystem that thrived on product placement and dropping from helicopters for cool backcountry videos.

The U.S. Ski Association eventually became U.S. Ski & Snowboard, though it took decades for the snowboarders to start being treated more equitably. Four years ago, an story detailed some of the dissatisfaction American snowboarders felt inside a Euro-centric system that favors skiing.

This came even though snowboarders have amassed 31 medals for the U.S. between 1998 and 2018, compared to 21 for the Alpine skiers over that period.

Rick Bower, who was elevated to director of the USSA snowboard program, detailed initiatives to support snowboarding that are starting to even things out — including an endowment potentially worth more than $65 million.

The goal is for the U.S. to dominate on the halfpipe when the Olympics return to Salt Lake City in 2034.

"For a long period, our sports were doing great and they were, like, 'Hey, we'll just let them do their thing,'" Bower said. "Because of that, we're now in a position where we're behind and we need to do some catch-up."

Japan saw an opportunity and invested in being the best

Meanwhile, Japan's pipeline comes at people in waves. Bower said that for decades, Japan would send teams of riders to America to train. More recently, it's dozens of riders with multiple coaches heading to Switzerland for camps.

"It's an army," Bower said. "It's 30 developmental athletes, all of whom are very skilled."

Among the most telling statistics is that from 2002 through 2010, the U.S. won 12 of the 18 available halfpipe medals at the Olympics. Japan: None.

In the three Olympics since, the U.S. has won six of 18, but only one of nine (White's in 2018) on the men's side. Japan has won five, four of those in men's.

The trend is moving beyond the halfpipe. In the two big air events held so far at the Milan Cortina Games, Japan has captured three of the six medals. The U.S. produced a total of one finalist, no medals.

The bronze medalist in men's big air, Su Yiming, is from China, where participation in action sports is skyrocketing. But he trains in Japan under a Japanese coach who has an airbag.

"It just makes everything safer and you can learn a new trick a whole lot quicker," Su said.

Zach Nigro, the senior director of sports marketing for Burton, says halfpipe's reputation as the most dangerous discipline in the sport could be part of the appeal in Japan.

"I think there are more Japanese riders who say, 'Oh my God, I could be part of that,'" Nigro said. "They have a lot of honor. Their thought might be, it's a difficult discipline, but if you're going to be the best, then master the most difficult discipline."

When the halfpipe finals roll around Thursday for the women and Friday for the men, Hirano, Totsuka and Ruka Hirano (not related to Ayumu) are among the Japanese candidates for the podium. So is Scotty James, the Aussie rider with eight career titles at the X Games and silver and bronze medals from the Olympics.

Where the first part of the 31-year-old James' career was spent chasing White, the second part involves holding off or catching the Japanese.

"They have a group team camaraderie, they push each other and they've built kind of a force," James said. "They're hard to compete against. It's their composition on the board, their bodies. They're just very good at snowboarding. You put them on it and they're like one with it."

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Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Sports"

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Source: Sports

Published: February 10, 2026 at 02:27PM on Source: MANUEL MAG

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