Bend’s Hunter Hess claimed yet another World Cup podium in freeski halfpipe, though extreme weather and unsafe conditions forced a cancellation of Friday’s finals at the U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain, California.

With the cancellation, the men’s and women’s freeski halfpipe final results came from the qualification results that took place earlier in the week, resulting in a U.S. Freeski Team men’s podium sweep and a second-place finish for Hess.

It marked the third World Cup podium-placing this season for Hess, 25, who was born and raised in Bend. He was second in the halfpipe at the U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, Colorado, on Dec. 15, and he took third in a World Cup halfpipe skiing event in Secret Garden, China, on Dec. 8. Also, this past Sunday, Hess won the bronze medal in the men’s ski superpipe at the X Games in Aspen, Colorado, for his first ever X Games medal.

2024 X Games gold medalist Alex Ferreira took first at Mammoth, and Nick Goepper took third place.

Hess — who has 14 top-10 World Cup placings — is a Summit High School graduate who honed his skills at Mt. Bachelor and competed for the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation.