NO SHADING THE GRAY
Published in the Dec. 27, 2025 issue.
Kate Gray learned to ski before she could read. Pulled along by her dad at age two and raised in a house with three brothers where everything was a competition, Gray was primed at an early age for a career in competitive skiing.
That early start has carried Gray all the way to the world stage. Now 19, the Mammoth Mountain native earned a bronze medal in halfpipe at the Youth Olympic Games and has since posted top-American finishes at World Cup qualifiers, placing her in the middle of Olympic qualifying events for the 2026 Winter Games.
She credits her three brothers for the push to train hard enough to get there. Her two older brothers, snowboarders, got her into the terrain park early on. When she got there, hitting the park was just another level of the competition she was already used to at home.
“Everything was a competition, and still is,” she said. “Board games, who does laundry the fastest, who runs down the stairs quickest. There was a lot of energy, but it was fun.”
Then, she joined the Mammoth Mountain Ski Team, where she was the only girl on skis in the park. But, again, the competition only propelled her to dig in and succeed.
“It was always like, ‘The boys are trying this? Okay, I’ll try it too.’ We just pushed each otherconstantly,” she said. “I never wanted to be looked down on because I’m a girl. I wanted to ski at the same level and try the same tricks.”
After progressing through local competitions and winning the USASA Futures Tour, Gray moved up to the Rev Tour, a national-level development circuit, earned podium finishes, and soon found herself competing at Junior Worlds. Before long, she was named to the U.S. team, where she is now in her fourth year on the development squad.
Halfpipe has become her focus this season, another credit to her upbringing in Mammoth, which offered Gray three different-sized half-pipes to ease into the sport: the 11-foot Mini Pipe, an 18- foot pipe and the 22-foot Olympic-size pipe.
“Learning transition here was huge,” she said. “Not a lot of people grow up with access to pipes like Mammoth’s.”
Training now takes her far from home. Gray spends much of the year traveling between international training camps and World Cup stops, bouncing from New Zealand and Europe to China, Canada, and Colorado. This season has been especially condensed, with Olympic qualifiers stacked closely together.
Despite the pressure, Gray said competition is where she thrives.
“I love the adrenaline,” she said. “There’s nothing like landing your hardest tricks under pressure. I try to remember that at the end of the day, it’s still skiing, and it’s still fun.”
That mindset has helped her navigate the unusual dynamic of Olympic qualification, where she is competing directly against teammates while also supporting them. The U.S. women’s halfpipe field is deep this year, and only a few spots are available. The U.S. is expected to send just three or four women to the Games, meaning every run this season carries outsized weight.
“We all want each other to succeed,” Gray said. “We want to beat each other at our best.”
No matter where the season ends, Gray remains deeply connected to Mammoth. When she’s home, she skis with her parents, checks in with the Mammoth team, and makes time for younger athletes coming up through the same program she did.
“It’s a huge community, but so small at the same time,” she said. “I love throwing [the Mammoth Mountain Ski Team] support, showing love to the next generation and giving my input to them because that’s how I was raised.”
Gray is currently competing in Olympic qualifying events at World Cup stops in Copper Mountain, Calgary, and Aspen, with final team selections expected later this winter. To follow along with her competitions, follow her on Instagram @_kate_gray.
Update: Since this article was written, Gray qualified 3rd for the finals on Friday, placed 5th in the finals on Saturday (her career best), and was the top American.
