Henri Rivers has been skiing since he was 1 year old, but he never expected to become an Olympic ski racer by age 18. Soon, though, he’ll be headed to Milano-Cortina to compete against the best skiers in the sport on a world stage — for Jamaica.
Born in Brooklyn and raised by two ski-instructor parents, Rivers and his twin sisters have been involved in skiing their entire lives. The Rivers’ father (Henri Sr.) is a lifelong skier, himself, and the president of the National Brotherhood of Snowsports (NBS). He introduced their mother to the sport after she immigrated from Jamaica, and the two taught skiing together.
The Rivers triplets all hold dual citizenship, making them eligible to compete for Jamaica at the Olympics. With a long history of competitive ski racing, they hoped to qualify for the 2026 Winter Games together. However, Henri was the only one who made the cut, qualifying in slalom.
Which, by default, makes him the entire Jamaican Ski Team. He’ll be representing the island nation as its only alpine racing athlete.
When GearJunkie spoke with Rivers, he’d just finished his morning training session at Vail’s Golden Peak and was wearing the black, yellow, and green colors of the nation he’ll be skiing for. His entire life right now revolves around skiing, working out, doing recovery work, eating “lots of food,” and generally, “just making sure the body is right,” he said.
He has one more U.S. ski race before he heads across the pond for the Big One on Feb. 15. GearJunkie talked with Rivers ahead of the Games about the weight of this accomplishment, his hopes for the races, and, of course, his gear.
Q&A With the Jamaican Olympic Ski Team: Henri Rivers IV
GearJunkie: Obviously, skiing isn’t plentiful in Jamaica. So, where in the U.S. do you normally train and ride?
Henri Rivers: Well, I just graduated from Stratton Mountain School in Vermont. And that was my primary mountain all through high school, and before that, I was with Windham Mountain in New York, in the Catskills, like 3 hours from my house. And I was with them since — well, before I was born, actually.
So you’ve been skiing since you could walk. Having done it for so long, can you describe what your relationship with skiing is like?
HR: Me and skiing have such a good bond. It’s just like this (clasps hands together). Super tight. Super molded. It has never done me wrong in my entire career. I have not gotten injured one time. Knock on wood, but like, it’s just — it’s crazy. This is such a high-intensity sport, with a lot of injuries. I’m still at an early age, but I’m grateful that hasn’t happened to me.
What does it mean to you to be competing on a world stage with the best skiers alive?
HR: It means a lot. It will mean a lot just knowing that I’m there and will be able to compete with the best of the best. You don’t do that every day. And just being able to witness how they ski, what they do to their skis, how they talk about skiing — I’ll try and absorb everything I see like a sponge. And hopefully, one day I’ll be able to ski with them on the tour.
But I also want to see how well I fend against them.
How does it feel to represent Black skiers everywhere in a sport that’s often labeled as “white”?
HR: It’s truly an honor to represent not just myself, but the entire Black ski community. It just means so much beyond skiing at this point. I can inspire a lot of people. That’s the whole point. I want to inspire others … I can just show a story that not a lot of people have heard or seen before.
And this is just the beginning of where I want my story to go.
What are you most excited for at the Milano-Cortina games?
HR: Just to be there to experience it, to experience being a professional athlete. I’m racing against the best of the best, but I can’t think about it like that. If you just admire them, you can’t surpass them. So, you just got to throw away that whole “they’re the best” kind of thing. You got to just look at them like they’re another competitor, try and beat them.
Are you nervous?
HR: No, I’m not nervous. I was racing against a lot of the pros this summer — racing, training against them, not being that far off from them, you know, just holding my own. So hopefully it’ll stay the same, and maybe I’ll even do better.
Are you bummed that you aren’t going to be competing alongside your twin sisters?
HR: Definitely bummed. You spend your whole life alongside them. You compete alongside them your entire lives, too. I’m just kind of synonymous with them. And then, now it’s like, I’m doing this solo dolo. It sucks. You know, I’m gonna have to hold down the fort for this time. And then next go around, hopefully they make it.
I know they will. So then, I won’t be alone next time.
Were you skiing over the summer for training?
HR: Yeah, just South America, like Argentina and Chile. Oh, it was so much fun … I went to Caviahue in Argentina. And then I went to El Colorado in Chile.
Jamaican Ski Team Gear: The Rivers Kit
Of course, we weren’t going to let Rivers go without talking gear. The young ski racer is going to be racing edge-to-edge, gate-to-gate, with the highest caliber of skier he’s ever competed against. Having a dialed kit you can trust when that starting buzzer goes off is essential.
Apparel-wise, Spyder is outfitting Rivers with his official Jamaican Ski Team racing suit. But the brand also launched three limited-edition Jamaican Olympic apparel pieces. They include a reversible beanie ($15), a crewneck Speed Fleece ($115), and lightweight base layer ($85), all of which Henri will be wearing to Milano-Cortina.
Here’s the rest of his kit:
- Ski suit: Spyder X Jamaica Ski Team suit
- Skis: Head FIS SL/GS/SG skis
- Boots: Head WCR 2
- Bindings: Head Freeflex 16/20
- Poles: Leki Venom SL/GS
- Helmet: Head Team SL/Downforce MIPS RD for GS
- Goggles: Xevo Optics XR7 Magnetix
