Hunter Hess Creates Buzz with Backwards Gesture

American freeskier Hunter Hess made headlines recently after competing in the Olympic halfpipe qualifiers. Following his performance, he formed an “L” shape with his left thumb and index finger, placing it on his forehead, reminiscent of a line from a Smash Mouth song.

However, the twist is that the “L” was backwards, leading to some criticism of Mr. Hess, especially since he had stirred some controversy by criticizing the Trump administration just a few weeks earlier.

Hess has been trying to handle the backlash he’s received since his comments about Trump. After finishing fifth in the qualifiers, he made the gesture as a direct response to the negativity he felt. He referred to Trump as a “real loser.” “Looks like I’m a loser,” he quipped. “I guess I’m leaning into it.”

Unfortunately, things didn’t go smoothly for Hess in the halfpipe final, where he ended up in 10th place.

As a result, some spectators poked fun at his reversed “L.” One commentator even said, “He can’t even get the L right,” while another pointed out, “Apparently geniuses don’t know that the letter ‘L’ is facing in the opposite direction.”

2026 Winter Olympics

Hess had previously mentioned the struggles he faced in recent weeks, describing them as “the most difficult two weeks of my life.” He reflected, “I worked hard to get here, sacrificing so much to make this happen. I’m not going to let that kind of controversy overshadow my journey. I love the United States of America, and I think I expressed that, but it seems people still misinterpret it. I’m grateful to represent Team USA.”

During these challenging times, Hess found support from his family, which helped him rise above the criticism. “It was a tough week, but having my family around made it manageable. They kept me focused, and skiing has really been a lifesaver for me,” he shared.

As a two-time X Games medalist and a first-time Olympian, Hess’s journey is just beginning.