Sage Kotsenburg

Born on July 27, 1993, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and raised in Park City, Utah, Sage Kotsenburg began snowboarding at the age of five, following his older brother Blaze. He developed his skills on the slopes of the Wasatch mountains, near the Olympic Park built for the 2002 Winter Games. Initially competing in various snowboard disciplines, Kotsenburg decided at age 12 to focus on slopestyle. He became a professional snowboarder in his teenage years, supported by his parents, and gained early recognition by writing down and achieving his goals. His approach to the sport is characterized by creativity and a willingness to attempt original tricks, which became a hallmark of his career.

Kotsenburg rose to prominence in 2010 at age 17, competing on the American professional circuit. His career progressed with notable achievements in major competitions, including a silver medal in snowboard slopestyle at the 2012 Winter X Games XVI in Aspen, Colorado, and a bronze medal in Snowboard Big Air at the 2011 Winter X Games XV. These performances established him as a leading figure in slopestyle as the discipline prepared for its Olympic debut. His innovative tricks and consistent competition results positioned him as a contender for the inaugural Olympic slopestyle event.

The pinnacle of Kotsenburg’s competitive career came on February 8, 2014, when he won the first-ever Olympic gold medal in men’s snowboard slopestyle at the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. He secured this historic win with a combination of difficult tricks, including a backside 1620 Japan, which he had never attempted before in competition, and his self-invented “Holy Crail” grab. This victory made him the first gold medalist of the Sochi 2014 Games and the first American to earn a medal at those Olympics. Following his Olympic success, Kotsenburg shifted his focus from competitive snowboarding to exploring backcountry snowboarding, continuing to push the boundaries of the sport in different terrains. Post-Olympics, he has continued to be recognized for his contributions, earning accolades such as Snowboarder of The Year by Snowboard Magazine in 2020 and winning the 2022 Natural Selection Tour Stop 1.