Sage Kotsenburg - S03E08

Sage Kotsenburg:
From Olympic gold to backcountry’s #1 at Natural Selection

Pack heavy, Chase Light S03E08

Sage Kotsenburg won the first-ever Olympic gold medal for men’s snowboard slopestyle at Sochi in 2014. Five years later he retired from competition...

As far as the snowboarding hall-of-fame goes, it doesn’t get much bigger than Sage Kotsenburg. We’ve been working with Sage for a good few years now, following him keenly as he navigated life after competition. This week’s PHCL is about having the balls to go against the grain and pursue what genuinely makes you happy – even if it’s walking away from the thing that put you, and your sport, on the map in the first place.

“I wanted to get my joy back and I was just willing to do anything to do that.”

Sage Kotsenburg. Snowboarding’s first-ever Olympic medalist took home the gold in Sochi in 2014. Five years later, he retired from competition – favoring life in the backcountry and trying to positively influence the next generation of riders.

Sage stepping down from being a pro-athlete was a move that shook the entire sport. It was by no means easy for him to walk away, however, the pressure he put on himself to compete at elite level was smothering. This pressure could be deemed manageable if you relished events. However, Sage didn’t. As his father, Steve, says – if you’re not loving something there’s simply no point in doing it, and we couldn’t agree more.

“I just know I want to snowboard as much as I can and pass along knowledge to the next generation and just show kids that there is another side to snowboarding.”

Sage recognized that he wasn’t unique in his positioning. There are plenty of kids out there who don’t love to compete but who feel stuck in the ‘athlete rut’ as the only means to make money from their sport. The reality is there are so many options out there for kids who want to earn a keep and still ride. Guides. Videographers. Instructors. They all exist in the mountains without medals, and live a happy, fulfilled life. Sage is proof there is life beyond the podium, and that you want to take a leap away from competition, chances are you’ll stick the landing.