3 Colorado Snowboarders Ready for Olympic Medal Glory

A teenager from Vail is carrying a toy snowboard to the Olympics, and it might just be his secret weapon for bringing home gold.

Ollie Martin, just 17 years old, joins fellow Coloradans Red Gerard and Jake Canter as Team USA's biggest hopes in Olympic snowboarding events starting this week in Italy. The trio represents a powerhouse of homegrown talent that has the snowboarding world watching closely.

Martin has already made history as the youngest athlete ever to win a World Cup slopestyle event and the only rider to land both frontside and backside 2160s. At the Steamboat Springs World Cup, he unveiled the first-ever cab 16 pullback, a trick he'd been visualizing all spring.

That miniature snowboard his mom made him pack? It's been his visualization tool since childhood, helping him map out impossible tricks during long flights and car rides. What sounds like child's play has translated into world championship bronze medals and groundbreaking performances.

Gerard, 25, knows a thing or two about Olympic pressure. He won slopestyle gold in 2018 at just 17 but missed the podium in Beijing four years later. Now he's channeling that teenage fearlessness again, prequalifying for Milan Cortina by finishing second overall in the World Snowboard Points List.

"I'm just trying to get back to that 17-year-old self," Gerard said. "I'm riding the best I ever have in a lot of ways."

Even Gerard looks up to Martin's technical prowess. The veteran admits watching his young teammate leaves him thinking, "How do I do that?"

Canter, 22, secured his Olympic spot by winning the U.S. Grand Prix in Snowmass last month. Competing at the mountain where he spent countless hours as a kid, in front of old coaches and family, made the victory extra sweet.

Why This Inspires

These three athletes show how dedication meets opportunity when you grow up with world-class mountains in your backyard. Martin practices managing pressure at smaller competitions specifically to prepare for moments like these. Canter calls the Olympic opportunity itself a win, embracing the "pressure is a privilege" mindset.

But what really stands out is the genuine camaraderie. Gerard celebrates his teammates' skills rather than viewing them as threats. Martin credits a childhood toy for helping him innovate. Canter remembers the coaches who got him here.

The big air qualifier begins Thursday morning, with finals Saturday. Slopestyle events follow later in the month. Three Colorado kids who grew up riding the Rockies are about to show the world what they can do.

Gerard summed it up perfectly: "I'm here to snowboard, do that run, and hopefully it's good." Sometimes the best approach to pressure is simply doing what you love.