Sage Kotsenburg

Sage Kotsenburg (born July 27, 1993) is an American snowboarder. He won the first-ever Olympic gold medal in men's snowboard slopestyle at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, and became the first gold medalist at these Olympics. Kotsenburg won a silver medal in snowboard slopestyle at the 2012 Winter X Games XVI in Aspen, Colorado, behind Mark McMorris.[3] Kotsenburg won a bronze medal in Snowboard Big Air at the 2011 Winter X Games XV in Aspen, Colorado, behind Torstein Horgmo and Sebastien Toutant.[4]

Sage Kotsenburg
Personal information
Birth nameSage Cullen Kotsenburg[1]
NationalityAmerican
Born (1993-07-27) July 27, 1993
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S.
Height5 ft 10 in (178 cm) (2014)[2]
Weight165 lb (75 kg) (2014)[2]
Sport
Country United States
SportSnowboarding
Event(s)
  • Big Air
  • Slopestyle
Turned pro2010
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals2014
Medal record
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2014 Sochi Slopestyle
Winter X Games
Silver medal – second place2010 Tignes Slopestyle
Silver medal – second place2012 Aspen Slopestyle
Bronze medal – third place2011 Aspen Big Air

Personal life

Kotsenburg was born in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, but grew up in Park City, Utah. His parents are Carol Ann and Steve Kotsenburg. His father is a real estate agent. He has two older brothers, and a younger sister. Sage started snowboarding at the age of five with older brother, Blaze. The three younger siblings snowboard together. Their mother acts as Sage's travel agent.[5]

Kotsenburg was homeschooled via the Alpha Omega Academy. He graduated in 2011.[6] He has been a plant-based vegan since 2016.[7]

Career

Kotsenburg made his US Open debut at the age of 12. At age 16, he won the slopestyle silver at the European X Games 2010.

He landed the first-ever Cab double cork 1440 at Air & Style in Innsbruck in February 2011, took third at the 2011 Arctic Challenge, and was named to the U.S. Snowboarding Slopestyle Pro Team in December 2011.[8]

He won the Winter X Games XVI Slopestyle silver in 2012.

Kotsenburg won slopestyle gold at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, nailing one trick he had never tried before and performing an original grab he invented, the "Holy Crail".[9] He was the first gold medalist of the Olympic Games as well as the first medal for the United States.[10] Soon after his success at the 2014 Olympics, he elected to leave competitive snowboarding in favor of exploring backcountry snowboarding.[7]

During the summer, Kotsenburg trains on Mt. Hood at High Cascade Snowboard Camp. For summer 2014, Kotsenburg and his Lick the Cat crew have been awarded a Signature Session.[11]

References
  1. Watkins, Jen (February 9, 2010). "Dewd, the trophy's yours". ParkRecord.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  2. "Sage Kotsenburg". Sochi2014.com. February 8, 2014. Archived from the original on February 8, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  3. "Snowboard Slopestyle Results". ESPN.com. January 28, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  4. "Snowboard Big Air Results". ESPN.com. January 28, 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  5. "Sage Kotsenburg full bio". Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  6. "Homeschool Snowboarder Wins First Gold Medal at 2014 Olympic Games". Alpha Omega Publications. February 8, 2014. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
  7. "Sage Kotsenburg the Plant Based Olympian". THE ANTI BLUEPRINT PROJECT. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  8. "Sage Kotsenburg Profile – Bio". ESPN.com. January 28, 2011. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
  9. Pells, Eddie (February 8, 2014). "Park City's Kotsenburg uses a new trick to take 1st gold". KSL.com. Associated Press. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  10. Real Talk Interview Pyramid Magazine
  11. Signature Sessions, 2014 High Cascade Snowboard Camp
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