Snowboarding is a very fun sport. It is also progressive, diverse and complex. Progression means that this game is never boring, and does not stagnate. In addition, it is an extremely unique game that combines skateboarding, skiing and surfing together.
Snowboarding was introduced in the ’60s and its popularity grew extensively to become an international event. Over the years, fans have witnessed some great and amazing riders compete on different levels.
Coming up with a list of the best snowboarders in history is difficult because there have been plenty of athletes who have proved themselves over time. In this list, we picked athletes who achieved exceptional results and also gave us a glimpse into how great this sport can be.
Shaun White
Shaun White is a well know snowboarder and perhaps the most well-known athlete in the world. He is American but has both Italian and Irish ancestry. He started at the age of six, and he was the first kid to receive a sponsorship at the young age of seven. Since then, he has never looked back. He has two Olympic Gold Medals to his name.
His overall medal count is 24, and he has also won 10 ESPY awards so far. Apart from his medals, he earned plenty of other titles such as being ranked number two on BusinessWeek’s 100 most powerful athlete’s list. In addition, he was the chairman of the board on Spike TV’s Guys Choice Awards and he was named the most metal male athlete by the Revolver Golden Gods too.
Travis Rice
He is an American snowboarder, whose father was a skier. He took an interest in snowboarding at a young age, and by the time he was 18, without even a sponsor, he went to Mammoth Mountain in California and entered the “superpark” contest by the snowboarder magazine. He made his mark and rose to fame during this event.
He has gone on to win four X game medals and has accumulated more than twenty snowboarding films to his name. This includes the incredible “Transcendence” film.
Gretchen Bleiler
Gretchen Bleiler is a female snowboarder who started at age 11. She had a goal of competing at the X games from that tender age because, according to her, the X games were amazing. She says that these games made snowboarding get where it is today.
Bleiler is responsible for initiating the revolution of female snowboarders and has won the most medals among the female athletes. These include the US snowboard Grand Prix, the US Open Championships, and others.
Beyond snowboarding, she has expanded her career to designing, where she came up with her own line of outerwear and snowboarding clothes and accessories, using the K2 and Oakley brands. She has a long list of sponsors, such as GoPro, Coca-Cola, and Aspen Snowmass.
Danny Kass
Danny Kass is a snowboarder who started at 12 years old. After many years of practicing in the Mid-Atlantic States, he entered the Okemo Mountain School and concentrated on the park and better pipe in the East.
To his credit, he has won seven X game medals, four US open championships, and two silver Olympic medals. Kass, together with his brother Matt, founded the “Grenade Gloves Company, which is an extremely successful company that deals in snowboarding accessories, gloves, and extreme sports gear.
Other than snowboarding, he is a successful business owner, and started his own reality show, “The adventures of Danny and the Dingo.”
Terje Håkonsen
Terje Håkonsen is a Norwegian snowboarder who is also one of the most influential in the history of the game. He dominated the 90s freestyle snowboarding scene and in his book, “The way of the Snowboarder,” he says that he revolutionized every aspect of the snowboarding game.
To his credit, he won three ISF championship medals, three US open finals, five European Championship medals, and seven Mt. Baker Banked Medals. In addition, he was the winner of the Innsbruck air and style competition, plus he did set the record for the highest air during the Arctic Challenge games in Oslo.
He is an extremely smooth rider and has been able to dominate all types of terrain. His snowboarding style has had a great impact on the sport.
Conclusion
We hope that you agree with us that the five names on this list are the best snowboarders in history. Of course, we understand that there are plenty more we could add to this list, as there have been some pretty great people in this sport. But, for now, we really wanted to mention these five names.
