I
f you know Sage Kotsenburg, you probably remember him winning the first Olympic gold medal in men’s slopestyle at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. A few years later, he left competition behind. It wasn’t just burnout, though he felt that too. He realized he had nothing left to prove and felt drawn to something rawer, more unpredictable, and real. Now, Kotsenburg is exactly where he wants to be: deep in the backcountry, chasing powder, filming, getting hurt, recovering, and heading back out. He found a place where his creativity and toughness collide, in a space he had to make for himself. Now, it’s not just about riding. It’s about building a life centered on movement, freedom, and vision. “I was really not getting good results,” Kotsenburg says of the 2014 Olympics. “I wasn’t really happy being at the events. I had told myself before the Olympics that that was the last event I was going to do.” Winning gold pulled him deeper into the comp scene, but his focus had already shifted. A couple of years later, he was fully committed to backcountry and big-mountain riding. “I told all my sponsors that I was going to pursue backcountry snowboarding, and that it was totally ok if they didn’t want to continue the relationship with me down this path,” he says. But his sponsors, including Monster Energy, supported his decision, and their relationship deepened.
A SYMBOL OF HOME
The move to backcountry riding became part of his on-screen story, too. In 2025, Kotsenburg was featured in Monster Energy’s “SELF MADE” tattoo series alongside acclaimed tattoo artist Luke Wessman. In the show, the Monster Energy tattoo ambassador visits the athlete’s world, and the athlete then joins him for a tattoo. Episode 5 of “SELF MADE” follows Kotsenburg from his early days in Park City, Utah, through winning Olympic gold, and now to creating a new path for himself. The video examines his drive, from pushing through pain to land tricks to dealing with the emotional fallout after Sochi, when the cameras left but the pressure remained. In “SELF MADE,” Kotsenburg’s dedication to his sport is tangible. He’s open about everything, including how he felt like a phony and almost quit after winning gold. His story is real, built on the work ethic that took him to the top and the humility that brought him back. Kotsenburg came to Wessman’s tattooing chair with an idea: Park City’s well-known McPolin Barn. Wessman added a bear trap and the 435 area code, then tattooed it on Kotsenburg’s bicep. “(It) turned out so cool,” Kotsenburg says. “It’s really one of my favorite ones.” Kotsenburg’s first tattoo was a rose behind his ear, which he got in a hotel lobby during ISSUE 2 / 2026
|
37