Troy Podmilsak

Profile and significance

Troy Podmilsak is one of the heaviest-hitting big air and slopestyle skiers on the planet, a rider from Park City, Utah, who has already rewritten what is possible in contest freeskiing while still in his early twenties. Born on 23 August 2004, he exploded onto the global stage by winning double gold in slopestyle and big air at the 2022 Junior World Championships, then followed that up with a landmark season in 2022–23 that saw him claim his first World Cup podium and the FIS Freestyle World Championship title in men’s big air. In Bakuriani, Georgia, he took gold with a never-been-done forward triple cork 2160 mute, instantly cementing his reputation as the rider willing and able to push rotation and trick design beyond anything that had been landed in competition before.

Podmilsak’s impact only grew in 2024 when he claimed men’s ski big air gold at X Games Aspen, again using a forward triple 2160 and a switch double bio 1980 to separate himself from a field stacked with Olympic and World Cup champions. Those two titles—World Champion in big air and X Games big air gold medallist—place him in the very top tier of modern freeskiers, and his list of “firsts” in competition (youngest rider to land a triple cork 1440, first to land a switch double bio 1980, first to land a forward triple 2160 in contest) make him a genuine progression leader rather than just another contest winner.

Competitive arc and key venues

Podmilsak’s competitive arc starts in an unlikely place: the Snowflex dry slope at Liberty University in Virginia, where he learned to ski at age three. When his family later moved to Utah, he shifted onto real snow at Park City Mountain, joined the Park City Ski & Snowboard club and quickly gravitated to the terrain parks. NorAm results came early, including big air victories in Aspen and podiums in Perisher, Australia, and Calgary, Canada, as he learned to manage bigger jumps and more complex lines. By his mid-teens he was already the youngest member of the U.S. Freeski Team, spending winters bouncing between North American and European venues in search of bigger and more technical courses.

The 2021–22 season was his breakout in formal FIS competition. At the Junior World Championships in Leysin, Switzerland, he dominated both slopestyle and big air, leaving with two gold medals and a clear message that he was ready for the senior level. That same momentum carried into the 2022–23 World Cup season. In October 2022 he earned his first World Cup podium with third place in big air at Chur, Switzerland, on a city jump that rewarded riders who were willing to spin deep in heavy conditions. Months later in Bakuriani he converted that confidence into his first senior world title, stomping a switch double 1980 and then the historic forward triple 2160 mute to take big air gold in a finals field loaded with established stars.

In January 2024, Podmilsak reached the one contest stage that still eluded him: X Games Aspen. In men’s ski big air he sat in last place heading into his final run, then delivered a clinical forward triple 2160 that scored near-perfectly and vaulted him to gold. That night made him not just a world champion but also an X Games champion, a double that very few skiers in history can claim. Since then he has stayed near the top of World Cup big air standings, trading podiums and high finishes with the other heavy hitters in the discipline while building a deep slopestyle résumé that keeps him relevant whenever the course includes rails as well as a single jump.

How they ski: what to watch for

At first glance, Troy Podmilsak’s skiing is all about numbers: 1980s, 2160s, triple corks and huge spin counts. Look more closely and you see the real engine behind those tricks: exceptional timing, body control and air awareness. On big air features he tends to ride a clean, direct line into the lip, set his rotation early and then stay remarkably quiet through the body while the skis and legs do the work. His forward triple 2160 mute is a perfect example: the grab is locked in early, knees pulled in tight to his chest, and the spin stays on axis even as he completes six full rotations before snapping to his feet in the landing.

What separates him from riders who simply spin fast is his ability to keep grab quality and shape in the air. Whether it is a switch double bio 1980 or a triple cork 1440, Podmilsak treats the grab as the anchor of the trick rather than an afterthought. Slow-motion replays of his biggest jumps show how long his hand stays connected to the ski, how he tweaks the grab slightly instead of just touching, and how he keeps his eyes and head tracking the landing while the rest of his body completes the rotation. For progressing skiers, this is the key lesson: the trick is not just the number; it is the combination of rotation, axis and a clearly defined style choice.

Resilience, filming, and influence

Behind Podmilsak’s highlight reels lies a story of resilience and calculated risk. Progressing to tricks like a forward triple 2160 mute and a switch double bio 1980 required years of structured training, from airbags and water ramps to smaller triples on snow, along with sessions where things did not go to plan. Interviews around his world title in Bakuriani reveal that he visualised the trick in dreams and nightmares, waking up from crashes in his head before ever dropping into the real jump. Turning that mental chaos into a landed run on demand says as much about his psychological preparation as it does about his physical skill.

While he is still primarily focused on contests rather than full-length film segments, Podmilsak’s influence is already clear in how younger riders and peers talk about him. Clip compilations from events like Big Air Chur, the World Championships and X Games circulate widely, and his “TPod” persona—confident but grounded, hungry to “win everything” but clearly in love with the process—has made him a favourite in brand edits and athlete-profile features. As more event organisers experiment with progressive formats and trick-for-trick showcases, he is often highlighted as one of the riders who can deliver something spectators have literally never seen before.

Geography that built the toolkit

Podmilsak’s geographic journey explains a lot about his skiing. Starting on the Snowflex slope at Liberty University gave him an unusual foundation: consistent surface, limited vertical, and an environment where repetition mattered more than natural snow quality. When his family moved to Utah, he suddenly had access to the full winter package at Park City Mountain, including the long tradition of park building and coaching that has produced many of the world’s best freestyle skiers and snowboarders.

As he moved onto international circuits, his toolkit expanded again. City big airs in Chur, with scaffolding towers and shifting weather, demanded the ability to adapt trick choice to conditions. Bakuriani’s World Championship jump required speed management and courage on a feature that was unfamiliar to everyone in the field. At Aspen’s X Games jump line he had to balance raw amplitude with the precision needed to land deep spins cleanly on a relatively tight landing zone. Layered on top of endless laps at home, these different venues have helped him become comfortable on almost any big air feature he encounters.

Equipment and partners: practical takeaways

Podmilsak’s equipment choices mirror his commitment to high-end progression. He rides twin-tip park skis from K2, set up to provide strong pop off the lip, predictable flex in the air and solid edge hold on icy World Cup and X Games landings. His goggles and protective gear are supplied by brands such as 100%, while outerwear and technical layers from Outdoor Research help him stay warm and mobile through long training days in variable weather. As a member of the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team, he also benefits from the tuning infrastructure and support around U.S. Ski & Snowboard, ensuring that edges, bases and bindings are dialled for high-impact landings.

On the energy and lifestyle side, partnerships with Monster Energy and the Monster Army platform highlight his status as one of the leading young athletes in action sports. For viewers and progressing riders, the important takeaway is not that specific logos guarantee performance, but that his setup is coherent: skis matched to his discipline, boots and bindings tuned to absorb huge impacts without unwanted release, and outerwear that lets him move freely and stay safe from the elements. Anyone chasing progression on large park jumps can learn from that approach—choose gear that supports consistency and safety first, then build trick difficulty on that base.

Why fans and progressing skiers care

Fans care about Troy Podmilsak because he represents the cutting edge of what contest freeskiing can be. In a few short seasons he has gone from junior prospect to junior world double champion, from first World Cup podium to big air World Champion, and from first X Games appearance to big air gold medallist landing tricks no one else has ever put down in competition. Every time he drops in on a big air, there is a genuine sense that something new might happen—an experience that has become rare as trick lists and formats have stabilised.

For progressing skiers, his story offers both inspiration and a roadmap. He shows how an unconventional start on a dry slope can evolve into a world-title career, how careful use of airbags and progression steps can make even the heaviest tricks achievable, and how style and grab quality still matter even at 2160 degrees of rotation. Perhaps most importantly, he demonstrates that pushing limits is not just about fearlessness; it is about preparation, respect for risk and a long-term commitment to the craft. Whether you see him as “TPod,” the kid from Park City who wants to win everything, or as the rider whose triple 2160 changed what big air looks like, Troy Podmilsak is already leaving a mark that future generations of freeskiers will measure themselves against.