In 2023, Nick Goepper closed the book on competitive skiing, retiring as a three-time Olympic medalist. Just 10 months later, he reopened it.

Goepper came out of retirement and made a bold switch from slopestyle skiing to halfpipe. After reinventing his approach on and off the snow, he is in contention to make his fourth Olympic team at 31.

He made his Olympic debut at the 2014 Sochi Games, bringing home a bronze medal in slopestyle as part of a U.S. podium sweep. Goepper then won back-to-back silvers at the 2018 PyeongChang and 2022 Beijing Olympics, making him the only skier with three Olympic slopestyle medals.

Beyond the Olympic stage, Goepper has an extensive collection of hardware from other events. He has won five gold medals and two silvers at X Games, as well as a silver and two bronzes at the world championships. His four slopestyle titles make him the winningest slopestyle skier in the history of X Games.

Most recently, a gold medal at the 2025 X Games in Aspen signals that his second act as a halfpipe skier is off to a promising start.

If he wins a medal at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, Goepper potentially could become the first American to win an individual medal at four different Winter Olympics and would be one of a handful of athletes to earn a medal in two different freeski disciplines.

Where is Nick Goepper from?

Goepper was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and raised in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

How old is Nick Goepper?

Goepper was born on March 14, 1994 and is 31 years old.

When did Nick Goepper start skiing?

Goepper started skiing at age 5 and competed for the first time as an 11-year-old. At 15, he moved to Sandy, Oregon, to train alongside professional skiers at Windells Academy on a full scholarship. Five years later, he won his first Olympic medal at the 2014 Sochi Games.

How many Olympic medals does Nick Goepper have?

Goepper has three Olympic medals: two silver (2018, 2022) and one bronze (2014). He was part of a historic podium sweep for the U.S. team in men’s slopestyle, with Joss Christensen winning gold, Gus Kenworthy securing silver and Goepper claiming bronze.

How many X Games medals has Nick Goepper won?

He has won seven medals at the X Games: five gold and two silver. He first competed in the X Games in 2013 and he won six of his seven medals in slopestyle.

What events does Nick Goepper compete in?

In all three of his previous Olympic appearances, Goepper has competed in slopestyle. He also competed in big air at the 2022 Games but seldom contested that discipline outside the Olympics.

Since coming out of retirement in November 2023, Goepper has competed in halfpipe. To qualify for one of the three remaining men’s halfpipe spots on the U.S. Olympic team, he will face strong domestic competition from skiers like David Wise, Birk Irving and Hunter Hess. (Two-time Olympic medalist Alex Ferreira became the first halfpipe skier to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team at the end of last season).

How are Nick Goepper’s medal chances for 2026?

So far, Goepper’s transition from slopestyle to halfpipe has been a resounding success. After winning gold at the 2025 X Games, he enters 2026 as a key contender to return to the Olympic podium.

Goepper has not been shy about publicly sharing his goals for Milan Cortina. “I’m going to win gold at Milano Cortina 2026,” he told Olympics.com in March. Visualization is a key aspect of his preparation for competitions.

How does Nick Goepper rank in the FIS standings?

Currently ranked No. 2 on the Olympic Quota Allocation List maintained by FIS, Goepper is in a strong position to contend for an Olympic spot. Last season, he finished 2nd in the World Cup rankings and earned a silver medal at the world championships.

What tricks is Nick Goepper known for?

Since transitioning to halfpipe, Goepper has proven himself capable of landing the big tricks that other skiers have in their arsenals, such as back-to-back double cork 1620s. However, he has differentiated himself with the bone air 900, a highly-technical trick that no other skiers are doing. During the past offseason, Goepper worked on an improved version of the bone air with 1260 degrees of rotation.

After winning his first Olympic medal at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Goepper shared his struggles with depression and alcohol abuse. He checked into a rehabilitation center for two months in fall 2015 and has now been sober for 10 years.

Does Nick Goepper have an Instagram? 

Yes, Goepper has an Instagram account with over 151K followers, where he shares training videos and more.

What are Nick Goepper's fhobbies outside skiing?

When he’s not skiing, Goepper enjoys surfing, skateboarding, and basketball.

He also is a proficient woodworker and has a workshop where he builds furniture and other projects. Last summer, he purchased 40 acres of land to build his own Olympic training arena. He and his roommate created a quarterpipe complete with a 50-foot airbag in the Nevada desert.

Goepper trains in rollerblades on the DIY ramp, which he calls “Rollerblade Ranch."

Learn more about the freeskiers and snowboarders set to compete at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.