Miyabi Onitsuka poses for a portrait at the Red Bull Performance Camp in Saas Fee, Switzerland on 28 September, 2021.
© Lorenz Richard / Red Bull Content Pool
Snowboarding

Miyabi Onitsuka talks about her personal approach to competing

Female slopestyle snowboarding champion Miyabi Onitsuka is attracting lots of global attention. How will she take her game to the next level?
By Ryo Tajima/ Edited by Hisanori Kato
5 min readPublished on
We follow Onitsuka in her pursuit to conquer the highly difficult Cab Double Cork 1260 and the continued progress she’s made alongside her rivals.
Snowboarder Masashi Onitsuka was born on October 12, 1998 in Kumamoto

Snowboarder Masashi Onitsuka was born on October 12, 1998 in Kumamoto

© Hikaru Funyu

Miyabi Onitsuka is no doubt the biggest name among female snowboarders in Japan. Even outside of Japan, the champion snowboarder is a globally recognized athlete in slopestyle.
At X Games Aspen in January of 2020, Onitsuka went for a big move, becoming the first female to land the Cab Double Cork 1260 in competition. She is now doing huge things in the big air scene.
Onitsuka is always identifying weaknesses to improve upon, all while continuing to take on even more difficult challenges. What kind of thinking goes into her performance? We dive into the fundamentals of her approach.
Myabi Onitsuka performs a lipslide on the rainbow rail in the female Snowboard slope style during the Winter Games at Cardrona Alpine Resort, New Zealand on September 3, 2017

Lipslide over the bridge

© Graeme Murray

A Stoic and Eager-to-Learn Approach

Q：How do you set goals?
Setting Goals in Steps
Miyabi Onitsuka
I set a big goal and come up with smaller goals that will be necessary to achieve the big goal. Breaking things into steps allows me to see how I am progressing and where I stand. I have fun creating lots of goal plans and working up to achieving the big goals.
Q：What are you thinking about when competing at the top level?
I have to focus on what’s in front of me [Laughs]
I can only concentrate on what I need to do for the trick. So, for a backside, my mind is occupied thinking about the start of the turn, the twist in the air, and other points.
How to fight in your own way

How to fight in your own way

© Maruo Kono / Red Bull Content Pool

How do you calm your nerves at big competitions?

Warming up properly! I am a nervous type, so to get into competition mode, I have to properly warm up. This eases my nerves and gets me ready.

Miyabi Onitsuka with the airbag training facility in the background

Miyabi Onitsuka with the airbag training facility in the background

© Hikaru Funyu

How do you cope with failure and disappointment?

Put it in the past. It’s not good to think too much about things that don’t make sense. While it is important to let yourself feel disappointed by your failures, after a moment of feeling down I try to move on to the next goal. If you worry too much you will start to become obsessed, so it is best to put it in the past. Despite that, I tend to reflect on things and get pulled into them, so I have to work hard to move on quickly.

What is the secret to maintaining your composure when something is unfair?

Use it to your advantage!

There’s a line from a manga I like that sticks with me. `Even the unfairness can be overcome through ability.` Rather than giving up and blaming something or someone else when things are unfair, I try to use it as an opportunity to better myself. [Laughs] But there are times when I’m like `what just happened!?`”

Taking a break to recharge and get back to it.

Taking a break to recharge and get back to it.

© Jason Halayko / Red Bull Content Pool

Prioritizing self-care at all times!

How do you deal with stress?

I recently started boxing. I am friends with former World Featherweight Professional Boxing Champion Takahiro Ao. I started boxing after he said he would teach me. After trying it, I noticed it felt really good and refreshing. When I’m boxing, my mind is free, and it looks cool!

Are there any unusual things you make sure to take to the slope?

Protein bars. It’s not really unusual, but there is a type of protein bar I like, so I bring it as a snack during practice. I like them since they are easy to carry around and keep their shape even when moving around a lot, and since they can be easily eaten in any situation, they are essential when practicing overseas.

How do you spend your days off?

Rejuvenating the body! On days off, I see just how much I can recover! I try to rejuvenate my body by refreshing my mood. Even if I am physically healthy, when I am mentally exhausted, I refresh my mood by meeting with friends, going shopping, chatting, and having fun. I try to fully rest both my body and mind.

Miyabi Onitsuka airs the final jump at the Burton US Open in Vail, Colorado, USA on 26 February, 2019.

Miyabi Onitsuka soared to second in Snowboard Big Air

© Aaron Blatt/Red Bull Content Pool

Do you watch any movies?

I’m more of a manga person. [Laughs] When I watch movies or television dramas, I get too interested in the story and I can’t concentrate. So, I more often end up reading manga on a smartphone app. Manga is easy to look at while traveling abroad. I can read during down time and easily pick it up later. I like ONE PIECE and lots of classic manga series. I like to check out lots of different manga series on the app, whether new or old.

What kind of music do you listen to?

ONE OK ROCK! My parents were listening to them, so I ended up becoming a fan. I’ve been listening to them for over 10 years. I’ve seen them live as well. Listening to music you like always helps to lift up my mood.

A positive mind is always important!

What bad habits do you want to overcome?

Deciding things based on set ideas. Maybe I am not good at lying, but I have my own set ideas about things, so part of me is not good at accepting other people’s ideas about snowboarding. I tend to reject contrary opinions, so I think I need to broaden my mind and accept different ways of thinking.

Miyabi Onitsuka slides the second rail feature at the Burton US Open.

Miyabi Onitsuka on her way out of the second rail

© Daniel Milchev/Red Bull Content Pool

What is something that you want to quit, but just can’t?

I tend to do everything that can think of. Well, it is what it is. [Laughs] I’m the type of person to do everything that I can think of, but I actually wish I could stop doing that.

Do you have any rituals?

I thump my chest! At competitions I am trying lots of new things, and sometimes I just want to get away. So, I bang on my chest to reset my emotions and set myself straight. I always do that before competitions. I’m not sure you’d call that a ritual, but... [Laughs].

Who do you take inspiration from?

All the people I meet.I get inspired not just from other athletes, but from everyone I meet. I like to find the good in people, and try to connect this to personal growth, to areas where I am lacking. There are really lots of wonderful people in the world deserving of respect. I am inspired by all the good things they do.

Snowboarding

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