Jake
Canter
United States
·
Snowboarding
Date of birth | July 19, 2003 |
|---|---|
Birthplace | Evergreen, Colorado |
Age | 22 |
Nationality | United States |
Career start | 2020 |
Disciplines | Snowboard Slopestyle |
Hailing from Colorado, slopestyle wonder Jake Canter’s story is similar to that of a lot of snowboarders from the mountainous US state. He found his love for the sport in his own backyard before honing his skills at Colorado’s many resorts. “I had a lot of neighbours who were always snowboarding and it looked so much fun,” he says.
From there, a successful junior career followed, which culminated in 2018 with Jake taking the top spot in the Junior Jam at the Burton US Open, the prestigious annual halfpipe contest that pits some of the world's best young riders against each other.
Overcoming injury
The achievement was all the more impressive given that just two years prior, during the winter of 2016, Jake suffered a traumatic head injury whilst trampolining that nearly ended his life. It wasn't until August 2017 that he returned to riding on snow for the first time, but despite now being deaf in his right ear as a result of the accident and the ensuing complications, Jake’s balance for snowboarding hasn't been affected.
Still able to compete in the sport he loves, Jake continued his progression in the 2017-18 season as one of the USA’s most talented young halfpipe snowboarders, concluding with that Junior Jam victory.
Despite his success in the halfpipe, Jake decided to switch focus to slopestyle, having learned bigger tricks on slopestyle jumps during time spent in Switzerland in late 2018.
Slopestyle success
Another big career moment followed not long after his discipline switch in February 2019. Whilst attending the X Games with the US Snowboard Rookie Team simply on a watching brief, he then found himself competing in it. He was just 15. His childhood idol, Mark McMorris, offered Jake his spot in the event's inaugural Knuckle Huck competition.
Not only that, Jake was the first to drop in, so found himself leading some of the world’s best snowboarders down the big air course at Buttermilk. “It was definitely the best contest I could have ever done to debut at X Games,” he recalls of that 2019 appearance.
Jake showed great progress in 2019-20, where he earned a last-minute invite to X Games Knuckle Huck again and finished in second place. He filmed Chasing Winter with McMorris and participated in the Red Bull Recharge team event at Mammoth Mountain. Then, in 2022 Jake landed a third-place finish at the Laax Open, cementing his place as a slopestyle rider to watch.
A first World Cup victory
More success would come at the start of the 2025/26 season as Jake secured his first win World Cup victory at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix in Aspen. The victory also officially qualified him for the 2026 Winter Olympics, where he went on to win bronze in the slopestyle competition.
Despite the trials he's faces, Jake has proven that he's a force to be reckoned with on the slopes and his eyes are set on earning more silverware in the near future.
Check out his exploits in Chasing Winter.
Jake Canter snowboards at Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado
© Peter Morning/Red Bull Content Pool
Relaxing on Mammoth Mountain
© Chris Singer/Red Bull Content Pool
Jake Canter Fs 360 during the Red Bull Performance camp
© Frederik Kalbermatten
Picking up some silverware at the Laax Open
© Lorenz Richard/Red Bull Content Pool