Who won the first Olympic men’s snowboard slopestyle gold medal at Sochi 2014?

Sage Kotsenburg won the first Olympic men’s snowboard slopestyle gold medal at Sochi 2014.

Kotsenburg represented the United States in the inaugural Olympic men’s slopestyle competition at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park. His winning run included a backside 1620, a highly difficult trick that helped him earn 93.50 points in the final.

Snowboard slopestyle became an Olympic medal event at the 2014 Winter Games. Riders descend a course containing jumps, rails, and other features, combining aerial tricks with spins and grabs. Judges score the overall quality and difficulty of each run.

Kotsenburg’s victory is distinct from Shaun White’s Olympic record in halfpipe. White did not compete in the Sochi slopestyle final, while Canada’s Max Parrot and Mark McMorris won silver and bronze respectively.