Two-time Olympic snowboard Big Air champion Anna Gasser still has something to prove at her final Winter Olympics

Inspiring, and inspired, by the younger generation, Gasser looks ahead to snowboarding beyond competition

After Canada’s 32-year-old Mark McMorris recently reflected on being the only snowboarder still competing from the men’s Sochi 2014 field, 34-year-old Anna Gasser reached the same realisation: she, too, is the lone remaining athlete from that Olympic cycle still riding and competing at Milano Cortina 2026.

Gasser has long inspired the next generation of riders. Now, that inspiration flows both ways.

“Those are the people that push me and motivate me,” she said of her current field of youthful competitors, some as young as 16 and 17-years-old. “If I did that earlier in my career, then this feels like a full-circle moment.”

“I think it’s a beautiful thing to ride with the young generation now, to still be here.”

As Gasser competes at her final Olympic Games, she is taking time to soak it all in.

Her reasoning for eventually hanging up the competition bib is rooted not in burnout, but in possibility.

“The last 15 years of my life were really 100 percent focused on progressing and competing,” Gasser explained. “And I feel like I have more to give to the sport.”

For Gasser, stepping away from competition does not mean stepping away from snowboarding. It’s a lifestyle and one she plans to continue exploring.

Having spent time filming in the backcountry and riding big mountains and powder jumps, Gasser says she’s excited by the freedom that comes without a competition schedule.

“I want to be a little more creative,” she said. “I want to experience other parts of snowboarding.”