The best snowboarder(s) in the world come in a variety of skill sets, personalities, and styles. Whatever resonates with you, we can each have our favorites. An easy metric to base the 'best' off of is competition wins, influence, and terrain. Pick one or pick them all, there are clear leaders in each category and today we are diving in to see who these incredible athletes are. 

Quick Facts

• “Winningest” today (active): Mark McMorris holds the all-time Winter X Games medals record (24). Jamie Anderson holds the women’s record (21). 

• Women’s competitive dominance right now: Chloe Kim (halfpipe—World Champ again in 2025) and Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (slopestyle/big air—historic triple cork, 2025 wins).

• Most influential park/street creators: Zeb Powell (Burton/Red Bull; X Games Knuckle Huck champ; Red Bull Heavy Metal host) and Scott Stevens (CAPiTA/ThirtyTwo; the trick-innovation blueprint).

• Rising stars to watch: Japan’s Hiroto Ogiwara (first ever 2340 in competition), Taiga Hasegawa (X Games big air/slopestyle medals), and China’s Su Yiming (Beijing 2022 big air gold). 

First, what do we mean by “best”? (Disciplines matter)

“Best” depends on format:

• Competition (halfpipe, slopestyle, big air): podiums, medal counts, difficulty & execution. 

• Backcountry/film: line choice, risk management, style, storytelling—think Travis Rice’s Natural Selection Tour redefining judged backcountry freestyle. 

• Rail jams/street: urban features, creativity, and live hype—see Red Bull Heavy Metal.

• Social media & culture: who’s pushing style, inclusivity, and progression outside podiums.

Your answer will shift depending on which of those you value most.

The “winningest” right now (still competing)

Men

• Mark McMorris — Most Winter X Games medals of all time (24), spanning slopestyle/big air through 2025. If you need a hardware-based GOAT who’s still active, he’s your guy. 

Women

• Jamie Anderson — Most Winter X Games medals among women (21), plus two Olympic slopestyle golds and a big-air silver. Even while she’s competed less recently, her resume is unmatched. 

• Chloe Kim — The halfpipe benchmark today. 2025 World Champion (again) and perennial favorite for a three-peat at Milano-Cortina 2026. 

Influence vs. trophies: why Zeb Powell and Scott Stevens matter

Zeb Powell — culture shifter, rail innovator, community builder

• Receipts: X Games Knuckle Huck gold (2020) and silver (2024); Burton team rider; Red Bull athlete; host and headliner for Red Bull Heavy Metal (2025 Boston). 

• Why he’s influential: Zeb blends street creativity with competition-adjacent formats (Knuckle Huck, Heavy Metal), and drives inclusivity via projects like Culture Shifters and the Slide-In Tour. He’s also crossing into mainstream culture (e.g., recent Jordan Brand partnership) while keeping his snowboard roots front-and-center. 

Cheat sheet (sponsors & highlights): Burton, Red Bull, ThirtyTwo signature products; X Games Knuckle Huck champion; Red Bull Heavy Metal host; community activations that bring new riders into the sport. 

Scott Stevens — the trick lab everyone studies

• Receipts: Long-time CAPiTA pro; ThirtyTwo global team; widely cited as one of the most creative riders ever, with a decades-long footprint in films and clips that influenced a generation. 

• Why he’s influential: If you’ve tried a one-footer, nose-bonk combo, weird flat-ground revert, or board-tap line, you’re borrowing from Scott’s playbook. His video parts and camp coaching have quietly taught the internet how to think differently about a snowboard. 

Cheat sheet (sponsors & highlights): CAPiTA, ThirtyTwo, Union, Smith, Coal, Crab Grab; seminal film parts; trick innovation across street/park, with lasting impact on how people ride. 

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Today’s competitive yardsticks (2024–2025 form)

Women to beat

• Chloe Kim (Halfpipe): 2025 World Champion; still the standard for amplitude + technicality. 

• Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (Slope/Big Air): Returned from injury to win again in 2025—and first woman to land a triple cork in competition.

• Anna Gasser (Big Air): Two-time Olympic big-air champion (2018, 2022); a pioneer of women’s big-air progression. 

Men to beat

• Mark McMorris (Slope/Big Air): The medals record says it all; still contending at X Games. 

• Hiroto Ogiwara (Big Air): First-ever 2340 in competition to win X Games Big Air 2025—proof that Japan’s new wave is rewriting the trick book.

Up-and-comers (watch list)

• Hiroto Ogiwara (JPN): Historic 2340 at X Games Aspen 2025 (gold). 

• Taiga Hasegawa (JPN): X Games 2024 big-air gold, 2025 silver (BA) and bronze (SS); competition-first switch BS 1980.

• Kokomo Murase (JPN): Youngest ever X Games winter medalist; now consistently back on podiums.

• Mitsuki Ono (JPN): World Cup crystal globes in halfpipe; 2024 XG silver; 2025 Worlds bronze.

• Sara Shimizu (JPN): At 15, on major halfpipe podiums (X Games & 2025 Worlds medals). 

• Su Yiming (CHN): 2022 Olympic big-air gold / slopestyle silver; still a global draw with continued World Cup ambitions for Milano-Cortina 2026. 

So…who’s the “best” in 2025?

• If you value medals: Mark McMorris (men) and Jamie Anderson (women) are your all-time X Games leaders still riding. Chloe Kim is the most dominant active halfpipe rider.

• If you value backcountry/film: Look to Travis Rice and Natural Selection athletes who translate park skill into consequential terrain—judged on line choice and freeride creativity.

• If you value culture & creativity: Zeb Powell and Scott Stevens are the most influential riders on the internet and in the streets—impacting how millions ride, not just who wins on Saturday.

The honest answer: there isn’t one universal “best”—but there is a best for what you care about. That’s part of snowboarding’s magic.

What’s the difference between slopestyle, big air, and halfpipe?
Slopestyle = full run over rails/jumps

Big air = single-hit trick format

halfpipe = amplitude, variety, and execution on a U-shaped pipe.

What’s a rail-jam event?
Urban-style, feature-dense contests (e.g., Red Bull Heavy Metal) that reward technical rail riding and crowd-energy. 

What about “best backcountry” riders?
Compare riders in Natural Selection—a judged backcountry tour designed by Travis Rice to spotlight freeride + freestyle in real terrain.