Germany's junior world champion Ulbricht hoping for World Cup success

On the FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup tour this year, there are plenty of young riders to look out for who are hoping to stamp their mark on the sport.

Among them is German Leon Ulbricht. Ulbricht turned 20 in November last year, but he already has a World Cup victory to his name after triumphing in Sierra Nevada in March 2024, defeating Eliot Grondin in the big final.

The 2023/24 season was Ulbricht’s second year on the senior tour; he also picked up his second title at the FIS Junior World Championships in Gudauri, Georgia, in April. He was ninth at the last senior World Championships in 2023.

Before Sierra Nevada, his best World Cup result had been 11th in Les Deux Alpes back in December 2022, but last year showed his improvement. As well as the win in Spain, Ulbricht reached the podium again in Mont-Sainte-Anne, finishing third in a quality field.

This season, Ulbricht has aged out of the junior ranks and is looking to the future. He acknowledges that the transition to senior competition has been tough, saying: “⁠I always thought that I was very good and could compete with anyone. When I got to the senior level, I had to fight my way back to the top. It was hard but it was worth it.”

Ulbricht says last year’s win was a surprise to him.

“When I look back on it now, almost a year later, it was a huge milestone in my snowboard cross career to win this race. This victory came more or less out of nowhere, as things hadn't gone well in the previous races. I was all the more pleased and perplexed,” he says, adding that the victory was “a huge confirmation of his ambition”.

That ambition, of course, has Ulbricht reaching the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games and putting out a performance to be proud of. First, he has to get there, and the current season started with a challenging test in Cervinia. Ulbricht finished 22nd overall.

Next on the agenda is the World Cup in Beidahu, China, which has the young German excited.

“I've never been to China before and I'm super hyped about the new location. The tracks there are supposed to be top class,” he says.

Ulbricht spent the off-season training in Argentina, before moving to Switzerland and now St. Moritz ahead of Beidahu.

He says he has been focusing on carving technique during his preparation, correcting mistakes there.

“I was able to do that relatively quickly and now I'm focusing on other things to improve. For example, it's now about keeping my driving position as aerodynamic as possible and not neglecting the technique,” Ulbricht adds.

But outside competition, Ulbricht enjoys snowboarding for the love of the sport.

He explains: “What I enjoy most about snowboarding is traveling and exploring new places.

“Of course, it's also snowboarding itself that I like. I really appreciate the few perfect powder days in winter. And going to powder with my friends is just one of the coolest things in the world.

“I also find it very impressive that you can move so freely downhill in the mountains on a snowboard.”

That same love of adventure shows in Ulbricht’s off-season passion, surfing, which of course has many similarities to snowboarding.

“⁠I am extremely passionate about surfing and this is certainly good training for snowboarding too. ⁠I think I can improve my board feeling by surfing on a snowboard,” Ulbricht explains.

“Surfing is also a complete contrast to snowboarding for me and is therefore a perfect distraction. I also love being on beautiful beaches and of course the sea. I hope I can do this snowboard/surfing combination for as long as possible.”

As a young athlete, Ulbricht has been able to look up to some experienced snowboarders on the German team, such as Paul Berg and Martin Nörl.

“Especially when it comes to riding style or technique, that's really helpful for me. When I first got into the World Cup, I was able to learn a lot and copy what I was doing,” he says.

But he also takes inspiration from athletes outside of the sport, explaining: “Outside of snowboarding, especially when it comes to mentality, Christian Jungwirth is an important character for me. He's a professional MMA fighter.”

That battling spirit will certainly carry Ulbricht through as he heads to China for the second World Cup of the season, and looks ahead to the World Championships and beyond.