Matt Ladley

Matt Ladley is what you can call a product of the famed Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.

After the Chicago born learned how to ride from Chris Saponaro, a ski instructor in Telluride, CO, he spent the next few years shredding near Chicago at Raging Buffalo before moving to Steamboat where he trained with the club before jumping up to U.S. Snowboarding where he has been a major player ever since.

Nevertheless, his journey to the top took him quite a while as Ladley, who enjoys some skateboarding and climbing come summertime, had not only battle his way through a strong and deep US halfpipe team but also fight some injury setbacks.

A minor shoulder injury cut his 2013 season short, and after coming back strong again he suffered another season ending injury in 2014.

But it didn't take long for Ladley to be back at his game missing his first World Cup podium by a mere placing fourth at the 2015 Park City halfpipe World Cup event.

One year later, right at the same well-known superpipe in PC, the hosting venue of the 2019 FIS Snowboard World Championships, he finally earned his career's first top-3 result and win in his 15th World Cup start making him a top podium threat for all the events still to come.