We talked to snowboarding’s oldest-ever Olympic gold medalist about being mistaken for a coach, becoming an influencer at 44, and working with DeWalt for Construction Safety Week.
Nick Baumgartner is the oldest-ever Olympic gold medalist in snowboarding. But what might be even crazier is that he told us he’s not even thinking about retiring. Here are some highlights from our interview with the athlete who’s still sometimes mistaken for a coach after he won his first Olympic medal at age 40.
Q: In Milan, you actually called out the broadcast for just assuming that this would be your last Olympics?
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Nick Baumgartner: Yeah, “We heard that this is your last…” I was like, “Are you kidding me? I’m having the time of my life.” I was just a kid out there playing with my friends. And I always said, as long as I’m competitive and I’m having fun, which go together, I’m gonna continue to do this as long I can. I think my competitors are like, “What the… Dude! What are you… How?” I love that.
Q: So are we looking at 2030, French Alps?
Nick Baumgartner: We could say 2030, but let’s be honest. How cool would it be to retire on home soil? 2034 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Is it possible? I don’t know. Are we gonna find out? Absolutely.
Q: You’re 44 now. In what ways are you a better snowboarder now than you were when you started?
Nick Baumgartner: I still take risks, yes, but they’re more calculated now. When we show up to a new track, they get people to test the track. You get like two extra runs on it, so it gives you an advantage, but I’m not doing that. I’m not going to do that because I don’t need to take an unnecessary hit.
Baumgartner loves to talk about safety. And it’s earned him a sponsorship that couldn’t be more fitting. He’s been working with DeWalt to promote Construction Safety Week. Baumgartner is no stranger to power tools, and his work in the trades is a big part of his story.
Q: You’ve referred to yourself as the blue collar Olympian?
Nick Baumgartner: My dream was to become a professional snowboarder, right? I needed money to chase my dreams. I didn’t have the finances growing up to be sent to these academies and stuff, so what did I do? I found a job in the union as a concrete laborer. I worked all summer long, got paid more than I probably deserved right off the bat. If there’s something that you want in your life… The trades can provide that opportunity.
Q: You looked like you were having the time of your life at the Olympics. How did you start doing all the lip sync videos?
Nick Baumgartner: The goal wasn’t to become a full-blown influencer at 44, but here we are. And I always joke to my kid, I’m like, who gave their dad an Instagram account? Everyone’s sharing my stuff and commenting. It was so amazing (at the 2026 Winter Olympics) to see everyone care about what I was doing.
Q: What would you say is the best thing about being at the Olympics as many times as you have?
Nick Baumgartner: What I enjoy is how many times I get mistaken for a coach. I think that’s funny. They’re always like, “Oh, you must be a coach.” … “Not a coach.” They’re like, “Wait, you’re still an athlete?” And we kind of get a chuckle out of it.
Q: You’ve referred to your competitors as kids. Do they have names that they call you right back?
Nick Baumgartner: Yeah, so there’s one kid who’s been calling me Grandpa for quite a few years. A lot of them are starting to do that now, but I love it. I couldn’t be more proud to be the age that I am doing the thing that I’m doing. It’s the greatest part about my story.
