Biography

Known as “Louie”, his is a career worthy of a snowboard superstar. His palmarès includes seven medals at the Winter X Games in the Superpipe – among them two golds in Tignes in 2011 and 2013 – as well as a Junior World Championship silver medal in Zermatt in 2005, three World Cup podiums and a fifth-place finish at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games in the halfpipe, when he was still competing under the United States flag. His Italian roots trace back to his grandparents, Filomena – who emigrated to America at a young age – and Louis, who never became a naturalised citizen after arriving as an undocumented immigrant. They later settled in Rome, New York State. Born in Columbus, Ohio, he grew up in nearby Bellefontaine before moving to Vermont as a teenager to pursue his love for snowboarding, enrolling at the Stratton Mountain School. Married to professional golfer Hailey Rae Ostrom, one of his passions is golf clubs, alongside other adrenaline-fuelled activities such as surfing, skateboarding and motorsports. At 37, he is the oldest halfpipe snowboarder ever to compete at the Winter Olympic Games.