Olympic Hopeful: Cody Winters
01/05/2026 10:32AM ● By Skylar Leeson
Image courtesy of Cody Winters.
For Cody Winters, life runs on two seasons. In the winter, he’s living out of a suitcase, chasing snow across four continents and racing around the world on the World Cup tour. In the summer, he swaps his snowboard for a squeegee, running his company, Winters Window Washing. “I just wrapped up my seventh summer in business,” he says proudly. “Turns out being able to clean a window is a lot more profitable than being able to rail a carve.”
Cody’s love for snowboarding started early, long before he ever strapped in. His parents made him ski a black diamond run before they’d let him switch from skis to snowboard – and he vividly remembers being jealous when his older brother graduated first. “Some would say I fell in love with snowboarding before I even did it,” he laughs. Old home videos confirm it – his eagerness and joy on those first few days were undeniable.
By the time he was a teenager, the Olympic dream was taking shape. Watching snowboard cross at the X Games lit a fire. “The course was massive and dangerous, and I told my parents I wanted to do that someday,” he recalls. It felt out of reach at first, but the spark was there.
That dream came with sacrifices. After graduating high school in 2018, Cody stayed in Steamboat to chase snowboarding while most of his friends headed to college. “I questioned if I made the right choice,” he admits. “But I promised myself I’d give it four years to try and qualify for the 2022 Olympics. That decision pushed me into my best season yet.”
It worked – by 2019, he had earned his spot on the World Cup tour and in 2022, he competed in the Beijing Olympics.
On race days, Cody keeps it light. “Humor is my weapon of choice,” he says. “Me and my teammates joke around and talk trash until the last second before the start gate.” Balance comes in the form of meditation and breathing exercises – “a mix of inner peace and inappropriate jokes.” And then there are the socks. “If I do well in a certain pair, they’re race socks until the magic runs out.”
Snowboarding has taught Cody lessons that go beyond results. “People don’t actually remember what place you got – they remember how you made them feel. Some days you win, some days you learn.”
If he could talk to his younger self, the message would be clear: relax. “You’re your own biggest critic. Nobody’s watching as closely as you think. Go after your goals one step at a time and enjoy the ride. You’re literally on a rock floating through space – none of this is that serious.”
As for legacy, Cody wants to be remembered not just for his results, but for his spirit. “I hope people see that I competed because I genuinely loved snowboarding. I want to be known as the Swiss Army knife of snowboarding – versatile. More than anything, I want to inspire the next generation to chase their passion instead of settling for ‘normal life.’”
For Cody Winters, life runs on two seasons. In the winter, he’s living out of a suitcase, chasing snow across four continents and racing around the world on the World Cup tour. In the summer, he swaps his snowboard for a squeegee, running his company, Winters Window Washing. “I just wrapped up my seventh summer in business,” he says proudly. “Turns out being able to clean a window is a lot more profitable than being able to rail a carve.”
Cody’s love for snowboarding started early, long before he ever strapped in. His parents made him ski a black diamond run before they’d let him switch from skis to snowboard – and he vividly remembers being jealous when his older brother graduated first. “Some would say I fell in love with snowboarding before I even did it,” he laughs. Old home videos confirm it – his eagerness and joy on those first few days were undeniable.
By the time he was a teenager, the Olympic dream was taking shape. Watching snowboard cross at the X Games lit a fire. “The course was massive and dangerous, and I told my parents I wanted to do that someday,” he recalls. It felt out of reach at first, but the spark was there.
That dream came with sacrifices. After graduating high school in 2018, Cody stayed in Steamboat to chase snowboarding while most of his friends headed to college. “I questioned if I made the right choice,” he admits. “But I promised myself I’d give it four years to try and qualify for the 2022 Olympics. That decision pushed me into my best season yet.”
It worked – by 2019, he had earned his spot on the World Cup tour and in 2022, he competed in the Beijing Olympics.
On race days, Cody keeps it light. “Humor is my weapon of choice,” he says. “Me and my teammates joke around and talk trash until the last second before the start gate.” Balance comes in the form of meditation and breathing exercises – “a mix of inner peace and inappropriate jokes.” And then there are the socks. “If I do well in a certain pair, they’re race socks until the magic runs out.”
Snowboarding has taught Cody lessons that go beyond results. “People don’t actually remember what place you got – they remember how you made them feel. Some days you win, some days you learn.”
If he could talk to his younger self, the message would be clear: relax. “You’re your own biggest critic. Nobody’s watching as closely as you think. Go after your goals one step at a time and enjoy the ride. You’re literally on a rock floating through space – none of this is that serious.”
As for legacy, Cody wants to be remembered not just for his results, but for his spirit. “I hope people see that I competed because I genuinely loved snowboarding. I want to be known as the Swiss Army knife of snowboarding – versatile. More than anything, I want to inspire the next generation to chase their passion instead of settling for ‘normal life.’”