Olympic Hopeful: Landon Wendler
01/13/2026 09:57AM ● By Skylar Leeson
Photo courtesy of Landon Wendler.
Moguls have been a part of Landon Wendler’s life for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Steamboat’s Nordic combined and freestyle community, clicking into skis at just 5 years old.
“This mountain raised me,” he says. “Steamboat is where I learned to love skiing and where the dream really started.”
His Olympic spark was lit at 14, right before the Games, when Brad Wilson and Patrick Deneen came to Steamboat for a training camp. “They had all their gear and they took pictures with us,” Landon remembers. “It opened my eyes to where the sport could take you."
That dream quickly grew into a career. Landon worked his way up through the NorAm circuit with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club before breaking onto the national stage. A fourth-place finish at Junior Worlds and a World Cup debut at Deer Valley put him in the spotlight. By 2020, he had qualified for the U.S. Ski Team, just missing the Olympic year by the narrowest of margins.
Instead of stepping away, Landon pressed forward, joining a club team in Utah and earning more World Cup starts. He placed fifth in Kazakhstan, then returned to the podium with a third-place finish – proof he belonged among the world’s best. But just as momentum was building, disaster struck: an ACL tear in Sweden.
“That first surgery and the PT after was a grind,” he says. “At first it was just golf and hockey, then back on the water ramp, and finally snow again. Going back to Chile in October to train was amazing."
These days, Landon is one of few men on the U.S. moguls team, a unique experience he describes as both challenging and rewarding. “We’re traveling the world with good friends, competing against each other,” he says. “Every couple of years people leave and new people come in, and it’s cool to meet new teammates along the way."
The path hasn’t always been straightforward. One of his hardest moments came in 2022, when he lost his team spot. “I took two months to reflect and decided that I didn’t want to give up on it, even though I’d lost my status and confidence,” he says. “I knew I had to go all in. Old coaches and teammates reached out and said, ‘Please don’t quit.’ That support kept me going.”
Training for the Olympics, he explains, is an all-year grind. “Even in a non-Olympic season, people are working as hard as they can. When the Olympic season comes, the thought of the rings is constantly in your head – it fuels the workouts and drives you more. It’s a big push mentally, physically and emo-tionally, but that’s why we keep going.”
Moguls have been a part of Landon Wendler’s life for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Steamboat’s Nordic combined and freestyle community, clicking into skis at just 5 years old.
“This mountain raised me,” he says. “Steamboat is where I learned to love skiing and where the dream really started.”
His Olympic spark was lit at 14, right before the Games, when Brad Wilson and Patrick Deneen came to Steamboat for a training camp. “They had all their gear and they took pictures with us,” Landon remembers. “It opened my eyes to where the sport could take you."
That dream quickly grew into a career. Landon worked his way up through the NorAm circuit with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club before breaking onto the national stage. A fourth-place finish at Junior Worlds and a World Cup debut at Deer Valley put him in the spotlight. By 2020, he had qualified for the U.S. Ski Team, just missing the Olympic year by the narrowest of margins.
Instead of stepping away, Landon pressed forward, joining a club team in Utah and earning more World Cup starts. He placed fifth in Kazakhstan, then returned to the podium with a third-place finish – proof he belonged among the world’s best. But just as momentum was building, disaster struck: an ACL tear in Sweden.
“That first surgery and the PT after was a grind,” he says. “At first it was just golf and hockey, then back on the water ramp, and finally snow again. Going back to Chile in October to train was amazing."
These days, Landon is one of few men on the U.S. moguls team, a unique experience he describes as both challenging and rewarding. “We’re traveling the world with good friends, competing against each other,” he says. “Every couple of years people leave and new people come in, and it’s cool to meet new teammates along the way."
The path hasn’t always been straightforward. One of his hardest moments came in 2022, when he lost his team spot. “I took two months to reflect and decided that I didn’t want to give up on it, even though I’d lost my status and confidence,” he says. “I knew I had to go all in. Old coaches and teammates reached out and said, ‘Please don’t quit.’ That support kept me going.”
Training for the Olympics, he explains, is an all-year grind. “Even in a non-Olympic season, people are working as hard as they can. When the Olympic season comes, the thought of the rings is constantly in your head – it fuels the workouts and drives you more. It’s a big push mentally, physically and emo-tionally, but that’s why we keep going.”