BRIGHTON, Mich. – Jake Vedder stays ready.
The 27-year-old snowboard cross Olympian from Pinckney is gearing up for the 2026 Winter Olympics qualifiers with a clear goal: to bring home a medal.
First, he needs to make the team.
“Life has been good,” Vedder said. “It feels like the fastest four years that have ever gone by.”
Local 4 caught up with the Olympian during a visit mid-November at the Legacy Center Sports Complex.
The snowboard cross athlete spends about five months out of the year crisscrossing the globe to perfect his craft.
“No days off. We’ve just been training really hard. Body’s feeling healthy, getting as many days on snow as I can,” he said.
During the visit, Vedder reflected on how being within reach of his dreams narrowly escaped him nearly four years ago.
After finishing as the top American in sixth place at the 2022 Beijing Games, Vedder’s near-podium finish fueled his determination.
“My focus finishing the last Olympics as the top American was just missing the podium. That gave me that extra care at the end of the tunnel to keep working towards,” he said. “It’s probably the one race that has kept me up a lot of sleepless nights, knowing I was so close. One little mistake too early in the race cost me a spot in the final four. I knew I wouldn’t get last place in that final, so that means I’m on the podium. Being so close has really fueled that fire tremendously.”
He recalled the moment he realized things weren’t going as planned.
“In the moment, I thought I was still making the right decision in that race, but just looking back after I saw it, I just made one little mistake too early in the race and couldn’t catch back up. I ended up not making it through to that final round and had to go to the small finals,” he said. “Still did well there, finishing sixth place as the top American, but man, I’m hungry for that medal.”
With the next qualifier scheduled for Dec. 12 – 14 in Italy, followed by two more in China in early January, Vedder is focused and ready.
“Every day is like a normal workday for me right now. I’m training as hard as I can to win. The mindset [is] good. I’m working so hard that I’m staying distracted from all the craziness,” he said. “I think that’s going to help me. It’s going to benefit me to stay away from distractions and really focus on the one day I need to shine. Just make it like a normal day at work.”
Vedder also discussed the challenges of competing in snowboard cross, where every course and weather condition is different.
“I think knowing that elements and weather are always going to be a factor, I can only really focus on my controllables as an athlete. There are so many things that can throw a wrench in the game plan, but I’ve always prided myself on not getting too caught up in that,” he said. “I come in with a clear mindset, knowing what I need to achieve and take advantage of the opportunity that day. If it’s qualifying, qualifying really well and making sure my runs are super precise on race day. I know I’m locked in and ready to go head-to-head with anyone in the world and beat them in the race.”
Proud of his roots, Vedder describes himself as “a humble, well-respected athlete chasing his dreams from a really small community.”
He credits his family, local businesses, and community support for his journey.
“It’s really cool to know that you’re leaving an impact on the next generation,” he said. “The way those kids look at me is inspiring because I was that young kid looking up to the next Nick Baumgartner, someone else in my sport from the state. Knowing it’s possible is honestly a dream come true. The job is done. I did my job, and now it’s just time to make it happen and bring home some hardware.”