On a frozen night in the Italian Alps, women’s big air snowboard competition didn’t just crown a new Olympic champion — it announced a new era. And at the center of it was Kokomo Murase.
Murase claimed gold with a performance that would have been unthinkable at the last Olympics, landing a triple-cork 1440 on her way to the top of the podium. The trick — three flips combined with four full rotations — symbolized how fast women’s snowboarding has progressed, and how completely Murase now sits at the forefront of that evolution.
“I’m really happy,” Murase said afterward. “The reason we can achieve so much is because we love this sport so much, and I think that is really our strength.”
She wasn’t alone in pushing the limits. Silver medalist Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and bronze winner Seung-eun Yu also landed triple-cork 1440s, making this the most technically advanced women’s big air final ever held at the Olympics. Between them, the medalists landed five triple corks across six scoring runs — a level of consistency that once seemed impossible.
British teenager Mia Brookes nearly pushed the ceiling even higher. The 19-year-old attempted a 1620 — a trick landed only once before in competition — and managed to get it around, though an extra half rotation cost her points and left her just off the podium in fourth. Still, the attempt underscored the direction the sport is heading.
“I can definitely go home saying I gave it everything,” Brookes said.
Murase’s victory also highlighted Japan’s growing dominance in freestyle snowboarding. Her gold gave the country three big air medals at these Games after Japanese riders captured two on the men’s side days earlier, extending a surge that began in halfpipe and is now spreading across disciplines.
Watching from the crowd was Donna Carpenter, owner of Burton, whose late husband Jake Burton Carpenter helped transform snowboarding into a global sport. Burton boards filled more than half the field, a quiet reminder of how far the discipline has come.
“The most progressive contest I’ve ever seen,” Carpenter said. “Jake would’ve been happy with tonight.”
Feb 8, 2026; Livigno, Italy; Anna Gasser of Austria in women’s snowboarding big air qualifications during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Veterans like Anna Gasser, the two-time Olympic big air champion who finished eighth, were quick to credit Murase and her peers for carrying the sport forward. Gasser, whose own innovations helped open the door to triple corks, said the moment belonged to the new generation.
“I’m happy to pass on the crown to Kokomo,” Gasser said. “She really deserves it.”
Murase isn’t done. She’ll be back on the mountain next week for slopestyle, chasing another medal in a Games that already feel like her arrival as the sport’s defining figure.
On Monday night, the message was unmistakable: women’s big air has moved into a new dimension — and Kokomo Murase is leading the way.
