The Mind
of a Winter
Champ

Appearing on TV this past February, Ayumu talked about fulfilling his dreams. He mostly looked relaxed, like it was any other day, but in his face and in his voice you could detect a special softness and ease. This wasn’t just because he was recharging, after taking home the gold from the Beijing Olympics, his third consecutive medal at the Winter Games. The Yokone Ski Park where we caught up with Ayumu is, in his words, “almost like my hometown, the place where it all began.”

The facilities include a 450-meter ski slope and a 100-meter halfpipe. Relatively small for Japan, this is a tranquil place—family-friendly and best suited for beginners and intermediates—in stark contrast to the champion who trained here and has already conquered the world at 23 years old.

“I spent most of my childhood practicing here with my brother and dad. We came out every day up until middle school. It’s about 40 minutes from where I grew up in Murakami [Niigata Prefecture]. The second school was over, we headed for the slopes. Practice was intense. Fast-paced. We’re talking one run every 1 or 2 minutes. Once we got home and ate dinner, I hopped onto my skateboard. I practiced until late, tiring myself out every day. Sometimes I wanted to hang out with friends, and other times I didn’t want to come out here at all. But hard as it was, I kind of miss those days.”

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The lodge at Yokone Ski Park is steeped in memory as the place where Ayumu would reflect after a day of practice as a kid. Today, it’s home to a cafeteria open throughout the year.

Ayumu began his first social media post after taking the gold with these words: “I’ve met one of my childhood goals.” At Sochi in 2014, his first Olympics, he won silver. At the exact age of 15 years and 74 days old, he became the youngest Japanese person to win a medal at the Winter Games. Later, at Pyeongchang in 2018, he won his second Olympic silver medal in a row. Branching out in 2021, he skateboarded for Japan at the Tokyo Games, where he stunned the crowds. Not even a year later, he was crowned victorious back on his snowboard.

“Ahead of the Olympics, I wondered if I was overdoing things, pushing myself harder every day, racing against time. It’s not like I’ve stopped practicing, but the fact that I’m not in that state of mind anymore feels so restful to me. It’s like I can be my true self. What’s fun about right now is I can snowboard on my own without thinking about anything. Or I can go out to eat with friends. Just like anybody else.”

Saying this with a warm smile, he does come across as being “just like anybody else” his age. Still, looking back on what Ayumu has accomplished, he’s already had a brilliant career, reaching levels met by no one else before him. Most of all, his parallel distinction at the highest levels of skateboarding, “a completely different sport,” may very well be called unprecedented.

Soaring more than 5 meters above the edge of the halfpipe, as high as a 2-story building, Ayumu spins so fast he’s gone before you blink. His superhuman abilities are the fruit of untellable hours of practice.©Kosuke Shinozaki

“Honestly, moving away from snowboarding and competing in a different sport was pretty scary. I had my doubts for sure. There was no way of knowing if I was taking a step back or whether or not it was going to help me grow. But I learned things that I only could have learned by confronting those fears. In the end, the experience served me well in Beijing. Trying something new, totally different, gave me an energy that boosted my performance. That’s something I would never have learned without skateboarding. It’s funny how growth can sneak up on you.”

Confronting his uncertainty gave him something priceless. He was entering uncharted territory with no map or manual to turn to. The only thing he had to guide him was the strength of his resolve.

“At this point, I’ve approached the limit of what’s physically possible, so in the future, I’ll have to forge ahead and create my own opportunities. That’s tough. No one else can point me in the right direction. I have to figure it out for myself. I’m tired of this competitive atmosphere where everybody’s held to the same standard, and it’s all about winning or losing. There will always be younger athletes, and eventually, the day will come when I fail to qualify. That’s why I need to find a new field to stay continuously engaged. Though it’s tough to figure out what that might be. I’m sure people are wondering, ‘What’s the next big thing for you?’ but it’s okay for it to be, you know, something small. Since I was 4 years old, I’ve been aiming for the highest heights of competition, which means not having many of the experiences other people my age take for granted. I think I want to spread my wings—to get to business and have some fun instead of just pushing myself. I know there’s value in the group dynamics of competition. I want to continue what I’ve started, and I’d like to add something to the mix. I guess you could say I’m reaching higher than ever.”

Ayumu's usual cool and collected demeanor has a forthright spirit when it comes to curiosity, challenges, and competition. I wondered how today's world looks in his eyes, so I asked him. "I'm not so worried about what people think. Everyone has their own way of living," he began with an introduction.

"I'll say this, though. Having the internet and all kinds of technology has given us lots of control, but it's also taken it away. We think we can't survive without it, or maybe we've forgotten how to think on our own. Lately, many people have become more concerned about others than themselves, expecting them to behave a certain way. I think we should make the most of modern conveniences. But all the same, it's important to ensure I'm always thinking for myself, working from my strengths. So when it comes to what I want to do or become, an ideal scenario would be that I'm doing what I like while making a difference in other people's lives."

Not relying on the standards or systems set by others, but striving to think for yourself, on your own terms. In that sense, finding the next challenge is not a breach of character for Ayumu but a return to square one, much like how “classics” often hold the key to opening new worlds.

“Long before skateboarding or snowboarding were considered sports, there were people out there on their boards, figuring things out. They had a hunger that I find really cool. Sometimes it’s called ‘beginner’s mind,’ which is something that you need to hold on to. It makes me think of this place. There’s just a tiny halfpipe. It’s not like it has all the facilities you could ask for. But it helped me grow. It takes more than a day or 2, but stick with it for 10 years, and you’ll stand out from the rest. I’d like to think I’ve proven you can start from somewhere like this, nothing special, and still make it to the top.”