How Nick Baumgartner Inspired His Son Landon While Balancing Fatherhood and Olympic Dreams
Discover the heartwarming bond between the Olympic snowboarding 'rad dad', 44, and son his Landon—their story will inspire you!
At the 2026 Winter Olympics, there’s a long list of people making history—snowboarder Nick Baumgartner being one of them. The 44-year-old has become an athlete beloved for his skill on the snow, but also for the man he is when he isn’t competing. The oldest snowboarder in Team USA history, Baumgartner just participated in his fifth Olympics, and despite being a bit older than some of his fellow competitors, the athlete has confidence in his talent (and has even poked fun at his age gap with some of his teammates!).
Baumgartner competes in snowboard cross, an event in which athletes race down a challenging course that includes tough obstacles. In the past, Baumgartner has competed alongside partner Lindsey Jacobellis in the mixed team snowboard cross event, the duo winning gold back in 2022. Earlier today, he placed seventh in his event. Though the beloved competitor might not be taking home the gold this year, he’ll be heading back home with his head held high, knowing that he’s a shining example of perseverance—especially to his son, Landon, who’s in his early 20s.
Baumgartner, also known as “rad dad,” has balanced fatherhood, family life and snowboarding expertly over the years, and it’s required lots of hard work. Here, read all about Nick Baumgartner, his relationship with his son and how he supported his family and his dream at the same time over the years.
Nick Baumgartner sets a great example for his son, Landon
Baumgartner’s snowboarding career took off in the early 2000s, but it isn’t how he’s truly made his living. “I was a union concrete laborer for five years. Then I started making a little bit of money in snowboarding, which allowed me to leave that and start my own concrete contracting business. So I poured concrete heavily up until 2022 when I won the gold medal,” he told Men’s Health. “When I would be pouring concrete and finishing concrete I would look down and I would see that ring on my finger (the ring all Team USA athletes are gifted after competing) and know that even though I’m doing a 12 hour day and I’m exhausted, that would remind me that my competitors are out there in the gym training, so I can’t just go home and go to sleep. I need to get that workout in, because they’re doing it, and I’m not going to let them outwork me.”
That dedication to the sport, while also providing for him and his family, set an example for his son, Landon, who has been along for the entire ride of his dad’s career. Now attending Michigan State University, Landon opened up to The Detroit News back in 2022 in the wake of his father’s big Olympic win. “There’s a bunch of videos of our family’s reaction. We were all just jumping up and down, just freaking out,” he remembered. “Most parents would tell their kids to keep chasing their dreams. And being able to see him, after 17 years of work has finally paid off, that really definitely shows when you want to do something, you actually can. That proves it.”
Landon has watched his dad from the earliest days of his career. “Kids don’t listen to their parents,” Baumgartner told The Guardian. “But they watch. He’s seen everything: the ups, the downs, all of it.” Luckily, the example this “rad dad” has set has been a good one. “I’m so proud of the young man you have become and so excited for all the future adventures!” Nick wrote in a birthday post on Instagram for Landon back in 2024.
Is Nick Baumgartner married?
Nick Baumgartner doesn’t appear to be married, but he has mentioned Landon’s mother and the role she played in his early career. In 2003, when Baumgartner’s career was looking like it was going to take off, he was about to make the move to Colorado to further immerse himself in the sport—only to learn that he was going to be a father. “Luckily, his mom is like, ‘There’s no way you’re not going.’ We figured it out. It was amazing for her to do that,” he told The 50 Athletes.
Nick Baumgartner’s journey—from concrete worker to Olympic gold medalist to beloved “rad dad”—proves that it’s never too late to chase your dreams. And with Landon watching and learning from his father’s example, that legacy of perseverance, hard work and never giving up is sure to continue inspiring for generations to come.
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