Marcus Kleveland - S03E12

13 X Games medals. 2 world championships. The first ever in competition quad cork 1800. All before the age of 26. A true professional through and through who has never lost sight of his love for the sport, even as he gets older.

The competition is tougher than ever now. The kids winning and setting the bar are nearly a decade younger than him – future Kleveland’s in the making. He’s still having fun, but he knows his competitive, podium-chasing days are limited.

We spent some time with Marcus Kleveland ahead of the world’s biggest sporting event, in Italy, in the depths of his training block, as he prepares mentally and physically. Looking to add another podium to his extensive list of accolades.

At this point, it feels like Marcus needs little to no introduction, especially in our circle. At the age of three, in the footsteps of his older sister, Marcus first picked up a board and hit the slopes, dedicating hours and hours to his craft until he had spent more time on the board than off it.

“I've been lucky enough to get to the level I’m at, and I guess that’s only because I’m enjoying every part of it.”

They say it takes ten thousand hours to master a skill. Marcus had mastered the art of snowboarding way ahead of becoming a teenager, and now, he has earned that tenfold. At 26, he has achieved more than most pros could dream of in their entire careers. His achievements attest to that: 13 X Games medals, 2 world championship titles, and the first-ever snowboarder to complete a quad cork 1800 in competition. At the X Games Aspen in 2022, Marcus won three medals across three disciplines: Big Air, Knuckle Huck, and Slopestyle.

Accolades and competition aren’t everything, though, as Marcus emphasized throughout the time we spent together. When asked why he rides, Marcus told us, “I do it because I enjoy it. The enjoyment you get from snowboarding without the pressure of needing to do any tricks you would otherwise only learn for events or competitions. Just be out with friends.”

His creativity, in the form of never-before-done tricks and viral butter tricks, has made him one of the most emulated snowboarders in the world. This isn’t limited to just snowboarding, though. Marcus redefines what it means to be a sportsperson today, dabbling in multiple disciplines across snowboarding, filming, and music production. They all feed into one another, offering Marcus headspace and reprieve during competition and when injured, instead of being consumed by the sport.