Athletes

Four-time X Games medalist and Olympic silver medalist Gretchen Bleiler has established herself as one of the most accomplished female snowboarders in the world. One of the inaugural members of the 2008 Women’s Sports Foundation Athlete Advisory Panel, Bleiler brings a wealth of experience back to the 2009 panel. Bleiler wasted no time in 2009, securing silver medals at the CoverGirl Snow Angels Invitational and the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix at Killington, Vt., while picking up a bronze at U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix in Boreal, Calif.

Bleiler also racked up several wins during the 2007-2008 season, earning first place victories at the Grand Prix competitions in Tamarack, Idaho, and Breckenridge, Colo., the Abominable Snow Jam, the Snow Angels Invitational and her third gold medal at the 2008 X Games. She came in second at the Nippon Open in Japan, the U.S. Open halfpipe in Stratton, Vt., and the Grand Prix at Mt. Bachelor, Ore. To finish her dominant season, Bleiler also picked up the 2008 ESPY for the Best Female Action Sports Athlete.

Bleiler looks to improve upon her 2006 Olympic showing where she won a silver medal at the Winter Games in Torino, Italy, with a gold in Vancouver, Canada, in 2010. From an early age, Bleiler aspired to compete in the Olympic Games and found her passion in snowboarding at age 11. She is now recognized as a role model and pioneer in the sport. Among her accomplishments, Bleiler jump-started the invert revolution for female riders as the first to land a crippler 540 in competition and won more halfpipe competitions in 2003, 2005 and 2006 than any other female snowboarder. In 2006, she won four of the five U.S. Olympic halfpipe qualifiers and placed first at the Fédération Internationale de Ski World Cup in Switzerland.

Off the slopes, Bleiler helped plan and develop the first-ever all-girls’ halfpipe competition and photo contest, the Snow Angels Invitational. Recently, she launched her own signature outerwear line for Oakley. When she’s not competing, Bleiler enjoys surfing, mountain biking, interior design and fashion. (4/09)

For information on Gretchen, visit www.gretchenbleiler.com.