Madeline “Maddy” Schaffrick

Madeline “Maddy” Schaffrick is back in action — and back on the podium — after a ten-year break from competitive snowboarding. Now 30 years old, Schaffrick has rejoined the U.S. Snowboard Pro Halfpipe Team, a homecoming of sorts for the seasoned athlete. In a promising sign, Schaffrick earned a career-best finish on her World Cup return, taking third at the Secret Garden in the People’s Republic of China.

Schaffrick’s snowboarding journey is both deep and complex. Once hailed as a “teenage sensation,” she made her professional debut in 2008 at just 14 years old, the same year she first earned a spot on the U.S. Snowboard Team. As one of the sport’s early prodigies, she helped pave the way for the wave of young talent – something that has become a hallmark of competitive snowboarding.

As a youth, Schaffrick made her professional competitive debut at the 2008 Copper Mountain Grand Prix, finishing an impressive fourth. By 15, she was competing at the X Games, and at 16, she launched a bid for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, going head-to-head with some of the sport’s all-time greats. Among her competitors for a spot on Team USA were Olympic gold medalists Kelly Clark, Kaitlyn Farrington, and Hannah Teter, as well as silver medalist Gretchen Bleiler. Despite her immense talent, Schaffrick faced tough competition and continued to compete at the highest level through her teenage years, including another Olympic bid for Sochi 2014. Once again, she was overshadowed by her older U.S. teammates, who were five to ten years her senior.

At age 20, after a series of injuries and without the mental tools to sustain her competitive edge, Schaffrick made the difficult decision to step away from competitive snowboarding. She returned to her hometown of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where she redirected her passion for the sport into coaching. She worked with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and more recently with the U.S. Snowboard Team, fostering the next generation of talent.

In an interview with Olympics.com ahead of the Laax Open 2025, Schaffrick reflected on her journey, including her reasons for stepping away from competition, what inspired her return, her recent World Cup podium finish, and the unwavering support of the Steamboat community that’s once again cheering her on.