Rising Up: Ellie Weiler

Freshly Crowned Corbet’s Queen Ellie Weiler on Colorado Roots, Comps and Comebacks.

Fresh off being crowned Queen of Corbet’s Couloir 2026, Ellie Weiler is one of those riders who radiates a pure love for turning. Riding sideways since she was seven years old, the 23-year-old Colorado native already has a more versatile snowboarding résumé than most of us could dream of. From early boardercross days that taught her how to pump for speed, to competing in FIS contests and X Games, to thriving in community-driven events like The Uninvited – and now taking gold at Corbet’s – Ellie knows exactly how to manoeuvre her board with both power and style.

But there’s more to Ellie’s story than her progressive riding. From choosing between a potential collegiate soccer career and snowboarding, to recovering from multiple knee injuries – including a brutal ACL and meniscus tear in 2022 – her journey is as much about resilience as it is about results.

We sat down with Ellie to talk Colorado roots, a love for controlled chaos, recovery, and why snowboarding is the most fun thing in the world.

Hi Ellie, hope you’re good! Thanks again for taking the time to sit down with us. First off, would you mind telling us a bit about yourself? Who is Ellie Weiler? Where did this all start, and what first got you into snowboarding?
Hi! Of course! Thank you guys! Wow, that’s a quick one out of the gate. I am a 23-year-old who just loves snowboarding. It started with my parents when they put my brother and me in ski school when I was 5, and then I transitioned over to snowboarding when I was about 7 years old. I did lessons at Loveland, Eldora, and, as I got older, Copper Mountain, all in Colorado! 

Was there an alternative path that could have taken you in another direction?
I did have a really difficult decision when I was a sophomore in high school and had to decide if I was going to go to college for soccer and try for a scholarship or pursue snowboarding. Ultimately, I chose snowboarding, but it’s still been the most difficult decision I’ve ever made. 

I bet! So, if I’ve understood correctly, you started out in boardercross before moving into freestyle. How much of that early racing background still shows up in the way you ride today?
Wow, you went way back! I did start in boardercross, and did maybe two USASA contests before joining a team with a coach the season after that. I’d say it shows up when I have to pump something for speed and understanding when to pre-ollie to catch the backside of a bump. 

You’re Colorado born and bred. What would you say is the most “Colorado” thing about you, and how has growing up there shaped your riding and personality?
I think the most “Colorado” thing about me is that I have hiked multiple 14ers. Growing up, if my family wasn’t at a sports field on a weekend, we were always outdoors hiking or going up to the mountains. I think that shapes my personality and riding because I’m always down to hike a feature or bootpack to a spot. It’s even more fun because I get to ride down instead of having to walk HA!

You’re currently riding for thirtytwo, who has recently expanded to making boards, too. How’s that been? Any favourite moments with the team and key memories you’d like to share?
Thirtytwo has been great, and I’m loving the boards! I’ve been with them since 2021, and so it’s really awesome getting to grow with the brand into boards and bindings. One memory is from when I’d just gotten on, and we did a Spot Check at Copper. I got to meet Scott Stevens and Zeb Powell for the first time and ride my home park with them. Being able to watch Scott mini shred the park I rode every day and come at it with such a creative mind was insane. 

You’ve been riding both FIS comps as well as more community-driven comps like The Uninvited, World Quarter Pipe Championships, etc. What would you say is the key difference between these two in terms of not only riding but also atmosphere? How does the environment at Uninvited compare to a FIS start gate?
The key difference between FIS and some of the community-driven events, in my opinion, is that with FIS, you get two, maybe three runs maximum to put your tricks down. I have taken a step back from FIS and haven’t competed since 2022, surprisingly. At the community-driven ones, it’s usually more of a jam day format, so you have more than three chances to land. So, for me, I can try more tricks where I know I might not land every time, but maybe 75% of the time. I have huge respect for all the contest riders who can put it down every time. 

With the atmosphere of both, my experience is that everyone is rooting for everyone else to do well because at the end of the day, we are all very competitive and want to see how our best does against everyone else’s. The start gate of a FIS event was nerve-wracking because you’re by yourself or have a coach with you, whereas at the Uninvited, people are dropping from every direction, and it’s very much a controlled chaos situation. A fun controlled chaos. 

When you’re standing at the top, whether it’s X Games or a “hike-the-pipe” style event, what’s going through your head? How do you lock in?
That’s also difficult to answer because I think it depends on the trick I want to do. Some tricks I need to focus a lot more on before, or I have more nerves around them than other tricks. For the most part, I try to be positive and think about things that will help instead of something like “don’t pop too soon”. I’ll say in my head, “wait to pop,” and just change the language a little. I also really just try to remember that at the end of the day, I’m snowboarding and snowboarding is fun, even at stressful events (because I put pressure on myself). 

You’ve come back from multiple knee surgeries, including a brutal ACL and meniscus tear in 2022. What would you say that period of being injured taught you about yourself?
That period of a year was hard. It was my second time tearing my right ACL, and so I kinda knew what to expect. The kicker is that they harvested from my left leg for the new ACL, and I had no idea how hard having both legs operated on would actually be. I slept in a recliner for nine nights because I couldn’t go up or down stairs. It taught me not to take my health for granted, but also showed that I can overcome difficult times. I did have to delete Instagram for about a month because it was hard watching all my friends snowboard, but it also made me want to get back on snow as quickly as I safely could. 

If there’s one thing you’d say to riders going through long recoveries right now, what would it be?
DO THE PT! It sucks sometimes, but it’s worth it! I just did my first pistol squat on my right leg this past summer, and it was an amazing feeling. I’d say that just because your doctor clears you doesn’t mean you should stop stretching/strengthening. It took me 3 years post-op to do that pistol squat. 

Women’s snowboarding feels like it’s evolving fast right now. Where do you see it going in the next few years?
I don’t even know it’s been so exciting to watch everyone progress and see some of my friends in the Olympics, in Natural Selection, and putting out amazing film parts. I think it will just continue to get better in all directions. The support I’ve had from women who’ve already “made it” has been instrumental in my riding, and I think in the next few years we’ll see the payoffs of everyone’s hard work.

And a final one, what are your top three songs that get you hyped on snow right now?
Oh my gosh, I don’t actually listen to music when I snowboard! But my top three hype songs right now, in no particular order, are Supermodel by Måneskin, James Dean by The Wrecks, and If You’re Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band) by Alabama. These are just songs I can scream/sing in the car, and they will always put a smile on my face. Just from this little cross-section, you can tell my music taste is all over the place lol. 

Thank you, Ellie.