When excellence on the slopes is a family affair, there can be serious expectations that come with being a part of the sport. But Canadian professional freestyle skier, Vincent Gagnier, has always celebrated doing things his way, even as he’s relished the mentorship and support of his older brothers.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Hailing from Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada, Vincent never adopted any pretense over what he was going to do in life. At the ripe age of nine months old, he first got on a pair of skis at his home resort of Mont-Sainte-Anne. It was an inevitability, really; a function of having wildly successful older brothers (Antoine and Charles Gagnier). But rather than compete with them, Vincent would grow to look up to and learn from them.

‘X GAMES’ X FACTOR

Triples? Nah, Vincent is all about supremely complex doubles—and absolutely insane trick names. His “rightside double bio 1620 Screamin' Seaman Octograb uncrossed into opposite Octograb” helped win him gold at the Big Air competition at the Winter X Games XIX in January 2015, besting Bobby Brown and Elias Ambühl.

Vincent’s gold medal in 2015 came directly on the heels of silver at the 2014 Aspen Winter X games, but back-to-back ACL injuries in 2017-18 put a pause on his winning ways, causing him to lose two consecutive seasons. Such adversity could have taken Vincent’s head out of the game, but his mental toughness has long been his X Factor; in fact, prior to his X Games success, he worked his way back from back surgery (a shattered T5 vertebra!) and a bruised spinal cord.

Learning how to stand and walk a second time is a humbling experience for anyone. For Vincent, it was also empowering; an instructive lesson that anything is possible as long as you’re willing to fight for it.

SHATTERING EXPECTATIONS

Vincent’s a professional that loves to put his spin on everything, defying convention. His style is his own, beholden to no one; he’s the kind of guy that, even when he shatters his back, makes sure to come back to shatter expectations.

If you think Vincent Gagnier is tailor-made for the Entourage, you’d be right. We can’t wait to see how he surprises all of us next. //