Red Gerard is a 17-year-old snowboarder who won the first gold for the United States Olympic team in snowboarding slopestyle. The narrative that stuck at first was that Gerard put up one hell of a final run to take gold, going from last to first to celebrate his achievement.
But what soon came after was an inspiring story of teen excellence. Reports indicated that Gerard had nearly overslept and missed the competition altogether because he was up late watching Netflix. The media loved that story, and it’s one Gerard has heard plenty of times in the weeks following the games.
Gerard says that isn’t entirely accurate, though. The real story involves a snooze button and just a few seconds of panic, though he wouldn’t give up exactly what show he was binge watching the night before the competition.
The laid-back teen sat down with Uproxx to talk about his Olympics and the wild tour he’s been on in the weeks since. He also talked about getting back to normal, whether he will compete in the next Olympics in four years and some of the weirder questions he’s gotten while on his press tour.
Uproxx: I guess we should start with your travel. How’s it been the last month or so? Seems like it’s been pretty hectic for you.
Red Gerard: It’s been a crazy month for sure, there hasn’t been too much sitting down and just hanging but it’s fun. I’m young and it’s been — I got a little bit of energy for this and it’s exciting.
Have you been wearing your medal a lot? Have you worn it in weird places like walking through airports and stuff, or have you kinda keep it in your pocket?
Oh, the only time I’ll ever bring it out then is, like, in airports where someone asks for a photo and they’re like, “Do you have the medal?” I’ll bring it out then, but other than that I never bring it out unless they ask for it.
Are you just keeping it in your pocket or something?
Right now I do have it in my pocket, but I just got this case for it that I put it in and I just keep it in my backpack.
You won the first gold for the U.S. Olympic team, which means you had a little bit of time to enjoy Korea and hang out in the Olympic village after you were done competing. What was it like in the village? Did you get a chance to explore?
Yeah, the Olympic village is pretty cool. The coolest part about it was definitely just all the athletes that are staying there. I actually did not get to enjoy it too much or get to go around and walk around Pyeongchang because I flew back to the U.S. and to New York and then back on over.
So you’re from Ohio, right?
I’m from Rocky River. Cleveland, Ohio.
Are you a Browns fan?
I am. Oh yeah … I mean I don’t really know too much about sports. I’m not really a sports guy, but my dad loves the Browns.
So when did you move out to Colorado to start training?
I moved out to Colorado when I was seven. Just in the winters, and moved back for the summers. But we actually moved out there originally just because my mom loved it out there and was like … she needed to go out there is how she explained it to us.
How important was it to get out there and get that exposure at such a young age? It seems like it’s so important in snowboarding and skiing and a lot of the winter sports.
It was definitely — I snowboarded a little bit back there in Ohio but once I moved out to Colorado the mountains were way bigger, actually had stuff going on, and that’s when I started really liking everything.
So, the story, famously is that you overslept and because you were off watching things on Netflix, right?
Yeah, you guys love that. People over-exaggerate for sure. But it was like, I just slept in a little bit. Like, I hit the snooze button and then woke up and I couldn’t find my jacket. Other than that I was all good. Went smooth from there on out.
Trust me, I totally understand hitting the snooze button. But I do have to ask, what’s the thing you’re most looking forward to on your Netflix queue right now?
Right now, pretty into Workaholics actually. I’ve been watching that, that’s a funny one.
Did you get to try a couple different foods out in Pyeongchang? Did you have anything that you liked in particular?
Definitely. The athlete’s village was pretty, I mean, they have like a world station for everyone. There was lots of pizza and all that. But we went down to Seoul for the last two days and we ate amazing food. We had like great Korean barbecue actually, we went to this one pasta spot, it was cool. Lots of ramen.
I saw that fellow snowboarder Kyle Mack said you’re going to the White House. Is that happening soon? Have you guys figured out the logistics of that?
Oh man, I don’t even know what I’m doing within the next two days, so I mean, maybe? I’m not sure what my plans will be around then.
I know things have been really crazy, and they’re probably gonna be for a few more weeks of busyness, but have you had a bit of a chance to pull back and think what the next four years are gonna be like for you? Do you have any specific plans in place?
In the next four years? I don’t know. I mean, I plan to film snowboarding, hopefully for a little, and then regather myself in two years and see if I’m still into competing and still wanna do the Olympics
It seems like it’s such a commitment and you kinda have to do it so many years out. Is it kinda hard to think about things like that when you’re so young and there’s so many more things you can do?
Yeah, for sure. I mean, especially after this one winning gold definitely helped me out but I plan to just film snowboarding for a little, and then, only do the bigger contests like Dew Tour, X Games, and U.S. Open. But, I mean, I really just plan to take it day by day and just look for the best moments and try to have a great time.
It seems like the vibe for snowboarding is a little but different than, maybe some other winter Olympics sports. Does that kinda help you in not really worrying about that kind of stuff? It seems like you’ll kind of take things as they go.
Yeah, snowboarding’s really mellow. I mean, we’re all good friends out there and there’s not … nothing to stress on really, we’re just there to have a good time. So that definitely helps and, yeah, nothing you gotta take too seriously.
Have you been surprised at the reaction you’ve gotten, maybe all the press that you’ve had to do over the last couple weeks?
Man, that’s been the craziest part for me, 100 percent just the fact that I was like, “I’m gonna win the gold, probably have some meeting stuff and then I’ll chill for like a while until my next event.”
It’s like, no way. I’ve been doing so much media and stuff and that’s been the craziest one for me absolutely. Go to L.A., fly to L.A., then fly to New York, and then back to Korea, and then come back to L.A., and then back to New York. It’s just been wild, it’s been so crazy. But I don’t know, I’ve been loving it. It’s new for me 100 percent, I’m just trying to make the most of it.
What’s the weirdest question that you’ve gotten asked by people? I’m sure you’ve gotten some strange ones, maybe even this interview.
It’s funny getting the girlfriend question. People wondering if you’re single or whatever, that one’s funny.
Where is your favorite place to board other than in Colorado?
Other than Colorado? I like Mammoth, definitely. Jackson Hole’s a good one. I love riding an Aspen snow mass although that’s in Colorado, I love riding an Aspen. My favorite place.
Does exploring new places and boarding in other places kinda help you with what you do or is it more of a technique thing where working the same conditions helps you perfect things?
For sure. I mean, it’s just, that’s the other part that helps when you ride like a new park. I mean, different builders built it and so just getting used to that new park takes time. It definitely helps.
What would you say to somebody who has gone maybe skiing or snowboarding a few times and they see the terrain park and they see the half pipe and they’re a little intimidated to give it a shot?
I would just say have as much fun as you can and it’s definitely scary at first, but you’ll ease your way into it. Not to take anything too seriously.
You’re still going to school, right?
I am, yeah. I do online school.
Are you looking at colleges right now, or is that sort of something that’s also a bit too far away right now?
I would love to go to college for sure, I’m definitely looking to graduate high school before (laughs) but yeah I would love to go to college. That sounds really fun to me, and awesome.
It just has to be somewhere near a mountain though, right?
Yeah, of course, duh.
