Zeb Powell: Snowboarding’s Mad Scientist of Style

Alright, let’s talk Zeb Powell - the unofficial (but universally accepted) “Most Creative Guy in Snowboarding.” If snowboarding was a high school, Zeb wouldn’t just be the kid who could ollie over the teacher’s car; he’d be the kid who built a ramp onto the roof first, did it switch, and made everyone else wonder why they were even trying.

Who Is Zeb Powell?

Zebulon Powell (yes, that’s his real name, and yes it sounds like he should have his own space program) is an American snowboarder born in North Carolina in 1999. He didn’t grow up in some dreamy Colorado powder palace - he cut his teeth on the icy, unforgiving hills of the East Coast. Which probably explains why his riding is so raw, fearless, and loose. He’s not out here for perfect corduroy lines; he’s here to blow minds.

Style: Controlled Chaos (With Extra Longboards)

Zeb’s snowboarding style is like jazz: unpredictable, wild, but somehow always works. He’ll take the “normal” park line and turn it into a playground that no one else saw.

• Butters on rails? Easy.

• Backflips onto boxes? Casual.

• Presses so deep they’re basically limbos? That’s his signature.

• Ripping full park laps on a 3-meter long snowboard? Yeah, that’s a Zeb special. Most pros are stressing over shaving grams off their setup; Zeb’s out there making a novelty plank look like a precision tool. Nobody else even tries it, because they’d look like a drunk giraffe on ice. Zeb makes it look cool.

What makes him stand out is that he doesn’t just do tricks - he reinvents how they look. Watching him ride is like seeing the snowboarding matrix glitch in real time.

Achievements (a.k.a. Zeb Racking Up Medals While Smiling Like a Madman)

• X Games Gold (Knuckle Huck, 2020): The event literally made for creativity. Zeb showed up and instantly became the king of it, throwing tricks nobody even knew existed.

• X Games Podiums: Multiple medals in Knuckle Huck, because when creativity is the point, Zeb’s the blueprint.

• Burton U·S·Open Appearances: Every time he rides there, the highlight reels bend around him.

• Pro Model Boards: He’s got signature gear with Burton, because of course he does.

• Unofficial World Record for “Longest Snowboard Ever Actually Ridden in a Park.” Okay, that’s not a real title, but it should be.

Cultural Impact: Why Zeb Matters

Snowboarding, like skateboarding, has always thrived on rebellion and creativity. But somewhere along the way, a lot of it became about who could spin the most rotations before landing like a gymnast. Zeb brought the soul back.

• He’s made snowboarding more fun and inclusive again.

• He’s a Black snowboarder in a very white-dominated sport, and he leans into that representation proudly, inspiring a whole new generation of riders.

• He’s the guy everyone watches in edits, not because he has the “cleanest triple corks” but because you have no idea what he’s about to do - and it’ll probably blow your mind.

• He proves that snowboarding can (and should) still be ridiculous - like, say, blasting down the mountain on a board so long it needs its own postcode.

Why We Love Him

Because Zeb Powell is proof that snowboarding isn’t about copying what everyone else does - it’s about making the mountain your own. He’s living, grinning evidence that style > spin count, creativity > conformity. That’s why he’ll always carry the title:
“The Most Creative Guy in Snowboarding.”