Olympic Snowboarder Yoo Seung-eun Reveals Journey to Success with a $50 Board

Yoo Seung-eun, an Olympic snowboarder, shared why she competed with a $50 board on the show 'The Manager'.

On the October 21st episode of MBC's variety show 'The Manager', Yoo Seung-eun, a bronze medalist in the Olympic snowboard 'Big Air' event, made an appearance.

Yoo Seung-eun gained attention as a national snowboard representative by winning a bronze medal in the 'Big Air' category at the 2026 Milan Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics.

Appearing on 'The Manager', Yoo Seung-eun admitted, "Seeing people I've only watched on TV makes me more nervous than the Olympics. My MBTI is 100% introverted," drawing attention.

Yoo Seung-eun impressed the Olympic stage with her triple cork 1,440-degree rotation, a skill only five female athletes worldwide can perform.

When asked by Song Eun-i, "Did you feel like 'I can do it today' while spinning in the air?", Yoo Seung-eun replied with a bright smile, "I felt like 'Yes, this is it. It feels good.'"

How Did Yoo Seung-eun Compete on the World Stage with a $50 Board?

Yoo Seung-eun, who competed on the world stage with a $50 board, explained, "Most athletes get sponsored and ride custom-made boards. But since I didn't get a sponsor, I bought a previous year's model."

She added, "There wasn't much difference from the new products. I told my mom to buy the cheaper board."

Achieving Success Amid 'Silver Spoon' Rumors in Just Two Months?

Yoo Seung-eun joined the Olympic national team last December and won a medal in just two months. She shared, "I couldn't collect the necessary points for national team selection due to an ankle injury. I was ranked 55th before, but I secured a spot by finishing second in the last competition."

Meanwhile, Yoo Seung-eun faced 'silver spoon' rumors from some media and social media, but she revealed financial struggles in an interview by saying, "Mom, let's pay off the debt now."

Eun Jung Kim, Ten Asia Reporter eun@tenasia.co.kr