Big White Freestyle’s Cohen Gill Named Freestyle BC Male Athlete of the Year
This season, he was named Freestyle BC’s Male Athlete of the Year, an award recognizing the top athlete across multiple freestyle disciplines in the province.
For Cohen, the recognition came as a surprise.
“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” he says. “It felt really great.”
The award is determined by points earned across multiple competitions and disciplines—including moguls, slopestyle, and big air—during the Freestyle BC Timber Tour series, which concluded March 12–15. Cohen’s strong performances, including 1st place in M14 Big Air and 3rd place in M14 Slopestyle, secured him the top position on the season leaderboard.
“It feels really good,” Cohen says about the Big Air win. “I’ve been training for it a lot and working on the tricks all year.”
Performing well at the Timber Tour was one of Cohen’s goals at the start of the season, and being recognized as Male Athlete of the Year made the accomplishment even more meaningful.
His strong results at provincial competitions last season also helped him qualify for the 2026 BC Winter Games, where he competed against older athletes and gained valuable experience.
“The Games went well,” he says. “There were lots of older athletes, and it was a fun experience.”
Next up for Cohen is another exciting opportunity: Junior Nationals in Stoneham, Quebec, where he will compete over three days against top young freestyle skiers from across Canada.
Growing Up on the Slopes
Skiing has been part of Cohen’s life since he was very young.
“My parents got me started when I was two,” he says.
The 2025/26 season marks Cohen’s 12th season skiing at Big White and his sixth season with the Big White Freestyle Club.
While he first started skiing simply for fun, his interest in freestyle developed naturally over time.
“I started going out freeskiing cliffs with my dad, and that made me want to start freestyle.”
Strategy and Style in the Terrain Park
Cohen competes primarily in slopestyle and big air, two freestyle disciplines that test creativity, technical skill, and confidence in the air.
Each event offers something different that he enjoys.
“I like slopestyle because there’s lots of strategy to it,” he explains. “Big Air is fun because you just do your best trick and focus on one jump.”
His favourite trick in the terrain park is a Cork 9 Mute Grab, which he says has become something of a signature move.
“It’s my best trick. I like the feeling of getting the grab, and I can land it confidently and clean,” he says. “Not a whole lot of people are doing it.”
Training for What’s Next
During the off-season, Cohen plans to keep improving by staying active and spending time training on an airbag, where athletes can safely practice new tricks.
“Lots of training over the summer on the airbag,” he says. “Hopefully next year I can qualify for more national competitions.”
The Big White Freestyle Club purchased a landing airbag in 2025 to help support athlete development and provide a safer environment for learning new tricks. Cohen says he’s already getting great use out of this new addition.
Advice for Future Freestyle Skiers
For younger skiers interested in trying freestyle, Cohen has some simple advice.
“Join the freestyle club,” he says. “And don’t just focus on one trick. Learn lots of different tricks and practice them in both directions because it scores really well.”
With strong results already this season and more competitions ahead, Cohen Gill is clearly a young Big White athlete to watch as he continues progressing in freestyle skiing.
Want to get involved in freestyle skiing? Visit bigwhitefreestyle.com to learn more about the Big White Freestyle Club, and explore competitions, events, and programs across the province at freestylebc.com.
Photo Credit: Ben Walker