Warwick teen sets sights on Olympics after National Snowboarding Championship wins

Maxwell Fox Rabdau, 18, is carving out a name for himself on the national snowboarding stage after an exceptional season that included two gold medals, one silver medal and a Men’s Overall National Championship title.

The Warwick teen captured gold in both rail jam and men’s overall freestyle at the National Snowboarding Championships, while also earning silver in slopestyle. The results mark the fourth consecutive year Rabdau has reached the podium at nationals, bringing his total national championship medal count to an impressive two gold, three silver and one bronze medal.

In addition to his success at nationals, Max has spent the last two seasons competing on the Revolution Tour (REV Tour), a premier competition circuit designed to prepare up-and-coming snowboarders for elite-level competition. The REV Tour pipeline includes athletes competing at World Cup events, the X Games, and ultimately, the Olympics.

This season, Rabdau advanced to finals in three out of four REV Tour competitions, significantly improving his ranking heading into next season.

A journey begun on local mountains

Rabdau’s snowboarding journey began early at local mountains Mount Peter and Mountain Creek. By age five, he was competing in Twisted Kids competitions before eventually transitioning into USASA Mid-Atlantic events.

At ages 15 and 16, Rabdau joined the snowboard program at Okemo Mountain School in Ludlow, Vermont, where his progression accelerated rapidly and he emerged as one of the sport’s promising young riders.

It was during this period Rabdau decided to pursue snowboarding full-time, setting his sights on qualifying for the X Games and the Olympics.

Intense training with the Olympics in mind

To support those goals, Rabdau has spent the past two winters training full-time at Copper Mountain in Colorado while completing his academics through US Performance Academy. He is set to graduate high school this June.

This offseason, Rabdau will head to Japan for three months to train at one of the world’s premier dry-land training facilities, where he’ll have the opportunity to work alongside many of Japan’s elite snowboarders.

For Rabdau, the trip represents more than athletic growth - it also reflects a personal shift toward balance, discipline, and mental wellness.

“I used to struggle a lot with the phone, and it was affecting my mental health,” Rabdau said. “Since I decided to cut social media almost entirely out of my life, I’ve become far more productive and happier with life in general. It’s so much better to socialize with people in person, especially outside.”

Looking to inspire the next generation

Rabdau also hopes to inspire younger athletes and contribute positively to his local community by promoting local projects such as the Greenwood Lake Skatepark initiative, which would give kids a place to connect, stay active, and spend more time offline and outside.

You can follow Rabdau’s journey on Instagram at @Maxwell_Fox_Rabdau.

A Community Skateboard Jam with free educational skate clinic, DJ MaeCee, pizza, games and more is scheduled for Saturday, June 13, at the Warwick Skatepark in Warwick, NY.

More information and donations for the Greenwood Lake skatepark can be found at www.gwlskatepark.com.