When you think of snowboarding’s biggest names, North Carolina probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind. But that’s where Zeb Powell’s story begins—a kid with a skateboard, a dream, and a natural ability to turn anything with wheels or edges into art.

“I skated a little before snowboarding,” he told BET’s Next Up host Tamara Brown. “My friend gave me a skateboard, and I went to the skate park. My dad had to drag me out of that place. I was throwing fits because I didn’t want to leave.”

When his local skate park shut down, fate intervened. “All my friends started snowboarding in the winter,” he said. “So I figured I’d try it out. Within the first few runs, I got it.”

Growing up on smaller Southern slopes meant Powell had to get creative. “We had a pretty small mountain compared to the rest of the snowboard world,” he said. “It’s kind of like being a karate kid—you learn how to ride everything when you don’t have much to ride.”

That DIY approach paid off. His inventive style—equal parts balance, rhythm, and fearlessness—set him apart early on. “When there aren’t big jumps, you get creative,” he explained. “You’re always trying to go fast, go big, and start flying through the air.”

In 2020, Powell became the first Black snowboarder to win an X Games gold medal. For him, the experience felt surreal.

“It felt like a video game moment,” he recalled. “You do all the missions, meet all the people, complete all the challenges, and then you get to the biggest competition under the lights. That’s what it felt like. Seeing all the pros—it was like Hollywood for snowboarding.”

But the win was bigger than just a medal. It was a moment that changed how he saw his place in the sport. “Being me in that space—it was freeing. It was dope.”

Powell’s victory also sparked a movement. “After I won gold, I went on a PR tour, and I remember saying, ‘I just want to make the mountains more colorful.’” That phrase became his mission statement.

Soon after, he co-created Culture Shifters, a snowboarding event designed to diversify the slopes by inviting Black and brown athletes, artists, and creators to share space on the mountain.

“I never even thought about snowboarding as not diverse,” Powell said. “But once I started getting into these spaces, I saw what was missing.”

The inspiration struck during a Burton Snowboards trip with A$AP Ferg in Aspen. “They brought such a beautiful light,” he said. “They didn’t even know snowboarding, but the way they approached the mountain was pure energy. I was like, this is what we need.”

Powell says the most powerful Culture Shifters moment came when everyone—riders, musicians, DJs, and creatives—dropped in together for the first run. “I looked around and saw so much joy, so much color,” he said. “I’d never seen that before. You could just feel the energy.”

Now, the 24-year-old athlete is focused on expanding Culture Shifters, creating new collaborations, and redefining what it means to be a snowboarder.

“I’m with Jordan now,” he said. “I want to create with them, and I’ve made so many connections in the music and creative community. Snowboarding’s not just about being the best—it’s about doing what I love and creating something bigger.”

From a kid on a skateboard in North Carolina to a global symbol of innovation and inclusion, Zeb Powell is proving that greatness doesn’t come from where you start—it comes from how you ride.