Jaelin Kauf is One of the most accomplished American moguls skiers of her generation with three Olympic silver medals—all won at consecutive Winter Olympics. At 29 years old, she has become synonymous with consistency at the highest level, earning silver in moguls at Beijing 2022 and double silver at Milano Cortina 2026 in both moguls and the inaugural dual moguls event.
Her career includes 16 World Cup victories, 50 World Cup podiums, a World Championship gold medal in dual moguls, and seven U.S. Championship titles. She holds the distinction of being the fastest woman on the moguls circuit—a speed advantage that comes from growing up in Wyoming’s Teton Valley where she learned to ski on Grand Targhee’s steep terrain.
What makes her story compelling isn’t just the medals—it’s the family legacy. Both her parents were professional moguls skiers, and she grew up with skiing in her DNA, building a career that honors her family’s history while establishing her own legacy.
Quick Profile
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Jaelin Charlotte Kauf |
| Date of Birth | September 26, 1996 |
| Age | 29 years old (as of 2026) |
| Birthplace | Vail, Colorado, USA |
| Hometown | Alta, Wyoming |
| Height | 5’4″ (163 cm) |
| Weight | 134 lbs (61 kg) |
| Position | Moguls Skier |
| Shoots | Right |
| Current Residence | Park City, Utah (training base) |
| Parents | Scott Kauf (father), Patti Kauf-Melehes (mother) |
| Siblings | Skyler Kauf (older brother) |
| Education | University of Utah (Environmental and Sustainable Studies degree, 2024) |
Parents and Family Legacy
Jaelin was born into moguls skiing royalty. Her father, Scott Kauf, is a five-time World Pro Mogul Tour champion. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest where he worked at a ski resort, Scott began skiing as a child and quickly showed exceptional technical ability. His robotic precision earned him the nickname “Robo-Kauf” during his competitive years. He competed at the X Games in Skier-X in 1998 at age 38, showing his longevity in the sport.
Her mother, Patti Kauf-Melehes (formerly Patti Sherman-Kauf), was a three-time champion on the professional mogul tour and won three X Games bronze medals in ski cross between 1999 and 2002. In one memorable moment, young Jaelin was brought onto the podium with her mother during an X Games victory—her first taste of what standing on a podium felt like.
Both parents met through the moguls skiing community and eventually settled in Alta, Wyoming, in the Teton Valley near Grand Targhee Resort. Together, Scott and Patti won a combined seven titles on the ProMogul Tour, creating a legacy that their daughter would eventually surpass.
Scott, now 61 years old (born around 1965), remains modest about his influence on Jaelin’s success. “We had them generally competing in everything from aerials to freeride to skiercross when they were young,” he told media. He doesn’t take credit for her achievements but provided the environment where excellence became normal.
Patti has been Jaelin’s biggest supporter and role model. “My mom has always been my biggest hero and role model, just watching how she’s just gone at life and done what she’s done, pushing the boundaries,” Jaelin told CBS News. Patti has also been involved with the Women’s Sports Foundation for decades, a value she passed to her daughter.
Older Brother’s Influence
Jaelin has an older brother, Skyler Kauf, who is one year older than her. Skyler also skied moguls during his youth and worked as a ski instructor at Grand Targhee Resort. He later attended Ithaca University after playing high school football in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Skyler’s influence on Jaelin was significant. “I wanted to do everything he did and be just like him,” she said. Watching her older brother ski moguls made her want to follow, even though she initially preferred alpine racing.
Early Life in Wyoming’s Teton Valley
Born September 26, 1996 in Vail, Colorado, Jaelin moved to Alta, Wyoming as a young child when her family settled in the Teton Valley. Alta is a small mountain town located just west of the Teton Range, with a population under 500 people.
Growing up in Teton County meant winter dominated the calendar. The local schools had all-school ski days every Monday during winter—a program that gave every student access to skiing regardless of family income or background.
“I was basically just ripping around with my friends up at the mountain in the afternoons in the winter, which I think is a pretty amazing program and opportunity to have as a kid,” she told Cowboy State Daily. “I got to skip school on big powder days to go skiing with my mom or dad. I definitely hit the jackpot with my parents.”
Grand Targhee Resort became her training ground. The steep terrain and deep snow at Targhee developed her technical skills and, crucially, her speed—the attribute that would become her greatest competitive advantage.
The Slow Burn to Moguls
Despite her parents’ legacy, Jaelin wasn’t immediately sold on moguls. “I wasn’t sold on moguls,” she admitted in a TIME interview. “It was definitely a slow, slow burn.”
She initially preferred alpine racing—traditional downhill skiing with gates rather than navigating bumps and doing tricks. But several factors pulled her toward moguls.
First was Skyler. Watching her older brother compete in moguls created sibling rivalry and admiration that pushed her to follow his path.
Second was a pivotal competition in Sun Valley, Idaho when she was around eight years old. She crashed multiple times during her moguls run and face-planted at the finish line. Instead of quitting, the embarrassment and challenge sparked something competitive inside her.
Third was seeing her parents’ passion for the sport. Growing up around two professional moguls skiers meant the sport was always present, always discussed, always valued.
Eventually, moguls won. She committed fully to the discipline, training year-round and accepting the physical punishment that comes with skiing bumps at high speed.
Teenage Development and National Team
By her early teens, Jaelin was competing nationally. She joined the U.S. Ski and Snowboarding team development program and began traveling internationally for competitions.
In 2015, at age 18, she won a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships in moguls—her first major international medal and confirmation she belonged at elite levels.
She made her World Cup debut in 2016 at age 19. In only her fourth World Cup start, she finished third in dual moguls at Deer Valley—an immediate signal that she could compete with the world’s best.
Breakthrough 2017 World Championships
At the 2017 World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain, Jaelin won bronze in dual moguls. She was just 20 years old, and the medal announced her arrival as a serious contender on the world stage.
The dual moguls format—where skiers race head-to-head down the course—suited her perfectly. Her natural speed gave her an advantage in the racing component, while her technical skills from years at Grand Targhee handled the turns and airs.
PyeongChang 2018 Olympics – Heartbreak
Heading into PyeongChang 2018, Jaelin was ranked number one in the world—an extraordinary achievement for a 21-year-old making her Olympic debut. The pressure was immense. The entire moguls community expected her to medal.
She finished seventh in the finals—a devastating result given her world ranking and expectations. She missed the super-final (top six) by one position, and missed a medal by four positions.
The disappointment was profound. She had worked her entire life for Olympic success, arrived as the favorite, and left without a medal. The experience taught her harsh lessons about pressure, expectations, and the fine margins at Olympic level.
After PyeongChang, she sought advice from Shannon Bahrke, a two-time Olympic medalist in moguls. Bahrke suggested keeping a journal with daily affirmations—a mental training technique to manage pressure and maintain confidence.
“She honestly changed everything for me,” Jaelin said. “It was a pep talk every day.”
The 2019 World Championships Silver
At the 2019 World Championships in Deer Valley, Utah, Jaelin won silver in dual moguls behind Kazakhstan’s Yuliya Galysheva. The medal was redemption after PyeongChang and confirmation that her mental work with Bahrke was paying off.
Deer Valley, located in Park City, Utah, became her second home. The venue’s challenging course and high altitude made it a perfect training environment.
Beijing 2022 Olympics – Silver Medal
Jaelin arrived at Beijing 2022 with a different mindset than PyeongChang. She had grown mentally stronger through the journal practice and affirmations. The pressure was still there, but she had tools to manage it.
In the moguls final on February 7, 2022, At Beijing 2022, Jaelin Kauf won silver behind Eileen Gu (China), who won gold in moguls. According to Team USA official coverage, she finished just behind China’s Eileen Gu and ahead of Kazakhstan’s Yuliya Galysheva.
Her boyfriend Brad Wilson was in the stands cheering wildly—a viral moment that showed his support. Her family couldn’t travel to Beijing due to COVID-19 restrictions, making Brad’s presence even more important.
Her mother sent two necklaces for Jaelin to wear during competition. One featured a pearl surrounded by five diamonds representing the Olympic rings. “A pearl—made from grit, turned into something remarkable,” Jaelin said of its fitting meaning.
Winning silver was sweet redemption after seventh place in PyeongChang. At the medal ceremony, she became an Olympic medalist—a title she’d dreamed about since watching her mother compete.
The Dominant 2024-25 Season
The 2024-25 World Cup season was the best of Jaelin’s career. She won the Crystal Globe triple crown—overall points, single moguls, and dual moguls—becoming only the second American woman to sweep all three moguls globes in one season.
She made the podium in 14 straight events and recorded eight wins over the course of the season. Her consistency was unprecedented—she never finished outside the top three in any World Cup event that season.
At the 2025 World Championships in Corviglia, Switzerland, she won gold in dual moguls—her first world title. The victory confirmed her status as the world’s best dual moguls skier heading into Milano Cortina 2026.
Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics – Double Silver
Jaelin arrived at Milano Cortina 2026 as the heavy favorite after her dominant season. She was world champion in dual moguls, Crystal Globe winner in all three categories.
Moguls Final (February 11, 2026):
She topped qualification with a score of 81.65, entering finals as the first seed. She also led after the first final round when the field narrowed from 20 to 8 competitors.
In the super-final, she scored 80.77 points—good enough for silver behind teammate Elizabeth Lemley’s 82.30. France’s Perrine Laffont took bronze with 78.00.
According to CBS News coverage, Kauf repeated as silver medalist, matching her Beijing 2022 result. The silver was historic—it marked the first 1-2 finish for American women in Olympic moguls.
“It’s been a long time coming for this team to stand on top of the podium at the Olympic Games, since Hannah Kearney retired,” Kauf said. “So it’s really cool to finally get that and to have one and two.”
Dual Moguls Final (February 14, 2026):
Three days later came the Olympic debut of dual moguls—an event Jaelin had dominated on the World Cup circuit with her world championship title.
The semifinals were chaotic. Facing France’s Perrine Laffont, both skiers crashed. Laffont spun out after her first jump and had to ski off-course, resulting in disqualification. Kauf crashed shortly after but advanced to the final since her opponent was disqualified.
In the super-final, she faced Australia’s Jakara Anthony—the 2022 Olympic moguls champion who had finished eighth in moguls three days earlier. Anthony skied cleanly and scored 20 points to Kauf’s 15, claiming gold.
Jaelin earned her second silver of the Games and third Olympic silver medal overall. Elizabeth Lemley won bronze after skiing through an elbow injury sustained in her semifinal crash.
“Every competitor out here is going for gold,” Kauf said. “But to walk away with the first-ever silver medal from dual moguls at the Olympics is pretty special. And ‘three-time Olympic medalist’ isn’t bad either.”
Boyfriend Brad Wilson
Jaelin has been in a relationship with Brad Wilson since fall 2020. Brad is a fellow moguls skier from Butte, Montana, and a member of the U.S. Ski & Snowboarding team since 2011.
Their relationship became public during Beijing 2022 when Brad was filmed wildly celebrating Jaelin’s silver medal from the sidelines. The video went viral, showing him jumping, clapping, and shouting with pure joy as she completed her run.
“She is an absolute beast,” Brad wrote on Instagram after her Beijing silver. “After everything she went through, she went out and skied like herself.”.
Education and Life Outside Skiing
In December 2024, Jaelin earned her degree in Environmental and Sustainable Studies from the University of Utah. Balancing elite athletics with university coursework required discipline and time management, but education was always important to her.
“Maybe I’ll put that degree to use in something,” she told TIME when asked about post-Olympic life.
She’s an avid traveler who prefers experiences over possessions. She describes herself as tech-savvy and focused on wellness. In her free time, she loves Zumba classes and watches TV sitcoms—particularly “Seinfeld,” which she’s watched seven times through.
When not skiing, she can be found surfing or spending time at lakes during summer. She’s involved with the Women’s Sports Foundation, the same organization her mother supported during her competitive years.
Physical Attributes and Speed Advantage
At 5’4″ (163 cm) and 134 pounds (61 kg), Jaelin has a compact, powerful build ideal for moguls skiing. Her physical measurements include dark brown eyes, golden-blonde hair, and shoe size 7.
Her defining competitive advantage is speed. She consistently records the fastest times down moguls courses—an attribute developed from growing up skiing Grand Targhee’s steep, fast terrain.
In moguls scoring, time accounts for roughly 25-30% of the total score (turns account for 50%, airs for 25%). Her speed advantage means she can afford slight imperfections elsewhere and still win.
Financial Reality
Income sources for elite moguls skiers include U.S. Ski & Snowboard athlete funding, World Cup prize money, Olympic medal bonuses, and sponsorships. Exact figures are not publicly disclosed.
As a three-time Olympic medalist and World Cup champion, Jaelin receives funding through U.S. Olympic & Paralympic athlete support programs. World Cup victories provide prize money, though amounts are modest compared to mainstream professional sports.
Olympic silver medals come with a $22,500 bonus from the U.S. Olympic Committee for each medal—meaning she earned $67,500 in Olympic bonuses alone across her three silvers.
Her involvement with the Women’s Sports Foundation and her status as America’s most successful current moguls skier make her marketable for sponsorships and partnerships, though moguls skiing doesn’t attract the same sponsorship dollars as mainstream sports.
Based on her career earnings from competition, bonuses, funding, and sponsorships, her career earnings likely total in the range of several hundred thousand dollars—comfortable but not wealth-building compared to athletes in higher-profile sports.
Read Also: Jakara Anthony: Dual Moguls Olympic Gold, Age, Family & Career Records
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