As the Winter Olympics captivate audiences around the world, from Italys slopes and ice rinks, one former Olympic snowboarder with Central Coast roots is living a life that toes the line between thrilling, dangerous, and, at one point, illegal.
Trevor Jacob, 32, is an Olympian known for pushing limits. The Mammoth Lakes native competed for Team USA at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, before settling on a ranch in Paso Robles and building a career around death-defying stunts.
From Olympic slopes to adrenaline-fueled content
I became national champion that year. I became the World Cup champion and I became the number one officially named American to the Olympic team for Sochi, Russia, in 2014, Jacob recalls of the season leading up to his Olympic debut.
In Sochi, he raced in snowboard cross, narrowly missing the finals.
Theres only one person that gets that gold medal maybe hundreds of others go home as a loser, he said.
After returning to California, Jacob traded competition for extreme adventure, skateboarding, skydiving, dirt biking, and documenting it all on YouTube, where he earned a comfortable living from hundreds of thousands of views.
The stunt that crossed the line
That lifestyle took a dramatic turn on November 24, 2021. Jacob filmed himself jumping from a small airplane over the Los Padres National Forest near New Cuyama, letting it crash into the ground.
“I’ve always had this idea for this plane stunt since I was a little kid playing video games,” Jacob recalled.
At first, Jacob claimed the planes engine failed, but federal investigators said the crash was intentional, staged for online views, and to make money. According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, Jacob lied to the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration and later hiked to the crash site to dispose of the wreckage before investigators could examine it.
The federal police are knocking on my door. Im getting calls from federal agents, and Im looking at five felony terrorist charges, Jacob recounted.
In 2023, Jacob pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction and concealment with intent to obstruct a federal investigation. His pilots license was revoked by the FAA, and a judge sentenced him to six months in federal prison. With good behavior, Jacob served four and a half months at Lompoc Federal Prison.
When youre in a five-by-ten solitary confinement cell, youre not thinking about fame, youre not thinking about money. Youre thinking, I hope my familys okay. My ego was completely deflated, he said.
A new chapter: still airborne, but legal
Jacob was released on June 12, 2024. Today, he works as a skydiving instructor, construction worker, and trains in jiu-jitsu. While he still shares his adventures online, his approach has changed.
Dont try to chase attention and dont try to chase fame and glory because itll leave you empty just trying to be a good person to your neighbor and your friends and the local community.
Jacob hopes his story serves as a cautionary tale for others, showing that even the most daring lifestyles have limits.
The biggest pains that Ive had have been where the most growth has taken place, he said.
With his pilots license now reinstated, you might still spot him jumping out of airplanes. This time, safely, and legally.