As the Winter Olympics captivate audiences around the world, from Italy’s 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.
“There’s 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 plane’s engine failed, but federal investigators said the crash was intentional, staged for online views, and to make money. According to the U.S. Attorney’s 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. I’m getting calls from federal agents, and I’m 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 His pilot’s license was revoked by the FAA, and a judge sentenced him to six months in federal prison.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 you’re in a five-by-ten solitary confinement cell, you’re not thinking about fame, you’re not thinking about money. You’re thinking, ‘I hope my family’s 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.
“Don’t try to chase attention and don’t try to chase fame and glory because it’ll 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 I’ve had have been where the most growth has taken place,” he said.
With his pilot’s license now reinstated, you might still spot him jumping out of airplanes. This time, safely, and legally.
