Monster Energy's Unleashed Podcast Welcomes Freeski Trailblazer Gus Kenworthy

A truly multi-talented individual joins the podcast! Monster Energy is proud to welcome freeski icon, actor, and gay rights activist Gus Kenworthy on Episode 10 of Season 3 of the sports and pop culture podcast UNLEASHED with The Dingo, Danny, and Brittney. In the exclusive interview, the 31-year-old five-time X Games medalist from Telluride, Colorado, shares his journey as a top competitor in the sport and making history as the first openly gay athlete in action sports.

Recorded at Studio M inside Monster Energy headquarters in Corona, California, the 56-minute episode was initially broadcast live on the Twitch platform on May 9, 2023. Launched today, the official recording of the episode is available online for fans worldwide.

Kenworthy made the decision to come out as gay on a press tour following his silver medal in the 2014 Winter Olympics. Speaking about the momentous choice, Kenworthy on UNLEASHED: "Internally, I was about to explode. Then shortly after, I was like, I am going to come out. Initially, I was going to quit skiing. I want to live my truth. I just got an Olympic medal. I've got X Games medals. I've had Dew Tour wins, all these things. I've done what I needed to do, so I'm going to come out."

Ultimately, Kenworthy decided to come out and keep skiing, which has made all the difference for his ongoing career as an inspiration for countless people in a similar situation.

For the full conversation with the influential freeski athlete, fans can now tune in to Episode 10, Season 03 of UNLEASHED with The Dingo, Danny, and Brittney, Fueled by Monster Energy. Released today, the new episode is streaming on all major platforms, including Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube.

Born in the United Kingdom and raised in Telluride, Colorado, Gus Kenworthy has left his mark on action sports beyond competing at the highest level. The winner of the 2014 Olympic silver medal in Freeski Slopestyle also has five X Games medals under his belt. What's more, Kenworthy shook up the established order and became a global role model as the first action sports athlete to openly come out as gay. The multi-talent has since used his platform boasting more than 1.2 million Instagram followers to advocate for LGTBQ+ rights. And did we mention that Kenworthy has also built a successful acting career with lead roles on shows including American Horror Story? Hear Kenworthy share his unique journey and future plans exclusively on UNLEASHED!

Hear the inside story in conversation with the three podcast hosts, Australian action sports personality Luke "The Dingo" Trembath, professional snowboarder Danny Kass, as well as painter, model, and UFC ambassador Brittney Palmer. Tune in right here.

Kenworthy was born to a British mother and an American father in Chelmsford, United Kingdom. But his path towards winter sports opened when the family relocated to mountainous Telluride, Colorado when he was three years old. "I was the youngest of three brothers. It was really random that we moved there. No one in my family had skied before. We kind of fell into it because that's what you do in a mountain town," said Kenworthy.

Encouraged by his avid skier friends, Kenworthy built his skills on the slopes and fell in love with the aerial stunts and technical tricks of freestyle skiing. The rest is history: In 2014, Kenworthy brought home the Olympic silver medal in Freeski Slopestyle at the Sochi Games. "It was the first Olympics where Freeski and Snowboard Slopestyle were included. So, it was the inaugural event. And Team USA ended up sweeping the entire podium. It was pretty iconic, and it really changed the trajectory of my whole life," said Kenworthy on UNLEASHED.

"There is a sense of national pride at the Olympics for sure. But it's also kind of weird because some of my buddies in the sport that I ski with, travel with, and compete with are from Canada, New Zealand, or wherever. So, they're my teammates on Monster but they're not my teammates on the US team."

Aside from Slopestyle, the multi-terrain rider also competed in Halfpipe and Big Air disciplines. In the process, he racked up a record number of X Games starts a whopping 32 competitions and now owns five X Games medals (two silver, three bronze). After winning the silver medal in the 2014 Winter Olympics, Kenworthy took a stand when he came out as gay the first athlete in action sports to do so.

"I knew I was gay when I was really young. But I was in a small town. There weren't a lot of other gay people. I didn't have a lot of connections and like-minded people. Or anyone to really talk about it with, so it was hard because I knew I was gay, but kind of didn't," said Kenworthy, adding: "I was like, 'I know I feel different, but I don't know what's up with me.'"

Initially, Kenworthy equated coming out with the end of his career. "There had not been anybody in any action sport. It wasn't even just skiing. But snowboarding, skateboarding, motocross, BMX, surfing, mountain bike. In any of those sports, no one had been gay!"

Over the years, the pioneer has not only maintained his relevance as an athlete but used his voice in the scene to advocate for LGTBQ+ rights. This includes a strong commitment to the annual Aspen and Telluride Gay Ski Week festivals as a main figurehead: "It combines a ski vacation and a fun party. In a normal situation, if you go to a ski town, and you're gay, there's not going to be a lot of other gays. I feel that gay people in smaller, more rural places, in ski towns, even if they love skiing, oftentimes want to be around our own tribe."

Looking for Kenworthy's full inspirational story? Visit the landing page to access Episode 10, Season 03 of UNLEASHED with The Dingo, Danny, and Brittney, featuring freeski icon Gus Kenworthy from the United Kingdom.

Episodes of UNLEASHED are filmed on a special set inside Studio M at Monster Energy headquarters in Corona, California. The podcast is hosted by the dynamic duo of Australian action sports personality Luke "The Dingo" Trembath and professional snowboarder Danny Kass. Known for their deep roots in action sports culture, the two starred in the beloved cult TV show 'The Adventures of Danny and The Dingo' on Fuel TV for five action-packed seasons in the early 2010s. Both hosts have walked the walk as pro snowboarders and are joined by painter, model, and UFC ambassador Brittney Palmer. Together, the three hosts possess the interview skills to find common ground with guests from any type of background sports and pop culture. Always look out for new episodes dropping bi-weekly on Mondays.