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After a legendary career, Austria’s most successful alpine snowboarder is moving on from the sport.
Last week, Sabine Payer took to her Instagram to announce her retirement from professional alpine snowboarding. With her retirement, she ends a storied career that boasted 21 International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) World Cup wins, two Crystal Globes, three World Championship medals, and an Olympic silver medal.
“After 16 World Cup seasons, the moment has come for me: Thank you, snowboarding, for this incredible time, the unforgettable experiences, and all the special moments,” the 34-year-old wrote in her announcement.
A Quick Start
Growing up in Austria, Payer was immersed in the world of snow sports from a young age. The country has produced countless legendary skiers and snowboarders, including Marcel Hirscher and Anna Gasser. With the Alps in her backyard, it seemed almost natural that she would become a world-class snowboarder.
In 2007, Payer made her FIS debut at a race in Kühtai, Austria, where she finished 10th in the parallel slalom. She got her first taste of victory less than a year later, winning a parallel giant slalom race in Kasberg, Austria.
Following her first season, Payer quickly made a name for herself in the world of competitive alpine snowboarding. Her victories at the Junior World Championships in 2009 in Nagano, Japan, and 2010 in Snow Park, New Zealand, put the competition on notice. With her first World Cup victory in the parallel slalom coming in December 2014, Payer solidified her spot as one of the world’s best.
World Cup Dominance
When it came to World Cups — one of alpine snowboarding’s biggest stages — the Austrian dominated. Payer reeled in 21 World Cup victories and 49 podiums, including 13 individual wins and eight team wins.
Her World Cup dominance helped her win two mixed team Crystal Globes, awarded to the overall season champions of the FIS World Cup circuit. Her first Globe came in the 2021-22 season, when she won alongside her husband and teammate Alexander Payer. Her second came in the 2025-26 season.
Olympics and World Championships
Olympic and World Championship medals were elusive throughout the Austrian’s career — until she finally broke through at the 2023 World Championships in Bakuriani, Georgia. There, she secured two medals: bronze in the parallel slalom and silver in the mixed team event. Two years later, she won a third World Championship medal, taking bronze in the mixed team event in Engadin, Switzerland.
Payer had to overcome a bumpy road when it came to Olympic competition. She qualified for the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, but a serious injury that left her with a broken fibula and a complex syndesmotic ligament tear forced her to pull out of the competition. Four years later, Payer was in Beijing, China, for the 2022 Olympics, but a positive COVID-19 test left her missing her race.
She got her third shot at the 2026 Games in Milano-Cortina, Italy, where she made her long-awaited Olympic debut. In the parallel giant slalom race, Payer took home silver in her first and only Olympic appearance.
“The Olympic Games and winning the silver medal were an incredible happy ending and the perfect way to finish an amazing journey,” Payer said in a FIS article. “After everything I had been through, I was already grateful just to be on the start line in Livigno. Winning silver and receiving congratulations from so many of my competitors who were genuinely happy for me made it even more special.”
Giving Back to Snowboarding
Looking back on her career, Payer had nothing but gratitude for everyone who helped her on her journey.
“I would like to thank my family and friends, the Austrian Ski Federation, the Austrian Armed Forces, my sponsors and partners, and everyone who supported me throughout my career,” the snowboarder told the FIS.
Despite finishing her own competitive career, Payer plans to stick around the sport to train the next generation of Austrian alpine snowboarders.
