Kizuka sisters make history look easy

Mar 30, 2026·Snowboard Alpine

The Kizuka sisters in Val St. Come. Photo: Carrie Kizuka

Snowboard alpine history was made at the World Cup race in Val St. Come, Canada in early March. The Kizuka sisters became the first trio of siblings to compete in the same World Cup event.

Plenty of sibling duos had achieved the feat, but the Americans set the new high mark.

Kaiya (26), Mika (24), and Akina (19) had waited for this moment for a long time since beginning their snowboard journeys, especially the proud eldest sister.

“I was so excited and happy to see how far they’ve progressed with their riding. They have had extremely limited training for the past few seasons. It is amazing to see their work and season rewarded with these starts,”– Kaiya said.

It was not always a straightforward path to the highest levels of snowboarding.

“It was a special moment where everything we have done in our lives met up again in that moment. Each of us have had different paths after high school that caused us to prioritize snowboarding, school, and careers in different ways. For us to reach this high level of snowboarding together showcases how driven our family is to our goals,”– Kaiya said.

Kaiya Kizuka races around a gate. Photo: @FIS/Miha Matavz

Kaiya may be used to the top level with 49 World Cup starts under her belt, but she felt this one was extra special. Her sisters agreed. Akina thought it may be impossible.

“It’s really special to see years of hard work pay off and allow us to compete together at a World Cup. Growing up, we always knew we’d end up racing against each other in NorAms, but we never really said, ‘Let’s all make a World Cup together’,”– Akina said.

Their parents were there as well to take it all in as the trio made history.

Kaiya finished 23rd and 24th in the two races. Mika went 28th and 34th, while Akina ended up 29th and 30th.

Akina used that momentum for more special memories at the FIS Junior Snowboard Alpine World Championships in Folgaria at the end of March. Akina teamed up with Walker Overstake (USA) to take the silver medal in the mixed team event.

The Kizuka family in Canada. Photo: Carrie Kizuka

Snowboarding is a family business

The sisters learned snowboarding from an early age. Their father had them strapped to a board decades ago. Their love of the sport grew from their father’s influence.

“He is the rock that recenters the reason why I compete in the first place. The love for snowboarding has led me to where I am now. Without that foundation, it can be easy to get lost in the pressure and results that competition brings,”– Kaiya said.

As the eldest sister, Kaiya takes a fair share of credit for continuing the family passion.

“Kaiya was the first to start competing. Like any younger sibling, I wanted to do what my big sister was doing, so I followed in her footsteps. I was only 10 when I entered my first race, and while I wasn’t fast at all, I was hooked,”– Mika said.

Mika Kizuka racing in Val St. Come. Photo: @FIS/Miha Matavz

No matter what, the family finds time for snowboarding. Kaiya lives in Europe, juggles a full-time job and still trains at the highest level. She also adds Olympic weightlifting to her training regimen, which she credits for a lot of her success on the slope.

“Olympic lifting has also taught me how to fully commit to doing something. When you have to get under a heavy bar, you can’t second guess the lift. This helped me learn how to fully commit to sending turns on a course,”– Kaiya said.

Stateside, Akina is in university at Ohio State, and is not on a snowboard team. She entered the World Cup race without any recent formal training.

Mika is also juggling a career off the slope and competes without a coach. Thankfully, they have Kaiya to guide the way.

“We’re constantly pushing each other to improve. Mika and I haven’t had a coach the past couple of seasons, so Kaiya often steps in to give us advice and support. It’s also been tough to get time on snow while balancing school, so I’m really grateful to Mika for being nearby—whether it’s driving me to train or traveling with me to races,”– Akina said.

Akina making her World Cup debut. Photo: @FIS/Miha Matavz

Kaiya was also a guiding voice when her sisters stepped up to the World Cup level.

“I’m especially thankful that my first World Cup experience was with my sisters. There were a lot of things I didn’t know, and having Kaiya’s experience was incredibly helpful,” – Mika said.

Although snowboarding runs in the family, it is not everything. Kaiya also sets the tone by voicing the importance of balance, both on the board and in life.

“It has always been important to me to have my identity be set in different parts of my life. It allows me to find fulfillment outside of sport while also progressing my career for when my time in competitive snowboarding is done. The financial demands of the sport also make it a requirement to balance both work and competition,” – Kaiya said.

The expenses are no joke. All of the equipment can rack up a pretty penny. Not to mention, there are no World Cup events in the United States so travel costs to stay on the tour are high. Snowboard alpine racing also struggles for sponsorship in the US and is not sanctioned like other disciplines, making the Kizuka sisters self-finance a lot of their sporting career.

That will not stop these sisters.

“This is not a cheap sport by any means. Without funding, we have to work full-time while also training and competing. Building my career hasn’t made snowboarding any easier either. This season, I had no formal training and wasn’t on a team. Despite these challenges, it’s important for me to keep competing because I know there is more for me to achieve. This is the beginning; We are not stopping at this World Cup,”– Mika said.

The Kizuka crew will be back and better next season, assuring that their historic World Cup start as a trio will be made again.

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