Soko Yamaoka, nicknamed Soh-chan, is a 33-year old halfpipe rider from Nagano, Japan. She only started snowboarding in 1998 when she was already 23 years old because she opted to finish her studies first. She got instantly hooked to snowboarding and after three years, she found herself joining her first competition.

What sets her apart from a lot of women halfpipe riders is her style, which is hard-charging. She is also known for her smooth halfpipe runs, stylish spins and big air moves. Only 10 years into the sport, Soko Yamaoka is relatively new to halfpipe snowboarding but it didn’t take her long to gain fame and make a name for herself. She currently resides in Breckenridge, Colorado where she does halfpipe riding most of the year. During summers, she stays in New Zealand.

Soko Yamaoka is currently a member of the Japanese National Team, which she has given so many honors in terms of her achievements. In fact, she ranked second in the world in 2003 in the FIS (Fédération Internationale de Ski) World Cup. In 2004, she bagged first in halfpipe in the FIS events, while she ranked third in 2005. In 2006, she kicked off the season with the top prize in the World Cup, which was held in Whistler, Blackcomb in Canada.

Soko Yamaoka joined her first Winter X Games (WX) in 2005 and immediately the following year, she became the first ever Japanese woman to win a medal, getting bronze in the SuperPipe event. Unfortunately, she could not make it to the WX in 2007 because of a conflict in schedule with the Japanese National Team. But this 2008, her prospects of winning in the WX look good with her new skills, the frontside 900 and cab 720, and her aggressive and well-rounded style.