For Olympic silver medalist and world-class moguls skier Jaelin Kauf, excellence on the snow bumps isn’t just a personal passion – it’s generational. Passed down from her parents, Kauf’s participation in the moguls event is something that is rooted in her family’s expertise in the freestyle skiing world. Kauf’s rise to the top of her sport reflects both her own talent and the extraordinary legacy of her parents, both of whom were professional mogul skiing champions themselves.
Skiing moguls is both an Olympic event and a form of freestyle skiing which involves speeding down heavily bumpy, steep slopes. For Jaelin Kauf, this type of freestyle skiing was part of her family’s DNA from the beginning of her journey on the slopes. Her mother, Patti Sherman-Kauf, and her father, Scott Kauf, were both professional mogul tour athletes who made respective names for themselves competing at the highest levels of the sport long before Jaelin ever strapped on her first pair of skis. Here’s what to know about her parent’s legacy as mogul pros.
Both of Her Parents Dominated the Moguls Professional Circuit
GettyPatti Kauf competing at the 2002 Winter X Games
During the 1980s and 1990s, both Patti Sherman-Kauf and Scott Kauf carved out distinguished careers on the Pro Mogul Tour, both winning multiple titles and earning respect as fierce competitors in freestyle skiing. In the rugged, physically demanding discipline of moguls, Patti Sherman-Kauf ermeged as one of the most versatile and accomplished freestyle skiers of her generation of athletes. She was a standout on the professional moguls circuit and was known for her aggressive line choices, strong presence on the slope, and her competitive edge. Between 1999 and 2002, Patti won three Winter X Games medals in skiing moguls.
Similarly, Scott Kauf was extremely well respected in the sport during his time in competitive moguls. Competing on the professional mogul tour, his career was built upon his consistency, technical precision on the bumpy slopes, and a clear understanding of the mechanics required in freestyle skiing.
Patti Sherman-Kauf and Scott Kauf Defined the Golden Era of Moguls
Jaelin Kauf with her parents, Patti Sherman-Kauf and Scott Kauf
Together, Patti Sherman-Kauf and Scott Kauf represented a golden era of professional moguls skiing, back when the discipline was still trying to find its identity. At the time when they were competing in moguls during the 1980s through the early 2000s, moguls had much bumpier slopes and less rigid parameters than the modern version of the sport has adopted. This means that when Scott was at the top of the mogul pro tour circuit, he was known for his ability to take on some of the most rugged courses in the history of freestyle skiing.
Both Patti and Scott were among the standout athletes who contributed to defining moguls and securing its place on the international stage. Patti and Scott both spearheaded the sport by defining their careers based on their shared love for the mountains and their competitive spirits, not on seeking the Olympic spotlight nor viral fame. Patti and Scott’s legacy on the bumpy mogul slopes naturally filtered into their family as their daughter, Jaelin, began competing in the discipline and ultimately landed on the medal podium at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
Jaelin Kauf’s Parents: US Skier’s Mother & Father Were Both Mogul Pros