Jordan Cowan has become the unexpected star of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. He is a 35-year-old camera operator who is going viral for his amazing skill at skating backward at high speeds while filming the world’s best figure skaters. This is a historic moment for the Games because Jordan is the first camera operator ever allowed on the ice during Olympic figure skating events.

He works for the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), using a custom camera rig that he designed himself to stay steady while moving. By gliding right next to the athletes, he can show fans at home the raw joy or the deep sadness that skaters feel the second their music stops. His videos have taken over social media because people can’t believe how smoothly he moves while holding a heavy camera. So, let’s learn more about him.

Who is Jordan Cowan, and why is he viral?

Jordan Cowan is an American filmmaker and the founder of a popular brand called On Ice Perspectives. Before he was behind a camera, he was a very successful ice dancer for Team USA. He competed at the U.S. National Championships six times before retiring in 2011.

After he stopped competing, he worked in ballroom dancing and realized that the way people filmed dance on TV was much more exciting than how they filmed skating. He decided to use his own skating skills to change that, starting his company in 2018 to bring a “skater’s eye” to the screen.

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He became a viral hit at the 2026 Olympics because of the “all-white” look and his incredible physical talent. Jordan was born in Los Angeles and now lives in New York with his wife, who was also a figure skater.

To stay strong enough to match the speed of Olympic athletes, he practices Pilates and yoga every day. This helps him keep his heavy camera perfectly still, even when he is skating on one leg at 20 mph. He even has a microphone on his camera so fans can hear the skaters sending messages to their families or catching their breath after a big win.

What’s special about his work?

The reason so many people love his work is the human connection he brings to the sport. Because Jordan knows many of the skaters personally, he can capture their stories better than a normal camera. For example, he recently moved audiences when he filmed his childhood friend, Paul Poirier, winning a bronze medal for Canada.

He also knows when to give skaters space, like when he stayed back to show respect to American star Ilia Malinin after a tough loss.

Jordan now has millions of followers online and hopes to take his unique “backward-skating” camera skills to Hollywood to work on big movies one day.