Is Jake Vedder Related to Eddie Vedder? Olympic Snowboarder’s Last Name Raises Eyebrows

Jake Vedder is trending as the 2026 Winter Olympics get underway, and some people instantly think of Pearl Jam frontman . The shared last name makes fans do a double-take and question whether the two are related.

Jake is a Team USA snowboarder from Pinckney, Michigan. He competes in snowboard cross, an event where riders race head-to-head down the same course while battling for position. Jake captured gold at the Youth Olympic Games in 2016 and followed it with another gold at the Junior World Championships in 2018.

He has since competed at the Milano Cortina Games, but questions about a possible connection to Eddie continue to surface.

There is no evidence that Jake is related to the Pearl Jam frontman. No credible athlete biography, Olympic coverage, or public profile links the two as family.

Jake’s official U.S. Ski and Snowboard biography details his hometown, his progression in snowboard cross, and his competitive achievements, but it does not mention Eddie or any famous family ties.

Eddie’s background is also well documented. He was born Edward Louis Severson III and rose to fame as the lead vocalist of Pearl Jam. A Britannica biography about the musician does not reference Jake as a relative. The shared last name has sparked curiosity online, but there is no confirmed connection.

Jake advanced through the early rounds of men’s snowboard cross at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, but his run ended in the quarterfinals. According to NBC Olympics, Jake finished third out of four riders in Quarterfinal 4. Only the top two advanced, leaving him 11th overall.

Jake entered the bracket after posting a best qualifying time of 1:08.96, which ranked him 23rd in seeding. Teammate Cody Winters exited earlier in the competition. The race also itself turned chaotic, with officials reviewing finishes before confirming the quarterfinals results.

American Nathan Pare reacted to a ruling following contact in his heat, saying, “I don’t necessarily agree with the call. … I can’t control everything.” He added, “For sure, there’s a lump in my throat. I don't really know the emotions, how to explain it. There's a lot going on and it's going to take a while to get over.”

Despite his quarterfinal exit at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Jake has built a solid career in snowboard cross. Between 2018 and 2024, Jake stacked six individual World Cup podium finishes and added one team podium. And when he reaches the podium, Jake makes it clear that success is rarely a solo effort. After securing second place in Cortina in 2024, he credited the people behind the scenes.

“I’m very happy with my performance but it’s a team effort and I want to give a lot of credit to my wax techs for putting me on the fastest boards possible and my coaches for making sure my line choices were dialed,” he told U.S. Ski & Snowboard.