Category Archives: Boarding

Snowboarding, Wakeboarding, Surfing, SUP (Stand-up Paddle Boarding)

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Always Adventure

For the last 3 years I’ve been documenting the constant adventure that is my life. Why? Because this is my story, my art, my message to the world, and when I die, this will be my legacy. Even though I’ve progressed in so many ways: personally, professionally, creatively, etc., I feel that this edit highlights my personality more than anything I’ve ever created. I’m a little nervous, but mostly excited to share such a personal part of myself with the world!

Enjoy some of my favorite moments, smashes, crashes, and adventures caught on film. This was my Winter 2015.

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California Dreaming

After a crazy Winter of non-stop work and play, it was time to breathe. Because I worked full time through college, worked two jobs after graduating, moved to Breck to take on a huge new job last year, and had the craziest Winter of my life, it was time for a much needed vacation.

Once my professional life was in order, I booked a flight to Orange County, California. While working for Quiksilver in college I was lucky enough to spend a Summer in Huntington Beach interning at their world headquarters. I hadn’t been back to visit since I moved back to Colorado. Almost two years!

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12 short days later, I was walking barefoot on the beach; the warm sand slipping between my toes. I couldn’t help but smile as I felt every bit of stress, worry, and confusion about my life melt away and get carried out to sea. The five days I was there flew by, and the next thing I knew I was home.

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I spent the first night with my friend Baxanne in Carlsbad, well she is my friend, but she is also my ex boyfriend’s mom. Weird, right? Well, I dated her son, Kelly for 7 years, lived with him for 6. Even though things with him didn’t work out, her and I remained close. I mean… she is a badass! Drives a Corvette ZO6, rides a Harley, is President of the Women’s Carlsbad Golf League, and she is fun, beautiful, insightful, and extremely generous.

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It great to see her, but I couldn’t wait to get to Huntington Beach… My old stomping grounds – Surf City! As soon as I got there, I grabbed some friends, surf boards, my GoPro and hit the water. Got some sweet action shots, but the battery died right before the surfing money shots…. you can bet I won’t leave the spare battery in the car next time… Anyways, enjoy some pics from my trip. It was all around amazing and I’ll be back on the beach soon.

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Get Back Up

Sorry if this sounds cliche, but I was recently reminded of how important it is to get back up when you fall. Actually, I’m not sorry. Getting back up is important – in life, in love, in sports, in everything. Getting back up and trying again is the most important thing you can possibly do.

The other day I crashed hard on my snowboard, hit my head, and ended up with a pounding headache, a black eye, and a bruised ego. The way I see it, I’m very lucky. If I hadn’t been wearing a helmet, or crashed a different way, I could’ve been seriously injured. After taking a break to make sure I was ok, I hopped back on the chairlift and went straight for the trick again… and I nailed it. Even though I was still shaken up, I was pumped. I knew I had it all along; I just needed to show myself. Enjoy the video of my crash 🙂

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On a more personal note, I recently decided to open my heart for the first since it was smashed to pieces nearly two years ago, when my relationship of 7 years ended. I’m excited that I’ve found someone who makes me want to break down the walls I’ve built to guard my emotions, but risking getting hurt again scares the hell out of me. Most of me feels like the risk will be worth the reward, part of me feels like I’m just waiting to catch and edge and fall flat on my back, again. Let’s hope not… that hurts… a lot.

What I’m saying is that some things in life are much easier and much faster to come back from than others. It doesn’t matter how fast you fall or how slow you get up. What matters is that you do, and you do it for you… no one else.

I finally got back up. This time better. This time stronger. This time ready. And even if I fall again, there is only one thing to do…. get back up and try again.

“You cannot let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”

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Switch it up

Do your friends like to jib but you don’t know where to start? Try learning how to ride switch. Have you ever heard the term (or actually tried) to throw a baseball with your non-dominant hand? Well, I have and it’s a lot like learning to ride switch. Your muscles are accustom to a certain motion when you are snowboarding, but when you switch around you basically need to re-learn to snowboard.

If you want to do 180’s, 540’s or just become a more versatile rider overall, just follow these tips and you will cruising switch in no time.

1. PUT YOUR WEIGHT ON YOUR FRONT FOOT. Leaning back will make it much harder to gain and maintain control, so if anything lean slightly downhill.

2. LOOK and point to where you want to go. This will help initiate the turn for you. Remember that speed is your friend.

3. Once the turn is initiated, KEEP YOUR CHEST AND EYES UP, shoulders should stay directly over the hips, and heals. Your tendency will be to look at the ground, and you will end up leaning over and falling.

4. Ride switch at least half of each run for the first day or two. By the end of the day you will be comfortable linking turns switch!

5. Now that you can turn switch, you can start your 180’s on flats, small rollers and piles of snow. For a front side 180, ride on your toe edge, and jump a half spin landing on your toe edge again. You will open be spinning towards downhill. Only you will now be landing switch. Swing your arms from one side of your body to the other for extra momentum. Practice this often, and make sure you ride away switch.

6. After you are comfortable popping off your toes in a frontside 180, it’s time to try the backside 180. This time you will be spinning toward uphill. The most challenging part about spinning backside is that you land blind, so KNOW WHAT YOUR LANDING LOOKS LIKE.  It’s best to learn these on small piles of snow, rollers, and hits on the side of the trails. You will start to notice them everywhere. Ride up on your toe edge, and bend your knees. As you push off and leave the ground, swing your arms across your body and rotate your shoulders but DO NOT ROTATE YOUR HEAD! Trust your feet to catch you. You should land looking up hill. These take a while to get comfortable with, but keep trying! Before you know it you too will be jibbing everywhere!

Aside by

Today was the day! I slipped on my socks, base layers, sports bra and hoodie. Put sunscreen on my face, cooked a quick breakfast and double checked my bag. I had everything… in fact I had two of everything. I always get nervous on my first day of the season, and feel like I’m forgetting something. After double checking my gear I grabbed my snowboard and ran out the door. As I drove the hour and 10 minutes up to the mountains time passed so slow. I couldn’t wait to be there and make my first turns of the season.

Though I drove up alone I was confident that I would run into some friends. I was right. As soon as I got to the parking lot, I jumped out, tightened my boots, strapped my new helmet to my head and was off. I felt a huge smile overtake my face as I leaned down to buckle my ankle strap for the first time in months.

As I made my first turns I was instantly overcome with excitement, joy, and a renewed sense of peace and passion. *Sigh* It had been a long summer; a life-changing summer. Now I was home. Home in the snow.

As if the day wasn’t awesome enough, I ran into different friends every run (it seemed) and before I knew it I had a crew of 10 people with me! I made a point to attempt nearly every trick I learned last year as I slithered my way through the crowd at the top of the park and dropped in. I ended my day feeling accomplished, excited and ready for more.

It’s just the beginning. Let the adventures begin!

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Day 1 – A-basin

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White Ribbon of Death

Well… I am starting to get extremely anxious for the mountains to open. How about you? I have been doing CrossFit training for a few months now, and cannot wait to reap the benefits on my snowboard. With opening day right around the corner, it’s time to dust off that board, throw on a fresh layer of wax and try on your outfit (goggles and all) and get stoked!

Here is a shot from A-basin yesterday. The “White Ribbon of Death” is almost here.

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Let it snow

Only 9 days until snowmaking starts and I can barely contain my excitement! I had an amazing summer, but now I’m ready for an EPIC winter. Last year was the driest year I’ve ever seen, and I did not get my powder fix. But what can ya do? After all I can’t make it snow, so decided to work with what I had and step up my freestyle skills instead. Here is a short edit my friend put together for me last spring. LoRidin’ 2011-12