Q&A:

What are your plans for this winter?
Stay close to home. Ride Mt Baker when it’s good. Maybe make a trip to Colorado and Utah with the family to check out some events and ride some groomers with Cannon. Plan some fun trips for photo shooting, story making, and good times with some of my favorite snowboarders. I’m lucky the riders I get to work with at Gnu and Nike also happen to be some of my favorite people.

If you could choose between an apple or a banana, which would you choose?
Is that a trick question? It depends on how ripe they are. I like my bananas a little on the green side. And the apple has to be crisp.

If you were a monkey, would you attempt to eat a Mervin snowboard?
If I were a monkey, I’d be able to do a lot more tricks on my snowboard.

What is the best thing about being a part of the Mervin family?
I am so thankful I am part of this family. Mervin was my first sponsor, and fortunately they have been more than just a sponsor to me. Good friends, good boards, good times, I can’t imagine where I would have ended up if Mervin hadn’t helped me out from the beginning. Not many people end up with sponsors that believe in them for the long haul.

How many years have you been riding for gnu?
Since 1993. Matt Remine gave me my first board that year and convinced me to do some regional events. I won Nationals that year on my Lib Tech acme. The next year they gave me some gnu’s to try out and I have been riding them ever since.

What is your Favorite place to ride?
Mt Baker on a good day.

Who are your favorite people to ride with?
Temple. But we don’t get to ride together much anymore. We are always doing shifts, one of us with the kids and the other one gets to ride the mountain.

What’s the hardest thing about being a Team Manager?
Saying No.

What do you think about the Olympics do you think overall its good for snowboarding?
I think the Olympics are pretty exciting. I know it’s brought a lot of mainstream attention to the sport and projected certain stereotypes onto the athletes, but it’s also legitimized the sport, and given a whole new generation the motivation to be competitive. Overall, I think it’s good for snowboarding. And as long as we are sending riders that represent snowboarding well, it’s a good thing. I’m glad it only comes every 4 years though, because it is really distracting.

How do you stay involved with all the new snowboard talent?
I really like being out there and watching events. Going to the Grand Prix, US Open, the Launch… those events give me a chance to catch up with all the younger riders. Also, working with Nike 6.0 has been great, going on trips with them is super fun. And, thanks to the internet I can stay pretty involved with everything without ever leaving my desk sometimes!

What advise can you give to young snowboarders looking to get sponsored?
Depends on how young they are. I would advise the under 12 crowd to just have fun and don’t worry about sponsors yet! When you have the talent people will notice and the sponsors will come along naturally. For the over 12 crowd it’s a little tougher… everyone is So good now. Use all those computer skills you learn in school and do some video edits of yourself. Go ride everything, not just the park runs, learn to look at the whole mountain as your park. And ride with different people… you can learn something from everyone, even if it’s what not to do!

What’s advise you give to your team riders?
Keep ripping! Be as involved as you can. Our team has the opportunity to give feedback on everything and effect the board designs… I know they are strong riders and they have good style so I trust their opinions.

Career Highlights:
Member of 1st Olympic Snowboard team, Nagano. Medals from X Games, US Open, Grand Prix, LBS, Gravity Games, World Snowboarding Champs, Session, TWS Rider of the Year, ESPN female Snowboarder of the year.

Headphones or No headphones when you are riding?
None

Favorite music to ride to?
The sound of the powder spraying with every turn.

Best trip of last season?
Mt Baker for the LBS is always a fun trip. I also went to Jackson Hole with Bryn and some other 6.0 riders. That was a fun trip with great snow, but I was 5 months pregnant so I was just cruising.

Favorite type of terrain?
Natural

What is your favorite GNU board to shred?
B-Pro C2 149

Summertime activities?
Surfing

Diesel, Gas, or BioDiesel?
All of them

Iphone or Blackberry?
Not yet

Next Trip?
Baker with the family.

Split-board or Snowshoes?
Hopefully a split-board!

Gloves or Mittens?
Mostly mittens

BTX or C2BTX?
Both