By: Anne Larsen
Thurston County residents, watch out. There are snowboarders among us, with a passion for powder and freedom from poles! Three of these grommets hooked up with me to share stories of wipeouts, hecka cool runs, and the joy of snowboarding. So hold on and don’t bail on me now -it is impossible not to love life in the company of these young snowboarders.
My goal is to not only to introduce you to three of the coolest little shredders in Thurston County, but to expand your urban slang dictionary so you can throw some sick terminology around the water cooler after reading this. You’re cooler already. Really, you are.
Introducing our snowboarders: Riley Potkonjak – age 13, Tucker Grow- age 9 and Reid Larsen – age 7. They even have snowboarder names, their parents must have known. The great thing about these guys, all of them LOVE to hit the mountains but found different paths to their destination. Twenty years ago this article would have been non-existent. This generation of snow sport athletes has the choice, ski or snowboard. Considering that snowboarding only became a Winter Olympic Sport in 1998, being born in the 80’s would easily put you in founding father status. Riley, Tucker and Reid are what snowboarders are all about – they are young, they dream big and they can rip!
It’s the adventure, not the destination
Of the three, Reid is the only one that has never been on skis. He was 5 when he first hit the slopes with his dad, who doesn’t ski. “My dad snowboards and that’s what he bought me, so that’s what I learned to do.” Riley started boarding at the age of 9 after skiing for years with his family. Because his friend Sam was boarding, and his little brother Connor had a board that was too big for him, he just gave it a shot and got hooked. The rest is history. He kept Connors board and two years ago found his current snowboard at the ski swap. But Riley was certainly not green to the snowboard lifestyle. He had been skateboarding for years which has the same kind of set-up as a snowboard so it was an easy transition. Everything just clicked and he’s never looked back. He’s self-taught, but he’s seen some competitions in the park and watches snowboarding videos. (If you want to see some sick snowboarding sessions check out the YouTube trailer of “The Art of Flight” – it is unbelievable and one of Riley’s favorites.) Riley is the kind of kid that if he sees a boarder doing some huge tricks on the mountain he’ll talk to them on the chairlift and get the scoop on how to do it. Tucker started snowboarding at 7 when his dad and sister switched from skis to snowboards. “The first day I took a lesson and then I just figured it out.” Compared to skis he just feels like it’s easier to control and that he can go down steeper terrain.
Location, location, location
Where can you find these three shredding it up? Reid is at Crystal Mountain every weekend. He’s the only grommet in lessons because his mom is a skier and that’s what you do, you take lessons till you race! Riley considers Stevens his stomping grounds, he loves exploring the mountain, but you can find him at Crystal Mountain, White Pass or Snoqualmie if he can hitch a ride there with his parents. Tucker goes to White Pass and he loves the fact that they’ve added all the extra runs. In true snowboarder spirit…if you find snow anywhere, you’ve got to hit it. Riley had to scoot off the phone with me last week to finish building a jump in his backyard! But if you’re looking for a more conventional spot, Crystal Mountain and White Pass both offer lessons and rentals (links below).
Thank goodness for helmets!
So let’s get down to the nitty-gritty….wipeouts! Every snowboarder has a story of some wack wipeout. Reid recently “tried to do a back flip but I landed on my head.” Riley’s worst wipe out was the last time he went up. He was trying to impress his friend Sam. “I tried to do a melon grab” (where you grab the backside of the board) I kind of did a front flip and had a real sketchy landing.” Poor Tucker was victim of foggy goggles and ice…he caught an edge and rolled for about 3 feet. “My neck really hurt after that.” But these kids know that you don’t get any better hanging out on the bunny slopes. Every great snowboarder knows that you need to take some serious risks and hits along the way.
What happens on the chair stays on the chair…….
While parents are great for two things – transportation and cash to buy brownies and pizza – friends are where it’s at when riding the chair and hitting the slopes. The chairlift is the ultimate place to brag, watch what other shredders are doing, make bets, plan routes, and challenge each other for the next run. I’ve also heard it’s a good place to talk about girls…..
The mountains are a place to dream big. Maybe it’s the terrain, the altitude, or just the sheer energy of surfing on snow, but being up high really puts a nice spin on life. While others may be talking about girls on the chairlift, Riley and his friend Sam are dreaming up skate and snowboard companies and logos. “Sam and I really want to start a skate/snowboard team. We get really into logos and stuff. It all started out on the chairlift, to get a skate team going.” The latest idea….“Trilema.” Riley explained it as this. “There are three solutions -you, me and the board.” And their mantra – “when in doubt, go all out.” If I wasn’t old – and a skier – I’d be begging to get in on that. Alas, I’ll just be driving and buying.
Who are the hero’s of snowboarding?
Reid looks up to Shaun White, because “he’s really good.” Riley looks up to his friend Sam. “Sam is like myself conscious, he pushes me to do better.” He also finds inspiration in boarders like Travis Rice (known for his big mountain freestyle) and John Jackson (free riding), two of the best snowboarders in the world.
What’s in store for 2012? For these three shredders– bigger jumps, flips and grabs. I’m sure they’ll stomp all those landings. Good luck guys!
Kids and snowboarding – how to get started
If you have a youngster at home and are curious about getting them started on a snowboard, REI has a great article on gear, age, lessons, etc. Check it out – www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles/snowboarding+kids.html
See you on the slopes! Next month we will highlight some Thurston County skiers, and yes, I’m sure they are just as cool. Now go use some of those new snowboarding terms on your co-workers.
Websites:
Two YouTubes you have to watch!
