In March, I return to Steamboat to ride with my friend and coach, Scott Anfang for, hopefully, some hard-core Half Pipe training. 2006 Usasa Nationals is still an option, but the lack of snow in the Sierra may play a role in my returning to defend my gold medals. Check back for updates.
Check out some Aspen pics Here
I just returned from Usasa's Snowboarding National Competition in Copper Mountain Colorado. It was a great week of riding and competition. The Adaptive division had about 7 riders competing in one or more of the various events at Nationals: Half Pipe, Boardercross, Slopestyle, G.S., and Slolum.
Since I had not put a great deal of emphasis on competition this year to work on my basic riding skills, I only competed in the Half Pipe competition. I brought home a gold medal in Half Pipe and am still the defending blind Half Pipe champ. I rode with a friend and instructor from Steamboat, John James. John and I had only ridden together for a few days in the last couple of years, but we rose to the occasion and had 2 great Pipe runs. I really appreciate John's adventurous spirit and willingness to assist me and ride with me, allowing me to return to Nationals this year.
The rest of the Adaptive riders were made up of an awesome group of people: Luke Grossi, our fearless leader, Jessie Horn, an awesome rider, attending Colorado College, Max Grange from Aspen-who had the best and biggest smile of us all, Bibbian, a world class skier and snowboarder, Pam Eberly, a classy lady and our adopted adaptive Mom, and Adam Hall, an adaptive rider/skier from New Zealand. Everyone gave their all at nationals. Although our disabilities all vary, we have this thing that binds us together as friends, Snowboarding. Medals do't really matter. It's just the fact that we're all out there doing and cheering each other on.
I am really looking forward to Nationals next year in Northstar at Lake Taho. I plan to try to compete in more events next year and take my riding to even a higher level.
Spring is arriving both in Tennessee and in the Rocky Mountains. My season has been good so far, although I have not gotten in as many days snowboarding this season. Since I was not able to get any sponsors this season, I've been trying to save some money. I did go to Steamboat Colorado twice this season. The riding was great with Scott Anfang, my coach, and another friend, John James, another instructor in Steamboat. My solo riding and overall technique improved dramatically this year. I am riding on my own longer and steeper runs now. I'm learning to deal with the bumps, which is always a challenge for snowboarders. I am also incorporating more tricks within my riding this year such as spins, ollies, nollies, nose wheelies, and more.
As of now, I will be returning to Colorado for the Usasa Nationals in Copper Mountain in April. This will be the first year since I won Gold at Mammoth in 2002, that any adaptive riders have participated in the competition. I plan to compete in Half Pipe and Boardercross anddefend my national titles. I am also hoping this will give me opportunities to get permission to be in the Olympics next year in Tuyrino Italy, as a forerunner or a demonstrator of adaptive snowboarding. This would be a dream, so any support you can give,, prayer or financial is appreciated. I'll update again after Nationals.
Another year of riding has come and gone. I had a great season of riding in 2003-2004, getting over thirty days in on my snowboard. My solo riding and freestyle riding improved exponentially. The weather made riding an adventure. I encountered everything from blizzards in January to 80 degree sunny days in March. I recently returned from Windells Snowboard Camp, where I attended for the second year in a row. The camp was great! I had a great time snowboarding and skateboarding with others from all over the country. The only damper was the weather again. Rain forced most of the mountain closed during the week, so riding terraine was limited to a couple of runs. It was still a good time.
My plans for the next couple of years is to return to U.S.A.S.A. Nationals next year competing in half pipe and possibly boardercross, to continue to develop myself as a snowboarder and athlete through learning new tricks, becoming more confident in the Pipe, and expanding my riding into other countries and possibly heliboarding, , and to continue to push for some type of demonstration or spot at the Olympics in 2006. There is still no official recognition for disabled snowboarding around the world. I hope to change that by the next Olympics. I want others to know, that despite age or disability, they can get out and enjoy the mountains and the outdoors with others. It doesn’t matter what you do, skateboarding, snowboarding, climbing, or whatever. What matters is that you’re out there doing.
Summer 2003
Summer has arrived in 2003. A lot of exciting things are beginning to happen for me. In May, I graduated with a M.A. in Counseling. Snowboarding this winter and spring was great! My solo riding and Pipe riding skills are improving each time I get on the snow. Working with Jason Harvey in Snowmass Colorado and a great deal of work with Scott Anfang in Steamboat Springs, Colorado has boosted my confidence to a new level. Returning from there, the snow was the best I've seen in years. I even got to go snowmobiling and do some backcountry riding up on Buffalo Pass above Steamboat. It was incredible to be riding truly out in the rugged mountains. I New Zealand. Just returned from New Zealand training with my coach, Scott. The Queenstown region of New Zealand is a fantastic place. It is truly the adventure capital. I rode Coronet Peak's two main runs, the M1 and the Big Easy. A late and mild start to the 2003 winter left much of the mountain and many of the other resorts in the region closed or opened with minimal coverage of snow. Training was still good. I learned to ride in the rain, ride hard bumpy New Zealand ice, and to ride a wide variety of changes in the snow conditions within a day's time. I even got to ride some pow on the last day, as a storm was rolling through the region. Seeing old friends from Colorado's winter season and spending time with my coach, Scott and his girlfriend, Sandy, made it a fantastic trip. I definitely have plans to return next winter there to train more and hopefully see NZ with a deeper blanket of snow.
Earlier in the summer, I attended Windell's Snowboard Camp on Mt. Hood in Oregon. It was a fantastic 6 days of training, mainly focussing on the Super Pipe. My half pipe skills improved dramatically during the camp. Riding with John Cassin, a friend from Steamboat and new employee of Windell's, helped me to gain new heights and confidence in the pipe. I also got to work with Windell's skate pro, Tim and learned to skateboard. Don't expect to see me doing 720's onto rails with frontside nose grinds just yet. I learned to carve and feel out the transitions in the mini ramps and vert ramps. It was a lot of fun and great dry-land training for snowboarding. Tim gave me one of his old skate decks. I just got it fitted up with trucks and wheels and plan to start practicing my skateboarding until the snow begins to fly again here in the U. S.
February 2003
The 2002-2003 season is almost half over. I've spent a great dealof time riding Steamboat Springs with my coach Scott. I also attended the Winter X games in Aspen as a spectator and rode there. Due to scheduling conflicts this year, I am not participating in any competitions and will not be able to defend my gold medals at the 2003 U.S.A.S.A. Nationals in Sunday River, Maine.
I am continuing to train hard and expect to train and do some exhibitions in Portillo Chili, where Challenge Aspen has been working to begin a new adaptive ski and snowboard program, and in Queenstown New Zealnd this summer. My solo riding and my Super pipe riding has improved a great deal this year.
My dreams are now for next year's competitions and preparation for Turino Italy and the Winter Olympics in 2006. It is still my dream to perform an exhibition as a blind snowboarder at the Winter Olympics and possibly compete at the Parolympics in 2006.
To help me in these pursuits, any product or financial support is greatly appreciated.
This year snowboarding lost a pioneer in the sport, Craig Kelly. Although I never met him personally, I have read about him. He called himself a soul rider. I like to think of myself as one, too. Medals and competitions are great, but it is the spirit of snowboarding that counts. It is the freedom and adventure of riding that invigorates my spirit. Riding is not just what I get out of it personally, but what it gives me that I can share with others. That is what snowboarding is all about for me.
July
30-August 8, 2001
I
spent the first week of August at High Cascade Snowboard Camp on Mt. Hood in
Oregon. I was a part of an adaptive
snowboard group lead by Lucas Grossi, a below-the-knee amputee. There were three other campers besides
myself. Kevin Mchugh, a paraplegic from
Corona California and Pam Eberly, a feisty amputee from Carlsbad
California. Niki Glynos, from Whitefish
Montana, was also along as a volunteer and my guide. The five of us stayed in the Vans team rider cabin in Government
Camp, OR. This was due to their
generosity and support of adaptive snowboarding.
High
Cascade has a great camp. Besides a
great snowboard park with half pipes, jumps, and rail slides, they offered many
activities in the afternoon such as crafts, swimming, skateboarding, mountainbiking
and more. I participated in some of
these activities, but after a day on the sun-drenched slopes of Mt. Hood, just
relaxing was more appealing. I took
advantage of their trampolines and learned to do my first back flip. This was exciting for someone who had never
done a flip in his life. We also went
to Portland one day to a concert on the waterfront and out to eat. On a rain day, in which the mountain was
closed, we drove to Hood River to see a movie and watch the kiteboarders and
windsurfers on the Columbia River.
During the week, I worked on my freeriding, switch riding, the half
pipe, and rails. I even did my first
mailbox. A mailbox is a long metal rail
resembling a mailbox. You ride onto it
with your snowboard and just ride it to the end and either jump or fall
off. It is pretty sweet!
I am
very much looking forward to next year’s camp at High Cascade. Luke is hoping to have more adaptive riders
next year. I would like to see some more visually impaired riders join us, too.
March
29-April 4, 2001
I
returned to Steamboat Springs to train with Scott again. Spring conditions with
rock-hard snow in the morning and slush in the afternoon made the terrain more
challenging. I found it still to be exciting and fun. I rode my first black diamond
runs on a snowboard. I started training in the quarter pipe and half pipe. I
also got to ride the boardercross track. Boardercross is a set track of banked
turns, rolls, and jumps. Six racers begin at once and battle to reach the
finishline first, although I rode it with just my guide. Next year I want to
challenge him to a race.
I hope
to continue my training this summer in New Zealand for a couple of weeks,
providing I can find some sponsorship. This is one of the greatest sports in
the world. I encourage anyone to get out and try it.