Riding high--always on the edge. The most
fun you can have with a board, a mountain,
snow, and gravity.
I first set foot on a snowboard in the spring of 1998. Although this
introduction to the sport was through a teen-age friend at the lodge I was
staying in at Aspen and left me sore and black and blue the next morning, I was
hooked for life. I've never looked back since that warm spring
day.
In snowboarding balance and relaxation is key. Stay focused, relax, and just ride
the mountain. Gravity will do the rest.
That may not sound like a big deal, but I'm blind. I was a skier,
but I wanted to try snowboarding. If you think it's a rush to ride, seeing where
you're going, try closing your eyes. It takes a lot of trust in your buddy you're
snowboarding with. Try it on a skateboard, too. That's even more
thrilling, but the consequences are a bit harsher.
I am snowboarding intermediate to advanced runs, riding the
Half Pipe, doing small jumps, and
tricks, and hope
to be the first totally blind snowboarder to perform or compete in a winter olympics.
Kind
of cool for a guy from Tennessee--where winters are damp, cold, and little
snow
falls.
I have to thank my two coaches or instructors, Jason Harvey (AKA Fuzzy) and Scott Anfang. Jason (Fuzzy) taught me from the beginning at the Snowmass Ski area. Teaching a blind person to snowboard was, at first, a challenge for the snowboard instructor, but we learned together how to be a great rider. In December of 2000, I started riding with Scott in Steamboat Springs. Always one of my favorite resorts, I had never ridden Steamboat. Scott was the instructor/buddy assigned to me. He has brought a new dimension into my riding such as tricks, spins, the Super Pipe, and backcountry riding. A boardercross racer, Scott knows how to mix up a normal run to make it a little on the edge. That's what riding's all about!
Now that I have been snowboarding for several years. Scott is still my primary coach and instructor, although I have enjoyed riding with other Steamboat instructors such as John James, when Scott was not available. I find there is always a new trick to learn or something to improve and perfect in my riding. I've been blessed to be able to go to Chile, New Zealand, and a few different places around the U. S. and get to ride. I've also been privileged to attend High Cascade Snowboard Camp once and Windells Snowboard Camp on Mt. Hood in Oregon three times. I try to get in between 20-30 days a year in on my snowboard, but that's never enough. I continually keep my goals and dreams in mind and still hope to be in the Olympics and do international demonstrations one day. Dreams of mastering the Half Pipe, riding big Mountains, and snowboarding every continent are a driving focus. I literally want to take snowboarding to new heights not only for blind individuals but for all kids and adults alike. My goals are to be a coach, mentor, and inspiration to kids and adults with or without a disability to get out there and try something new, whether it's snowboarding, skateboarding, playing a musical instrument, or something totally off the wall. . Live the adventure! Snowboarding is more than mere sport; it is an athletic art form.
I hope to still be snowboarding hard when I'm in my 80's, enjoying the outdoors and life.
For more information: Check out some of the links below or Check out my photo albums from my home page
2005 USASA Snowboard Nationals
2002 Crested Butte Adaptive Snowboard Camp
2001 High Cascade Snowboard Camp
I am continually looking for sponsors, so please:
Become a volunteer or a sponsor
Click here to see me doing an Ollie
To learn more about snowboard tricks, check out