When I was 2-5 years old in Venice Beach I would walk around everywhere in snowboard boots, to school and to the beach. I would put my brother's little board on and hop around the house in the 90 degree weather. My mom started making me at least stay in the grass outside so I didn't completely destroy the floors in our 600 Sq foot duplex rental where we lived for 10 years.
When I moved here to Oregon from Venice Beach, Ca when I was 11 years old, I was convinced that my life was over. I didn't know that it was actually just starting. I didn't know that I would discover snowboarding and be completely saved from everything around me. I joined the snowboard team my freshman year of high school all because my brother skateboarded and I thought he was the coolest person ever. My mom taught me, then my brother taught me and it was all pulled togther, with clothing she had gotten from friends and the thrift store. She wanted to get us on the mountain no matter what, literally with her last dollars, but I didn't know that at the time. She never told us, she made it all sound fun and fine.
I got to the first team meeting in 9th grade, 14 yrs old and looked around only to see boys. There were no girls. I was shaken with fear and tried to figure out why I wanted to do this in the first place and if I still wanted to. I ended up joining it anyway (partially being forced by my mom) and spent my first year learning how to ride my snowboard better. I was always afraid and would follow these two boys who I looked up to. They made me feel so taken care of, but at the same time I had better keep the hell up or I am going to be left behind, which is exactly how my brother is so I felt happy around them.
That same year there were a bunch of boys who had been snowboarding their whole lives and would act like since I’m a girl I couldn't do anything and was so much less than them in snowboarding. It was my first year ever riding. I wasn’t actually slower or worse than them, we were all learning. Maybe they had gone a few more times with their families, since they were younger and born here, but we were pretty much all the same level. I was so frustrated and confused by many of them constantly putting me down. My two guy friends, however were not like that, so I stuck with them. I absolutely hated the backhanded insults constantly by the others, because all I wanted to do was just snowboard.
The following year I joined again and we had our first meeting of the season. At this meeting our coach at that time decided to separate everyone into skill level groups to see what the groups for the season looked like. He began to call names and make groups that all made sense and then proceeded to put all the girls into one group not at all based on skill but solely just because we were all girls, and he had given us the girl coach. I was so frustrated and confused, once again. I knew that something was not right so I went home and cried to my mom and we decided I needed to talk to him about it, I needed to tell him that just because there were fewer girls and that we were the girls doing a sport that is usually dominated by males, doesn't mean we should all just be lumped together with no attention to the difference in levels. So for the first time ever, I spoke up.. He understood what he had done and heard me. This was huge for me because I had never really spoken up in the past because I was way too afraid. The first practice he called names into groups and I got put in a group with my two guy friends. I was so excited and all the boys who used to put me down looked extremely confused, but I was happy so I didn't care. That year I met so many new people and went out of my comfort zone. I hit my first rail, did my first 360, began to see the beauty of the sport.
Snowboarding is my heart, it is my happy place and it is all I want to do. My life changed, my goals changed, I changed, I am stronger in all the ways, to compete, sometimes win, speak up for myself and have so much fun with amazing people. There is a magic on the mountain that is unlike anything else.
My uncle died whenI was little, when I am on the mountain I 100% connect with him all the time, that is also why it is so special.
My family does everything they can for me, and any support is greatly appreciated. I have been graced with scholarships that have helped me move forward in this sport and I would not have had the opportunity to succeed without them. I am now competing at the USASA level and any contribution helps for all of the costs in getting me there. I have a job, I buy my own equipment, I go to school and I unwaveringly am pursuing snowboarding with all of my heart. It is my life and I am so excited.
All donations are tax deductible ( says my coach and mom) Tax ID: 92-0636412 IdaBWells Winter Sports Club
