Chris

I started snowboarding at the young age of 8 years old in 1993. My first board was a Burton asym air 147 (way too big for me) with 3 strap bindings and sorel boots. I made the best of it. As the grandson of a ski patroller, I was on the hill throughout my childhood. After I graduated high school, I felt I had outgrown my small local hill, Sierra Summit. I set out on a 7 year snowboarding adventure...

Living in Mammoth Lakes, California I honed my park, halfpipe and freeriding to a new level. I climbed and rode all the surrounding peaks. After four years of living in one of the world's premiere snowboard destinations, I moved north 3 hours to where modern snowboarding began, Lake Tahoe.

Three more years passed, and in total I had rode more than 700 days. I had rode thousands of laps through the park, rode dozens of backcountry peaks and dropped hundreds of cliffs. Then one day, after airing a 70 foot cheese wedge in Heavenly's South Shore Soldiers invite only terrain park, a loud pop occurred within my left knee. I would need a new acl.

Now I live in Portland, Oregon and work at next adventure as a ski tech. I love it up here, my knee is healed, and the pacific northwest has brought me a spectacular new passion, splitboard mountaineering. All of my mountain experience is required for this passion; climbing, skiing, snowboarding, winter travel and backpacking. Read all about my adventures on my staff blog.