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Lena, can you tell me when and where you were when you fell in love with snowboarding?
I was 14 years old at a golf course in Salt Lake City. I borrowed my Grandpa's giant boots and board and taught myself to link turns there, then at Brighton. I fell in love with how similar it was to wakeboarding and was hooked.
If you could have a day to ride powder with 3 of your heroes, who would they be and where would you guys ride?
That's easy, I would ride with Victoria Jealose, Tara Dakides and Jeremy Jones on a first decent in Alaska.
When did you start studying yoga and how has it influenced your riding?
I got my certification in the summer of 2008. I've noticed my spins come easier from the spinal flexibility yoga brings. I also have significantly better endurance for the backcountry and way less back pain and injuries.
Do you have any words to live life by? Mantras that you say to yourself?
"A warrior chooses a path with heart, any path with heart, and follows it; and then (s)he rejoices and laughs. She knows because she sees that her life will be over altogether too soon. She sees that nothing is more important than anything else." -Carlos Castaneda
What vision of snowboarding for SheJumps do you envision?
I would love to see more snowboarders plan riding days together, especially in the backcountry. I would also love to plan a Shejumps Art Rail Jam to encourage females to enter a rail comp and to showcase local artists' work on snowboard decks. Eventually I also want to incorporate snowboarding into the Boys and Girls Club teaching program.
Who is your biggest inspiration for your riding?
Shannon Yates. She is a local pro that is so positive, encouraging and uplifting. She is extremely laid back and the warmth she has for others in the snowboard community is inspiring when many let their competitive nature get in the way.
What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done off the snow?
The first time I did a front-slide boardslide on a tree hit. I caught my front edge and slammed my nose on the tree trunk. There was so much pain and blood, I never wanted to go back to the park again. I'd much rather hit a cliff in the backcountry than a park feature any day.
Have you ever had something that you thought was disappointing turn into a positive experience for you?
Definitely. I had just taken 2nd place in The National Wakeboard League comp I'd trained for and was planning to take my wakeboarding to the next level, then I tore my ACL snowboarding and my parents sold their boat that same winter. I was devastated and as I healed from my knee surgery, I decided to take my love of flying through the air and apply it to snowboarding full-time.