Connect with Maria: Instagram: @mariaaaericaaa  Facebook: Maria Brunori  Twitter: @Steezy_Ria 

Your Name (and Nickname): Maria Brunori 

Your Age: 22 

Your Location: Breckenridge, CO 

Weapon(s) of choice: Roxy Ollie Pop Snowboard 

What’s an average day for you like?   Off season- Working, Getting outside- Hiking, Longboarding, Exploring.  Mid-Season- Getting as much time on the mountain as possible. Wake up, try for first chair, and shred all day.  

What is the most difficult part of your activity/sports for a beginner? The easiest? Most difficult part of snowboarding for a beginner is getting the confidence to try new things that may be scary at first.  

The easiest part of snowboarding is laughing, having fun, and making new friends who push you to go bigger and ride harder. 

What is the best and worst thing about being female in your sport? The best thing about being a female snowboarder is meeting other lady shredders, feeding off of each other’s vibes, and having the freedom to do what you want on your board.  The worst thing about being a female snowboarder (if I HAVE to pick something) is being told by the guys, “You’re pretty good for a girl.” … -_- 

What would you like to see change in your sport to make it better for you and other female athletes?    One thing I would change is to just have more female riders cruise through the park. It is definitely scary to hit a new feature, but more females can definitely push the sport for us and show the boys that we can do anything that they can. 

Besides your ability and style factor as an athlete, how would you describe your personal style? My personal style is comfortable. It’s nice to put on a dress or a nice top with some skinnys, but a baggy tee, flannel, or hoodie is more inviting. 

What are your favorite brands/designers for your sports apparel and for stepping out? Sports Apparel: Roxy, Volcom, Forum (R.I.P), SheShreds.co (obviously), and Burton. Stepping Out: I honestly don’t have a lot of designer clothing/brands for going out in. I’d rather spend the money on my gear than on my every day clothes. I’ll rep knock offs if I have to, just as long as I’m comfortable.  

Let’s hear your thoughts on how important looking good is to feeling good. “Being” your personal best? I think if you look good in a style that fits you, then you will feel good about yourself. There’s no point of wearing something uncomfortable to your style because it can throw your vibe off. Your style is part of you and you should never sacrifice yourself. 

How dangerous do u really think it is compared to what people do in their regular activities? I think snowboarding is dangerous if you, as a rider, are unaware of your limits. I am all for “Go big or go home,” but at the same time, it is important for you to be smart about your decisions.  

I bet in your experience you have seen some crazy crashes. Describe one. While working park crew at a mountain in Pennsylvania, a teen on skis decided he was going to try to backflip. Concerned if he had ever done it before, and because our jumps were pretty small, we had asked his experience. He said he did it once, landing on an airbag. We told him maybe he should hold off until there were less people in the park, since it was a holiday weekend and it was packed. He decided not to take our advice and went for it. When he began his backwards rotation, he flipped too early and ended up smashing his face off of the lip of the jump, knocking him unconscious instantly. He was then flying through the air limp, and slid down the landing of the jump. Luckily, a ski patroller was already in the park and went to his aid right away. The kid came back to it a few minutes later, bleeding, and got sick.  

What usually gets people hooked on your activity/sport? There are a lot of reasons why people get hooked to snowboarding. I think one reason that really gets people hooked is the freedom they feel when riding. Freedom of expression goes a long way in snowboarding. From the outerwear, to the board, the tricks, and the freedom of finding your style and how you want to ride, it is something that is almost unable to be explained. There is no one to tell you how to ride. You just do you.   

What is your favorite trick? A tweaked out nose grab off of a huge jump. It may not look “super cool” to some people, however, with being short, it is awesome to feel tall and as if I am flying for a few seconds of time while throwing a big ol’ grab in there. 

Do you own any other toys? Other than my longboard and snowboard, I have a wakeboard, a paddleboard, skim board and a balance board. Unfortunately, when I moved out here, I couldn’t bring them with me, but hoping to have some of them, the ones I can use out here, shipped out as soon as possible!

What gets you pumped up for the day? A solid riding crew, a blue bird day, and waking up to freshies.

What are three things you could not live without? My snowboard, music, and, even though they are not “things,” I would never be able to live without my family. They are the most important people in my life and I could not imagine living without them. 

What are your expectations for this activity/sport? I hope more ladies get involved in snowboarding. Whether it is killing it on park laps, cruising through the trees, or just riding down the slope, it is awesome to see the girls showing their talent on their board and I think more girls would love it if they had the opportunities to try it.  

Who have been your biggest supporters in getting you to where you are now? One of my good friends, Mike, has been probably my biggest supporter since I first started riding park. I met him back on the hill in PA and he moved out here to Colorado two years ago. He was always there to push me passed my comfort zone because he has full confidence that I can do more. Being out here together is a huge confidence boost and I know he will continue to push me to go bigger and do more.  

Who’s your favorite rider/shooter (photo/video)? My favorite rider is Jamie Anderson. Not only is she an incredible snowboarder and has done so much for the ladies in the sport, but her way of life is so free and full of exploration. She is so positive and inspirational in all aspects.  

What do you do in your spare time when you’re not riding/shooting/competing?  Honestly, I work a lot to make ends meet living in Colorado. However, when I’m not working or riding, I try to be outside as much as possible. Nature is the most beautiful thing to me and getting lost in it is so inspirational. If it’s a rainy day though, painting and doodling are a good way to keep my mind off of the weather.  

How about in the off season to stay in shape? Before moving to Colorado, I would hike, longboard, wakeboard and skim board back on the East Coast. Not only does staying on a board year round keep my head on straight so I don’t go crazy with winter being gone, but they also keep me balanced on top of a board. Hiking, which I would do up the mountain I rode, gave me the chance to explore the mountain and find new spots to ride during the winter. These activities keep my endurance up and keep my leg muscles working.  

What is your biggest goal to accomplish this/next season? Since I am now riding in Colorado, my biggest goal is to progress with my glade riding and park. The woods are deeper here and the parks are larger, so I want to take advantage of them to become a better rider.  

What do you do to prep for a competition? When competing, it’s pretty intimidating. Knowing the other ladies around you kill it, you should always try to keep your head on right, but most importantly, have fun during practice runs with the other competitors and remembering that, no matter what, it is going to be a great day. I don’t really do much to prep for competitions in advanced, other than just do my thing and ride before it. Every time I go into the park, I attempt to try new things. So, without realizing it, I guess it practice for whatever future competitions may be in store for me.  

What’s your favorite “way” to ride( wake sport- specific, cable, boat, winch)(Snowsport specific- park, freeride/backcountry, urban)?  I can’t choose one favorite way to ride my snowboard. I love getting a deep carve in on an open trail, casually cruising through some trees, and also riding park. Depending on the day, the conditions and the crew will depend on where I am riding, but I really can’t say one is my favorite. I guess I can say I’m an all mountain kind of girl. 

Favorite conditions? Fresh powder or fresh groomed on a blue bird is any girl’s favorite when it comes to snowboarding. 

Where would be your biggest dream place to ride and why? I would love to ride Perisher in Australia. Part of the reason is because within the past few months, I have seen so many photos and videos of pros riding out there and it looks incredible. Also, it would mean I could ride in the summer.   

What song(s) do you listen to while riding that puts you in the zone? My playlist is all over the place. I have some rap, hardcore, Christmas music, reggae, today’s hits, some oldies, but best of all, some boucy-pop (so Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys.) Where I’m riding and the mood I’m in definitely determines the songs I usually listen to, but throwing it on shuffle and jamming out to whatever comes next is basically how I always ride.  

What turned you on to your sport? When first learning how to snowboard, I specifically remember watching a girl cruise down the hill, carving like crazy, and just looking like she was having the time of her life. Seeing her shred so hard made me want to become better at my sport, and I have never looked back. If I ever find out who she is, I will definitely thank her for my love of snowboarding.  

Any new tricks you’re working on? The end of last season, I was working on front boards a lot. I definitely improved, but I’m worried I may have lost some of the confidence I gained when working on them. Going to get back to it once the snow falls again! 

What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever done in your sport? Even though it is not a super fabulous to some people, the coolest thing I’ve done with snowboarding is being the first girl to work on park crew at my mountain back in PA. It was awesome to work with the guys and show them that I can hold my own and help build and maintain the parks just as good as they can.  

What other extreme/action sports are you into? Longboarding, Wakeboarding, and Skim boarding. If I wasn’t broke due to student loans, I would definitely be more into bungee jumping/sky diving.. Maybe one day once those loans are gone.  

If extreme/action sports didn’t exist, what would you be doing with all the free time you’d have? I don’t think I can answer this because I honestly have no idea.  

What’s your favorite board/bike/sled to ride and why? My favorite snowboard is my Roxy Ollie Pop. It is the first hybrid board I bought, and I love the way it rides. Also, I customized it and cut the tip and tail, since the board was too long and the edges don’t go all the way around, so it is as unique as my riding.  

What’s the trick to riding features and not killing yourself? Having confidence that you can do it, and even if you don’t succeed the first few tries, knowing that you are a good enough rider to catch yourself and fall correctly.  

How would you describe your riding style? I think my riding style is relaxed but aggressive. I love having my hands chilling at my sides and just flowing with the music, but I also go hard trying new trick and getting as low as I can when I carve to make it look good.   

What would you say is your signature trick? One on, one out of a rail. I just recently learned how to do them on rails, not just boxes, and it’s so fun to just pop around on them. 

Favorite drink of choice to refresh yourself after a long day of riding/shooting? Blue or purple Gatorade is my go-to. Gotta get those electrolytes back somehow! 

What do you want to be when you grow up? Even though people already consider me a “grown up,” at 22, I don’t think I’ve fully figured out what I want to do with the rest of my life. I do know that I want to continue to travel to new places and try new things. I think it is important to explore as much as you can, while you can. So, I guess I want to be an explorer.  

Any of your own web pages or social media buttons you want links to? Youtube, Vimeo, FB, Instagram,Twitter etc. etc. Twitter: @mariaaaericaaa - Facebook: Maria Brunori  - Twitter: @Steezy_Ria