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Your Age: 43
Your Location (where do you ride mostly): Michigan, which is mostly "hills." However I do go out West as much as possible. Colorado (Steamboat, Beaver Creek) and Utah (Park City, Snowbird, Solitude, and Deer Valley to ski) are favs.
Weapon(s) of choice: #1 Snowboard - Burton Feelgood Flying V. Ski - the best demos the mountain has. Stand up paddleboard - Coreban Vintage Wood board. Beach Cruiser bike - Electra Super Deluxe 3i (it's so pretty!!!) Snowshoes, Trail running, GoPro Hero4 Silver Edition
What’s an average day for you like? My average day is probably a lot different than most Ambassadors who are younger! I travel every week for work - so during the week I bring my running shoes and find a trail to 'shred' but if I'm not in a desirable area, the yoga mat in my hotel room comes in handy. On weekends everything depends on the time of year. In Michigan we get a good dose of all 4 seasons. In the Summer an average day is a trail run at a nearby state park - the trails I run are a lot of sand and tree roots that are very challenging. But at the end of the trail you overlook beautiful Lake Michigan standing atop a sand dune. It's very rewarding and I usually take my dog, Joey with me. We live on a lake near Lake Michigan so after a trail run, we might go boating, swimming, paddleboarding, etc. Lastly, a bike ride to a nearby restaurant for drinks and dinner is perfect. In winter, it's pretty much snowboarding every weekend in northern Michigan; however, going out west for a week or two is always in the cards and much preferred!
What is the most difficult part of your activity/sports for a beginner? The easiest? Learning to snowboard as an adult was SO difficult. I was a lifelong skier and only learned to board a few years ago. It was very challenging to say the least. It was so tempting to just pick up the skies and forget the board. But stick with it, take a couple lessons, and it will pay off.
What is the best and worst thing about being female in your sport? Best - encouraging others to learn the sport and join me. Worst - finding additional friends who like to Snowboard as much as I do!
What would you like to see change in your sport to make it better for you and other female athletes? I would love to see competition go beyond halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air for the women. I never see big mountain competitions like I've seen with the guys. Also - even during the competitions the women do compete in, they are usually edited and cut short!
Besides your ability and style factor as an athlete, how would you describe your personal style? During the week - super professional, business suits and all!! After 5 and on the weekends the exact opposite. I'm always up for whatever adventure and love to try new things; I try to stay young on social media and on my fashion! Although I sometimes wonder what other women my age think of things I like to wear.
What are your favorite brands/designers for your sports apparel and for stepping out? I can't wait to get my new SheShreds gear! For Sports apparel: Athleta, Burton, Roxy, Nike, and Spyder. For Steppin' out: Paige jeans, Hudson jeans, Anthropologie, Madewell, Roxy, Athleta, or JCrew (if I'm feeling preppy!)
Let’s hear your thoughts on how important looking good is to feeling good. “Being” your personal best? To be your personal best, you need to enjoy what you are doing first and foremost. When you enjoy what you're doing it totally shows through and leads to "feeling good" about yourself and what you are doing. To me, looking good while you're doing something you love is the icing on the cake! Your confidence soars and people remember your smile and how you made them feel.
I bet in your experience you have seen some crazy crashes. Describe one. A teenage kid uncontrollably skiing, over a small jump, through the air, into a small tree. He completely obliterated that tree. He was fine but got heckled by the chairlift riders. I had a bad crash this January - fooling around on my new snowboard and finding powder to ride in an out-of-bounds area under a chairlift. I lost control going through some trees and ended up rolling, upside down, and ultimately resting against a tree (didn't hit the tree though!) But in the process I sprained my ankle (ouch!) so I've been nursing that the past 8 weeks.
What usually gets people hooked on your activity/sport? Taking a lesson so they can control themselves better and feel more confident in their abilities to turn and stop.
What is your favorite trick? I don't do tricks! I'm not a park-rider. But I love boarding in powder, it is absolutely the best floaty feeling. If I'm watching snowboarding, my favorite female to watch is Kelly Clark in the halfpipe; I feel like I can relate to her being the "tenured" rider of the group (I won't say OLD.) Chloe Kim is a close second. Watching them both do their 1080s in the halfpipe is unbelievable.
Do you own any other toys? Boats (Robalo, Boston Whaler), Jeep Wrangler (topless woot woot!), Beach Cruiser bike - Electra, and snowshoes.
What gets you pumped up for the day? In the summer - sunshine in the morning - can't wait to get outside! In the winter - fresh, white, snow - the more the better.
What are three things you could not live without? My husband, Mike - best ever! My family - mom, dogs, in-laws, aunts, uncles, cousins - we have a great time together. And my health! Whenever I'm hurt or sick I realize how much I miss things and how I need to appreciate everything I have.
Who’s your favorite rider/shooter (photo/video)? Kelly Clark - although I've never met her, she is so talented and seems like a really nice person. I also enjoy watching Shaun White ride the half pipe - his runs are amazing.
What do you do in your spare time when you’re not riding/shooting/competing? We live on a lake in Michigan, so enjoying the water all the time. Just having friends over to sit on the dock and chill out. Boating out to Lake Michigan, boating to dinner, is awesome as well. Walking the dogs.
How about in the off season to stay in shape? Trail run! There are great trails and parks in west Michigan among the sand dune areas.
What is your biggest goal to accomplish this/next season? Cat-boarding. I want to take a Snowcat and find powder stashes! I need to find someone to go with me for my first time though - join a group or pay a guide.
What competitions and other awards have you won? Include your non sports accomplishments also. Sprint triathalon, multiple trail runs, multiple sales awards for work (pharmaceutical sales), and multiple awards in high school for basketball.
What’s your favorite “way” to ride? Snowboard - anything powder! Don't care where.
What song(s) do you listen to while riding that puts you in the zone? I have an entire snowboarding playlist that includes everything from Local Natives to Led Zeppelin, Cold War Kids, Panda Bear, and Sleigh Bells. It's pretty broad but I generally like Indie/Alt Rock and classic rock.
What turned you on to your sport? Living in West Michigan near Lake Michigan we get a TON of snow each year (lake effect snow machine!) So I convinced my husband to learn to ski and I made a deal that if he learned to ski, I would learn to snowboard at the same time, so we would be at the same level and could hang out on the mountain together.
Any new tricks you’re working on? Powder riding.
What’s your favorite board/bike/sled to ride and why? My new Burton Feelgood Flying V is fantastic. The shape of that board allows it to float in powder, but it holds really well on groomers and hard pack, which I need for Michigan.
What’s the trick to riding features and not killing yourself? Haven't figured that out yet...
How would you describe your riding style? Fast and aggressive on groomers; playful in powder.
Favorite drink of choice to refresh yourself after a long day of riding/shooting? Vodka martini or sometimes out west I'm so exhausted I'll drink a couple glasses of water and then a vodka/RedBull
What do you want to be when you grow up? I would like to eventually retire early from my pharma career and work in sales for an outdoor apparel company that I love.
Any of your own web pages or social media buttons you want links to? Instagram - StacyPo1, Twitter - @StacyPokrywka, LinkedIn - Stacy Pokrywka
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