This is Devon -- East Devon is harbouring an unlikely talent. This year Katie Blundell from Woodbury won medals in the British Snowboard Championships, again. Fran McElhone meets her. Snowboarder Katie Blundell can hurl herself off huge jumps over tens of metres and spin upside down. Her best trick is called a Rodeo 7, which means she can spin in the air while pulling off a back flip. And for someone who has the guts to clear a massive 75m flying through the air on a stick of fibreglass, I can't believe how petite she is, or how unassuming she is either. But do not be fooled – fragile she is not. One of Britain's top snowboarders, Katie has been "in winter" for the last six years bouncing between the mountain resorts of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. This summer is the first she's had off in a while, back home in Woodbury before she jets off to the snow again. The 28-year-old won her first competition, the British Snowboard Championships, or the Brits, in 2010, clinching gold in the Big Air element of the competition. She also entered the Slope Style – a course of jumps and rails – which got called off due to bad weather, but not before she crashed into a photographer and the wind blew another competitor off the course. The following year she secured silvers in the Big Air and the Slope Style. And then in 2013 she won the Slope Style – her biggest achievement. Born in Canada, Katie lived next to a mountain and started skiing at the age of six before moving to the UK when it was a case of annual ski holidays with the folks while at Woodbury Primary School. She did her first ski season after finishing her A-levels at Exmouth Community College and went to work as a chalet girl in French Alps resort of Tignes. She took some time out from the sport to complete a degree in textiles at Nottingham Trent University. But it wasn't until she turned 21 that she tried snowboarding. "It got to the end of the season and I decided to give it a go, but hated it," she tells me. "I actually refused to do it and took my snowboard off and walked all the way down the mountain with it – it took me about two hours. By the end of my next season I tried it again and that time got on with it better, and I haven't looked back since." In 2011 Katie started dabbling in the respected Ticket to Ride (TTR) circuit, a series of events worldwide in which snowboarders can attend and rack up points. But their ranking depends on how many events they can attend. This January, Katie hopes to attend the Burton European Open Slope Style in Europe as well as seeing what else she can make on the calendar to improve her chances of moving up the rankings. "I feel like I wasted my time a bit by going to uni when I could have been snowboarding," she says. Though admitting the experience was valuable, she realises she'd be in a different place with her sport and probably far higher in the world snowboard rankings had things been different. While at university she managed to "squeeze in" a season in New Zealand during which she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her knee, taking her out of the game for almost two-and-a-half years. She's been doing back-to-back seasons ever since. After winning the Big Air, Katie has attracted numerous sponsors who facilitate her sporting life. The main ones are O'Neill and Ride Snowboards who give her a budget each winter to snowboard. During the summers, which she has spent in Australia or New Zealand for the last few years (their winter), she works. Any extreme sportsman or woman will know that injury comes with the territory and Katie is as philosophical as the next. Other than tearing her ACL, Katie's had concussion around 10 times, despite "religiously" wearing her helmet. One time was particularly severe and required her hospitalisation and brain scans. "I went over a jump and fell down when the person behind, who hadn't given me enough time, landed on my head as I was getting up," she recalls. "I couldn't remember where I was, what country I was in, who I was," she explains. "I'd recently bought these purple snowboard pants and I remember looking down and thinking, whose are these? They aren't mine. But it was probably more scary for the people around me than it was for me – I was away with the fairies." Her amnesia lasted the rest of the day but the effect of the bang lasted for weeks. "I knew who I was, but I was really confused for a couple of weeks afterwards," she says. "But it comes with the sport so you're prepared for it. I try to keep myself fit with Pilates, yoga, swimming and the gym which is really important to prevent injury from happening as much as possible. It's worth it, I would never stop snowboarding because of the fear of getting hurt – you could get hit by a bus tomorrow." For well-honed freestyle riders like Katie, the big question is, what about the powder (deep, light snow that makes you feel like floating)? "I love powder as well but I'll be the one in the park on a powder day," she admits smiling, acknowledging that what she's saying will come as a shock to most snow riders for whom powder is like discovering hidden treasure. "I know people will hate me for saying it!" I doubt it, she's as endearing as she is honest, and it would be impossible to hate her. Katie's gymnastics background, including her membership with the Exeter Gymnastics Club from seven until 15 years of age – something many pro-snowboarders have in common – has set her up well for the demands of freestyle and urban or street snowboarding, which old-school snowboarders were doing pre-terrain park/slope style. "The ultimate thing is putting what you've learnt in the park into practice in the street," she explains. "It's all about putting your ability to the test. The terrain parks have come out of that. A lot of top snowboarders come from a gym background," she continues. "Gymnastics gives you spatial awareness, acrobatic ability and agility, so when you're upside down, you know where you are! And it's really helpful with training discipline. A lot of snowboarders won't get up on the hill until 12 and then do a couple of runs, whereas I'll be up on the first lift." Is her success down to natural talent or hard graft? "I don't think I have any natural talent!" she laughs. "I didn't take to it quickly," she admits. "Because I'd skied for so long, going sideways wasn't natural. But I really wanted to do it and worked hard at it." Katie can pull off a Rodeo 7 over a gap of 40ft, but according to Katie this "isn't that big". "It's a good sized jump," she says. "It's not too big or scary – 60ft is getting scary," she admits. Her biggest feat is a tail grab over a mighty 75 metres which she nailed in January. By her own admission, recently married Katie is a more sensible snowboarder these days. "I used to think I was invincible," she adds. "I used to launch myself off anything even if I wasn't ready, but as I've got older and more experienced I'm respecting my boundaries. Being reckless certainly doesn't make you better. You see people chucking themselves off things but with no style. "It's more respected to go smaller but with style. I would prefer to do a less technical trick but for it to look nice. I don't want to be that person that people watch and think, she's going to die! I've worked hard on my style the last couple of years, I'm trying to get rid of my girly style. "My goal is to get better personally," she continues, adding that it's not about the competitions. "I want to push myself as far as I can, and whatever happens along the way is just a bonus," she says. "The best thing about it is the travelling, getting to see some amazing places and meeting so many different people – I've made some amazing friends through snowboarding. And of course doing what you love every day. "But I'm always worried about money, and have to do everything on a budget, there's little room for luxuries. And the thing that really sucks is carrying your board bag everywhere, especially through London on the tube! And the injuries. I'd like to do it as long as my body can. I don't think I'll take it this seriously forever, but I'd like to keep going into my 30s." I wonder how she got on this summer, her longest stint away from the snow for years, working at Darts Farm. "It's not been too bad," she says. "I was really dying for some sun this summer and it's been such a nice one here I feel like I've been on holiday. But now's it's getting colder and the resorts are opening and friends are posting photos on Facebook, I'm chomping at the bit to go away." As soon as 2013 turns into 2014 she'll be off to the hills of Austria to train. The resort of Mayrhofen, rated 10 out of 10 in the World Snowboard Guide, has one of the best terrain parks in Europe, mainly because the French can be "a bit lazy" when it comes to maintenance whereas in Austria, they're really "on it". She has managed to make it up to the Tamworth Snowdome a couple of times as well, one time after a nine-hour shift, followed by a three-hour drive to make the 10pm–1am session before driving home again. She's had to keep her legs in shape: soon after we catch upKatie is due to perform her tricks at the O'Neill Shoreditch Showdown, celebrating the country's finest riders and bringing the essence of mountain life to the streets of East London, and the Freeze Festival – London's music, ski and snowboard festival. Despite all her global exploits and worldwide events and competitions, Katie says these two events on home soil are the ones that mean the most. "They are really important to me" Katie says. "Here, it's in front of all the Brits and my friends."
Reported by This is 2 hours ago.
This is Devon -- East Devon is harbouring an unlikely talent. This year Katie Blundell from Woodbury won medals in the British Snowboard Championships, again. Fran McElhone meets her. Snowboarder Katie Blundell can hurl herself off huge jumps over tens of metres and spin upside down. Her best trick is called a Rodeo 7, which means she can spin in the air while pulling off a back flip. And for someone who has the guts to clear a massive 75m flying through the air on a stick of fibreglass, I can't believe how petite she is, or how unassuming she is either. But do not be fooled – fragile she is not. One of Britain's top snowboarders, Katie has been "in winter" for the last six years bouncing between the mountain resorts of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. This summer is the first she's had off in a while, back home in Woodbury before she jets off to the snow again. The 28-year-old won her first competition, the British Snowboard Championships, or the Brits, in 2010, clinching gold in the Big Air element of the competition. She also entered the Slope Style – a course of jumps and rails – which got called off due to bad weather, but not before she crashed into a photographer and the wind blew another competitor off the course. The following year she secured silvers in the Big Air and the Slope Style. And then in 2013 she won the Slope Style – her biggest achievement. Born in Canada, Katie lived next to a mountain and started skiing at the age of six before moving to the UK when it was a case of annual ski holidays with the folks while at Woodbury Primary School. She did her first ski season after finishing her A-levels at Exmouth Community College and went to work as a chalet girl in French Alps resort of Tignes. She took some time out from the sport to complete a degree in textiles at Nottingham Trent University. But it wasn't until she turned 21 that she tried snowboarding. "It got to the end of the season and I decided to give it a go, but hated it," she tells me. "I actually refused to do it and took my snowboard off and walked all the way down the mountain with it – it took me about two hours. By the end of my next season I tried it again and that time got on with it better, and I haven't looked back since." In 2011 Katie started dabbling in the respected Ticket to Ride (TTR) circuit, a series of events worldwide in which snowboarders can attend and rack up points. But their ranking depends on how many events they can attend. This January, Katie hopes to attend the Burton European Open Slope Style in Europe as well as seeing what else she can make on the calendar to improve her chances of moving up the rankings. "I feel like I wasted my time a bit by going to uni when I could have been snowboarding," she says. Though admitting the experience was valuable, she realises she'd be in a different place with her sport and probably far higher in the world snowboard rankings had things been different. While at university she managed to "squeeze in" a season in New Zealand during which she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her knee, taking her out of the game for almost two-and-a-half years. She's been doing back-to-back seasons ever since. After winning the Big Air, Katie has attracted numerous sponsors who facilitate her sporting life. The main ones are O'Neill and Ride Snowboards who give her a budget each winter to snowboard. During the summers, which she has spent in Australia or New Zealand for the last few years (their winter), she works. Any extreme sportsman or woman will know that injury comes with the territory and Katie is as philosophical as the next. Other than tearing her ACL, Katie's had concussion around 10 times, despite "religiously" wearing her helmet. One time was particularly severe and required her hospitalisation and brain scans. "I went over a jump and fell down when the person behind, who hadn't given me enough time, landed on my head as I was getting up," she recalls. "I couldn't remember where I was, what country I was in, who I was," she explains. "I'd recently bought these purple snowboard pants and I remember looking down and thinking, whose are these? They aren't mine. But it was probably more scary for the people around me than it was for me – I was away with the fairies." Her amnesia lasted the rest of the day but the effect of the bang lasted for weeks. "I knew who I was, but I was really confused for a couple of weeks afterwards," she says. "But it comes with the sport so you're prepared for it. I try to keep myself fit with Pilates, yoga, swimming and the gym which is really important to prevent injury from happening as much as possible. It's worth it, I would never stop snowboarding because of the fear of getting hurt – you could get hit by a bus tomorrow." For well-honed freestyle riders like Katie, the big question is, what about the powder (deep, light snow that makes you feel like floating)? "I love powder as well but I'll be the one in the park on a powder day," she admits smiling, acknowledging that what she's saying will come as a shock to most snow riders for whom powder is like discovering hidden treasure. "I know people will hate me for saying it!" I doubt it, she's as endearing as she is honest, and it would be impossible to hate her. Katie's gymnastics background, including her membership with the Exeter Gymnastics Club from seven until 15 years of age – something many pro-snowboarders have in common – has set her up well for the demands of freestyle and urban or street snowboarding, which old-school snowboarders were doing pre-terrain park/slope style. "The ultimate thing is putting what you've learnt in the park into practice in the street," she explains. "It's all about putting your ability to the test. The terrain parks have come out of that. A lot of top snowboarders come from a gym background," she continues. "Gymnastics gives you spatial awareness, acrobatic ability and agility, so when you're upside down, you know where you are! And it's really helpful with training discipline. A lot of snowboarders won't get up on the hill until 12 and then do a couple of runs, whereas I'll be up on the first lift." Is her success down to natural talent or hard graft? "I don't think I have any natural talent!" she laughs. "I didn't take to it quickly," she admits. "Because I'd skied for so long, going sideways wasn't natural. But I really wanted to do it and worked hard at it." Katie can pull off a Rodeo 7 over a gap of 40ft, but according to Katie this "isn't that big". "It's a good sized jump," she says. "It's not too big or scary – 60ft is getting scary," she admits. Her biggest feat is a tail grab over a mighty 75 metres which she nailed in January. By her own admission, recently married Katie is a more sensible snowboarder these days. "I used to think I was invincible," she adds. "I used to launch myself off anything even if I wasn't ready, but as I've got older and more experienced I'm respecting my boundaries. Being reckless certainly doesn't make you better. You see people chucking themselves off things but with no style. "It's more respected to go smaller but with style. I would prefer to do a less technical trick but for it to look nice. I don't want to be that person that people watch and think, she's going to die! I've worked hard on my style the last couple of years, I'm trying to get rid of my girly style. "My goal is to get better personally," she continues, adding that it's not about the competitions. "I want to push myself as far as I can, and whatever happens along the way is just a bonus," she says. "The best thing about it is the travelling, getting to see some amazing places and meeting so many different people – I've made some amazing friends through snowboarding. And of course doing what you love every day. "But I'm always worried about money, and have to do everything on a budget, there's little room for luxuries. And the thing that really sucks is carrying your board bag everywhere, especially through London on the tube! And the injuries. I'd like to do it as long as my body can. I don't think I'll take it this seriously forever, but I'd like to keep going into my 30s." I wonder how she got on this summer, her longest stint away from the snow for years, working at Darts Farm. "It's not been too bad," she says. "I was really dying for some sun this summer and it's been such a nice one here I feel like I've been on holiday. But now's it's getting colder and the resorts are opening and friends are posting photos on Facebook, I'm chomping at the bit to go away." As soon as 2013 turns into 2014 she'll be off to the hills of Austria to train. The resort of Mayrhofen, rated 10 out of 10 in the World Snowboard Guide, has one of the best terrain parks in Europe, mainly because the French can be "a bit lazy" when it comes to maintenance whereas in Austria, they're really "on it". She has managed to make it up to the Tamworth Snowdome a couple of times as well, one time after a nine-hour shift, followed by a three-hour drive to make the 10pm–1am session before driving home again. She's had to keep her legs in shape: soon after we catch upKatie is due to perform her tricks at the O'Neill Shoreditch Showdown, celebrating the country's finest riders and bringing the essence of mountain life to the streets of East London, and the Freeze Festival – London's music, ski and snowboard festival. Despite all her global exploits and worldwide events and competitions, Katie says these two events on home soil are the ones that mean the most. "They are really important to me" Katie says. "Here, it's in front of all the Brits and my friends."
Reported by This is 2 hours ago.