We are more than excited, pumped, and ecstatic, to have our own interviews with some of our favorite The North Face athletes: Conrad Anker, Alex Honnold, Kaitlyn Farrington, and Jimmy Chin. Stay tuned for another next month, too!
How old were you when you first got on a snowboard? How did you get into it? I was about eleven and I wanted to be like my sister. Since she started snowboarding, I had to do it too!
How old are you now? 22
What is it that you like most about snowboarding? I just like being outdoors and on the mountain with my friends; it’s a crazy concept that we board down mountains!
Did you always picture yourself being a professional athlete? Or is it something that worked out to your surprise? YES, I always thought I was going to be a pro swimmer. I was in love with Michael Phelps!
I read somewhere you were still going to college. What is your major? And, how do you balance school and training? What university do you attend? I actually had to put school on hold for the time being because it was just a little too much with my busy training, travel, and competition schedule. I plan to take some classes when my schedule allows.
Have your parents always been supportive? Yes, very supportive! When I was growing up, my dad sold all of our family cows so I could go to competitions on the weekends. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my family.
How is your experience being a woman in a mainly male dominated sport? Is that even true anymore? Sometimes it can be frustrating because even though it is 2012, we still run into situations where women don’t get the same opportunities as men in competition (ie, different prize money, or major events have cut out the women’s snowboarding field entirely). Overall, we are proud to be competing at the level we do today and are out there to have fun and push the sport for the next generation of women.
How do you stay fit between seasons? I workout at the USSA Center of Excellence on a regular basis. I usually spend my summers in there five days a week.
Do you follow a strict diet? If so, can you elaborate? Diet? no
What do you like to do for fun when you’re off the slopes? I play with my cat and fix up my new house that I bought last year.
Which piece of clothing or gear from the North Face do you love most? My rain boots!! I love jumping in puddles just because I can!
Do you picture yourself doing this for a living for a long time? Or do you have other career goals? I hope to snowboard for my whole life! I probably won’t be competing half pipe forever, but I do hope to go to the Olympics! Hopefully a couple Olympics! And see where my career goes from there.
What are your interests besides snowboarding and competing? Reading, long bike rides, and movies. I hope to have a green thumb someday: gardening!
How does it feel to have made it to the pro US snowboarding team? What does this mean to your career? Making the pro team is awesome and has really helped me step up my level of riding. USSA helps me so much with everything and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with the athletes, coaches, and staff of US Snowboarding.
What are you looking forward to most this year? Ending it on a healthy note!
Bio
Kaitlyn Farrington grew up on a ranch in Bellevue, ID learning to ride at Baldy Mountain and traveling to ASA contests, her parents selling some of their livestock to fund her early snowboard trips. Originally a skier, the first time Kaitlyn went snowboarding, she struggled with catching her edges and everyone laughed at her from the chairlift. Since then she’s been quietly honing her skills, and well, she’s the one laughing now. Kaitlyn had a stellar 2010 season in the pipe, taking home gold at the European Winter X Games, securing the overall Dew Cup halfpipe title, taking second at the U.S. Burton Open and graduating from the rookie to pro U.S. Snowboarding Team. With a solid bag of tricks including Cab and frontside 900s, McTwists, and switch and backside spins, Kaitlyn has quickly established herself as one of the world’s top female halfpipe competitors. Kaitlyn spends her summers training in New Zealand and has her sights firmly set on X Game gold in Aspen
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