Snowboarding Videos

If you haven’t seen media coverage of one our newest Drift Innovation athletes, Alexis Roland, chances are you will be soon. This 12-year-old professional snowboarding phenom is taking the world by storm and has already been featured in ESPN Magazine and the New York Times, as well as on The Today Show. A veteran of six years on the snowboard, she has a huge bag full of tricks that have earned her comparisons to a certain “flying tomato” – aka a young Shaun White. We got the chance to chat with Lexi about her summer snowboarding sessions, seeing more young girls pick up the sport, what it’s like to compete (and beat) women more than twice her age and how she’s already become an expert at shooting film with the new Drift HD, which is so easy “even a kid can use it.”

Drift Innovation: How was your summer?
Alexis Roland: I had an awesome summer – I got to travel a lot. We went out to Mammoth, Tahoe and Mount Hood to snowboard, and I also did some personal traveling with my family.

DI: Wow, so how much time did you get to spend snowboarding throughout the summer?
AR: I got in maybe three weeks to a month total of snowboarding, so pretty awesome considering it’s summer!

DI: Are you ready to go back to school now?
AR: I actually kind of am – it’s really nice to just start doing some different things. I’m actually really looking forward to doing history lessons.

DI: What are your favorite subjects?
AR: History or science are definitely my favorite subjects. Math and grammar are my least. With grammar it’s like I learn it and then one minute later – poof – it’s gone!

DI: I totally understand that – grammar is a tough one until it just ‘clicks’! Anyways, tell me a little bit about the camp you went to up at Mount Hood this summer – was it just awesome to get back on some snow in August?
AR: Yes, it was awesome. Drift sent me up to Windells to snowboard for three days. Mostly I messed around in the terrain park while I was up there, and got lots of cool footage. (Check out Lexi’s experience at Windells filmed with the new Drift HD on behalf of First Tracks Productions

Alexis Roland Snowboarding at Mt Hood from Drift on Vimeo.

DI: Do you do any downhill snowboarding?
AR: I used to, I used to race downhill, but anymore now I am just messing around when I go downhill. Racing was a lot to do and I really like to mess around in the terrain park. That is really where I hang around nowadays.

DI: Speaking as an adult, it’s really fun to see kids on the hill blasting down the mountain with no fear. When you are boarding, what does it take to actually make you nervous?
AR: Probably stuff that I don’t do too much. I really only do stuff I know I can do. I don’t want to be too unsafe, especially at the beginning of the season, because if I break my arm then I have to wait for it to heal before I can get back out there!

DI: So, how do you approach trying something new for the first time?
AR: When I’ve never done something before I like to see other people do it first and see how they approach it. But, really, sometimes I just have to go for it. I don’t want to always wait around watching people so I just go for it.

DI: It kind of sounds like you are generally up to trying almost anything?
AR: Yes, usually I’ll go for it – but I won’t do something stupid. I always get nervous. But even if I’m nervous I just kind of go for it – commit and go for it.

DI: As a 12-year-old kid competing with women in their late teens and older, do you ever feel like you’re the underdog? Or, are you just one of the girls – a part of the snowboarding community?
AR: No, I really feel like I am a part of the group even if they are a lot older – especially when I am riding. It’s really easy to talk to the older girls and I definitely feel like I am a part of the community.

DI: Do you ever ride with kids your own age?
AR: Yes, but not very often. During the winter I will be outside training during the daytime and there aren’t usually a lot of kids my age there at the same time. When I’m done for the day and going home is when kids my age are usually showing up, so I just miss them.

DI: Are there a lot of other girls your age riding?
AR: I’m definitely seeing more and more girls riding that are my age. Most of them haven’t been riding that long but it’s fun to see more girls out there. Next winter I’m going to be having some of my friends come out and ride with me, and I’m really excited about that.

DI: What’s the most fun part of snowboarding?
AR: It really depends on how I’m feeling that day – I think going into the park and messing around is a lot of fun. Really, I can’t say – because the most fun part is just messing around in the park with my friends is the most fun!

DI: What else do you like to do besides snowboarding?
AR: Just last week I tried wakeboarding and I think that is really fun. I don’t really do too many sports outside of snowboarding – I guess I just haven’t tried to explore different options. I’m up to try almost any kind of sport though.

DI: What kind of cross training do you do in your time away from the snow?
AR: I do exercises and trampoline – right now I go to a gym to do the trampoline, which I really like to do!

DI: Let’s talk about cameras! What is your favorite way to film with the Drift cameras – in your hand on the monopod or on your helmet?
AR: I prefer holding it with the stick [monopod] because that way I can control what I shoot. With the camera on a stick I can shoot from the front or from the back and get all different angles, even shoot my board while I’m riding. I really have a fun time playing around with the different angles on the stick.

DI: After suffering a broken wrist last winter, are you still able to film with the monopod?
AR: Yeah, it’s totally healed, and having broken both wrists in the past has no affect on being able to hold the camera for filming.

DI: Are the cameras really easy enough “even a kid can use it?”
AR: Oh yeah, they are very easy to use. A kid can definitely use it. I can set up the shots, review them on the screen afterwards, everything!

DI: Have you ever helped out in the editing process of any of your videos?
AR: No, but I think that would be really fun too.

DI: It was really fun to see the video of your first ever bungee jump with a Drift camera (which you totally rocked keeping the camera on you the whole time!), do you now find yourself thinking of other opportunities to film cool stuff?
AR: Yeah – I’m definitely thinking of other stuff to film this winter. I want to get good film of a rollercoaster. I tried once before but it didn’t turn out very good so I’m really looking forward to trying again with the new Drift camera.

DI: What have you got planned for this winter? Where will people see you competing?
AR: We plan on traveling to Tahoe, Colorado, Mammoth, and probably Mount Hood. I’ll be competing in the Gatorade Free Flow Tour and the Girl Powder Queen of the Park contest at Kirkwood and probably a few others, too!

DI: Thanks for chatting with us! We’ll be looking forward to seeing more of you online this year now that you’ve got Drift cameras to shoot with!

Bungee Jumping at Mt. Hood – Drift HD170 Stealth POV from Drift on Vimeo.