LEFT TO RIGHT “I love Jess. She’s in my books as one of the TVZ[LɉJPLU[H[OSL[LZ0»]LL]LYZOV[^P[O0 JHU»[[OPURVMHZPUNSL[PTL[OH[0»]LNVULV\[ ^P[OOLY^OLYLZOL^V\SKX\P[ILMVYLUHPSPUN H[YPJR HUKTHRPUNZ\YL0SV]L[OLZOV[VU[VW VMP[:OL\UKLYZ[HUKZ[OLJVUJLW[VM^VYRPUN [VNL[OLY[VJYLH[L0»THS^H`ZHTHaLKI`OLY KYP]L[VYHPZL[OLIHY OLY[OYLZOVSKMVYWHPU  HUKOLYYH^[HSLU[¹ 7OV[V!(ZOSL`)HYRLY ¸(ZMVYTHU`PUV\Y^VYSK 0JHU»[YLTLTILY HIL[[LY[PTL[OHU[OLKH`ZZWLU[YPKPUNHUK ZOVV[PUNH[/PNO*HZJHKLB:UV^IVHYK*HTW PU6YLNVUD;OPZVULIYPUNZTLYPNO[IHJR! (M[LYUVVUZLZZPVUMYVTKLLWPU[OLHYJOP]L ^P[O1LZZ at /*:*»ZYHTWZILOPUK*OHYSPL»Z 4V\U[HPU=PL^¹ 7OV[V!(HYVU)SH[[ Mikey showed up with a photographer, Brian Cassie, and we got like 10 really good photos in one day. Then Blue [Montgomery, founder of Capita] came to Whistler. I was lighting firecrackers and throwing them at his feet, stealing shit from the cafeteria. He asked me if he could get me anything at lunch and I was like, “I’m good,” and pulled three beers out of my sleeve at the table. My mentality was like, “I’m never going to make it anyway, might as well scare some people along the way.” On his way back down to the airport, Blue dropped me off in Squamish, and he happened to be with Cody Dresser, the main guy at Monster. And his best friend was Bobby Meeks who was the main guy at Nike. 1 On our way down I pulled out my iPod touch and showed them all the photos I had gotten that year. I had a lot of photos because whenever a photographer would point their camera at me, I would go nuts and try to shoot until I couldn’t walk anymore because I never knew when I’d get a chance to shoot again. Eventually Blue sat me down for a talk: “So, what are your goals?” “Film a video part! I want to be like Marie-France!” He said, “Well, have you thought about going the contest route?” At the time there weren’t many women filming street video parts. Contests seemed more realistic. I wrote him an essay on how badly I wanted the opportunity to film, how if he helped me, I would not slack for a minute. I got an email from [Jesse] Burtner that fall. I was still working construction. He asked me to film for Think Thank and I lost my shit. It was my dream. I had this PVC pipe hidden in the bushes at the ice rink. I’d go there after work and set it up, practicing tricks over and over under the streetlamp. I was so prepared by the time I went to [Anchorage] Alaska that I filmed most of my breakout part [in 2010’s Right Brain Left Brain ] during that two-week trip. 1 Jess would soon sign pro contracts with Capita, Nike and Monster. People finally believed in you. I watched my part before it came out on my way down to Hood that summer. I cried in my car after thinking, “It’s so boring, no one is go-ing to give a shit.” I was so used to hearing the way that the guys would talk about girl snowboarders that I couldn’t even see what was in front of me. I was 25. Who goes pro when they’re 25? The movie premiered at Mt. Hood and when it came on the screen, I realized that the opening part was mine. Until that moment I was gearing up for embarrassment. Somehow, I had slipped through the cracks and, for once, in the right direction. Then the [ TransWorld ] awards came, and I didn’t think it could be real. For several years after that I’d be nominated for awards every year and win at least one, two, sometimes all three. 2 Still I was like, “There’s been a mistake; I’m just not going to say anything and take these home with me.” I didn’t let myself enjoy a minute of it. Here we are today and I’m just starting to try to enjoy that success. I figured it would all be taken away as fast as it had been given to me. I even lied about my age for the first few years because I was scared people would realize they had made a mistake by signing me. When I’d land tricks, I’d think I had just gotten lucky. Up until a few years ago, I didn’t realize that I landed those tricks because I could. I had always thought it was just a fluke. 2 Jess has won the TransWorld Video Part of the Year three times along with five Readers Choice awards, Female Rider of the Year from Snowboarder Magazine twice, and other accolades. JESS KIMURA 079
The Snowboarder's Journal The Snowboarder's Journal 18.4: Page 79
