FLY BY 1MMLOQoFQVQL4FPB>Q 4BPBde &BSBILMJkQ Maria Thomsen, Marie-France Roy, Robin Van Gyn and Leanne Pelosi at the judges table. Photo: Lauren Powers Melissa Riitano rolling up to a cheering Jeff Pensiero, Enzo Pensiero, Penny Pensiero, Paula Pensiero and Maya Smith. Photo: Lauren Powers Words Lauren Powers “IT’S IMPORTANT TO keep it tight,” said Robin Van Gyn. She was referencing the short list of riders selected to compete in her inaugural Research & Development [RnD] event at Whitewater Ski Resort near Nelson, BC. “I was consulting with Kimmy Fasani, Jess Kimura, Leanne Pelosi, Marie-France Roy and Hana Beaman to build this list. It ended up being 14 women and was supposed to be eight, but I couldn’t say no; there were so many riders banging down my door to have the opportunity that we decided to open it up a little more. The goal is to take freeride and freestyle to the next level, and these are the women who have the most potential. You give riders the opportunity to try and they will rise to the occasion.” A women-only hybrid event in the Whitewater backcountry, RnD was built to amplify snowboarders who blend freeride and freestyle. Equal parts film session and competition, the weeklong gathering brought in ladies from as far afield as New Zealand and Finland. With a handful of well-respected media professionals on hand and mentorship from some of the best women to ever do it, RnD was designed not only as a feeder event to bigger con-tests (one competitor will be part of next year’s Natural Selection Tour), but also as a crash course in backcountry media produc-tion. And the contest winner was a surprise addition. “Three days before the event a spot had randomly opened,” said 17-year-old Ellery Manning. “After I was invited, there was no question on if I was going to go. Going there as the youngest competitor was pretty nerve-wracking.” Traveling up from Tahoe, Ellery settled in just fine. Sharing the podium with Stefi Luxton and local prodigy Estelle Pensiero, Ellery’s stylish tweaks and composure in the steeps led to an un-expected first place finish in the competition—proof that there is a depth of female talent that just needs the platform to succeed. The venue for competition was divided into two zones to spread the riders out across a bowled ridgeline. With a variety of hits, cliffs, steep spines, chutes and exposure, there was room for each rider to show their strengths. Hana Beaman, 2022 Natural Selection Tour Alaska winner and one of the judges and mentors at the event, spoke to the technicality of the zone: “The face was hard to see into from the top and it’s tricky to scope a line by just using photos, so it really challenged the riders’ ability to in-terpret and navigate the terrain. Features can look one way from the bottom and completely different from the side. It can be very difficult to have confidence in the line you pick and ride it with power and commitment.” THE SNOWBOARDER’S JOURNAL 105
The Snowboarder's Journal The Snowboarder's Journal 22.1: Page 105
