Lindsey Jacobellis is as passionate now for the mountains and snowboarding as she has ever been.
LINDSEY JACOBELLIS started snowboarding at the age 11 and soon found herself competing against boys older than her as there were a lack of girls for her to race. This was a sign of things to come as today Lindsey has become one of the sports most successful participants.
Lindsey’s snowboarding accolades are endless and include a Silver at the Olympics and Gold at four World Championships, the most recent having come back from a serious injury. She’s as determined as ever and is focused on making getting to the Olympics in PyeongChang in 2018.
In this exclusive interview Lindsey talks to us about her wonderful career to date and her passion to work with the next generation of snowboarders.
To find out more about Lindsey and her success on the slopes visit www.lindseyjacobellis.com.
Tell us about how and when you started racing snowboardcross and some of your early successes in the sport?
I started racing when I was 11 years old at Stratton Mtn, VT. I had to race against the boys 12 and under group because there were no girls in my age group. I raced every Friday night and was noticed by a coach from Stratton Mountain School (Andy Coghland). He invited me to tag along to a race at a neighbouring mountain were I did really well. This got me involved at SMS and I decided to go there throughout my high school years.
Lindsey trains all year round and is always looking for the next challenge in her sport.
Who were your biggest supporters and mentors at the beginning and which athletes did you look up to the most?
Andy Coghland was the coach who discovered me and brought me to Stratton Mountain School. He coached me for a few years and really helped me become a good all around snowboarder that helped lay my foundation to becoming a pro. My next major influence was Ross Hindman. He pushed me to become the best I could be and always try to beat the boys.
Lindsey has taken four world titles.
How does it feel to have taken Gold at four World Championships and how hard did you have to work for these wins?
It was amazing to have come back from a career stopping injury and take the world title. Every World Championship that I have attended, I have won. I did miss a few World Champs when I was injured, but it is nice to have that consistency at Worlds. I could not believe that it happened again and I had to take a moment to myself after the award ceremony to decompress before I joined the party.
What have been some of your other highlights and accomplishments in the sport?
I’ve competed and three Olympics and took silver in 2006. I’ve also been a World Cup Gold medalist 27 times and an XGames medalsit ten times.
Lindsey has competed in the Olympics three times and took silver in 2006.
Where are you currently based and how hard are you currently training?
I train around the clock, there might only be a month or so down time in May after our season is over. I currently live in Encinitas, CA., but most of the time I am a gypsy.
What does the rest of the year and beyond have in store in terms of competition and other projects you may be involved in?
I have to take one year at a time when I am approaching my racing career. I have to be in the moment and stay focused on taking care of my body and mind all year round, but that doesn’t meant that I don’t have my eye on another Olympics.
Lindsey is passionate about working with the next generation of snowboarders.
I am trying to be more involved in the development of the next generation coming up in my sport, especially on the female side. I have been hosting camps in the spring and summer, and looking for ways to expand this platform.
Other than that I am excited to be headed into another year of competition.
Find out more about Lindsey on www.lindseyjacobellis.com
