Australian snowboarding star Torah Bright just "threw down a double cork." That's shredding lingo for a double backflip, which is practically unheard of in female snowboarding, writes 24-year-old Dartmouth-born snowboarder Sarah Conrad in an email from the other side of the world.
"To put it in perspective, there aren't many guys trying this trick yet, especially in a full-size, 22-foot icy half-pipe." Conrad is training down in New Zealand with some of the best in her sport, coming off a great a year highlighted by a gold medal at the Canadian Snowboard Nationals at Mont Tremblant, QC. She's putting on her best game face for the months ahead, approaching the Olympics in Vancouver, which, if she goes, will be her second appearance at the games. "I have a few more qualifying events in December and January, but it's really up in the air until January 25 when the team is named. I'm riding well and seem to be on the road to 2010."
Conrad says she grew up around a bunch of guys who were keen snowboarders and is encouraging of the state of the sport in our relatively flat province.
"Snowboarding is all about riding with your friends and having fun. If you want to throw passion in there, go for it. Shredding in NS is what you make of it. We don't have mountains, but we have hills. We don't have the population, money or climate for a full- size park, but we have jumps, rails and the occasional half-pipe. We're not quite Whistler, but this province has sent a snowboarder to every winter Olympic Games to date, so we can't be doing that bad."
