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Torah Bright
Interview 
Interviewer:
Anthony Crute – Pro Rider and Head Coach of Pro Ride Snowboard Camp,
Whistler, Canada. – www.pro-ride.com
Sponsors:
Salomon, Roxy, Gravis, Boost Mobile, Sobe, 8000 Reverse
Age:18
Background
Initially from Cooma NSW. One hour from the mountains, and an hour half
from the beach. Torah first started snowboarding 7 years ago due to a
poor snow season in Australia. She was sick of skiing, so she picked up
a board due to her brothers influence.
Photo
gallery of Torah >>>
Where is your
home mountain?
My home mountain is Perisher Blue, located in the Snowy Mountains in Australia.
How did you
get into snowboarding?
First got into competitions through the interschool competitions. I stared
gate racing due to my previous ski racing background. From there I started
competing on the Australian circuit with halfpipe and boardercross. My
brother Ben was into jumping and steered me towards the freestyle side
of snowboarding.
When did you
first get noticed?
I went to Mammoth Mountain when I was 15 and joined the Mammoth snowboard
team so I
could be in the mountains and still be looked after – the family
I was staying with had a daughter who was on the team so it worked out
well. Prior to going to Mammoth I was riding for Burton and Roxy in Australia.
When I got to the US, Roxy US started taking me to the contests and I
managed to get some results and one thing led to another.
What about
school?
Well I’m all done now – back then I was doing correspondence
from year’s 8,9,10 ,11 and 12. They allowed me to travel the world
and do what I wanted to do – the correspondence education was thorough
as you have to have everything done and in on time. Now I am totally relieved
to be finished. I can now watch movies, read books and hang out.
What’s
the plan now for this season?
It’s one year before the next winter Olympics so I am trying to
get qualified for Turin in Italy – I’m working on new tricks
to stay competitive plus traveling the globe to do other contests like
slopestyle’s – and doing what the sponsors want me to do.
Hopefully some filming if I get the time.
Which sponsors
have the most the most influence over what you do?
Mainly Roxy and Salomon have the most team photo shoots and marketing
photo shoots. There are usually two or three a year of these a year plus
they want you to attend all the big events like the US Open and the Grand
Prix Events. Plus attend the events they are sponsoring.
Do you ever
get any time off?
It’s hard to find time off as when I’m not in the Northern
Hemisphere winter I follow the snow to the Southern Hemisphere winter.
That is when I meet sponsor commitments in Australia and do the Australian
events.
What’s
your favorite place to ride?
I really like the St Moritz area in Switzerland. There is so much to offer
there – the resorts are massive and the inbounds area of the ski
area offers heaps to ride.
Favorite place
to hang out - not snow related?
It has to be Australia – anywhere there is beach?
What advice
do you have for female riders who want to take their riding to the next
level and get involved in the competition side of the sport?
The hardest thing I can imagine is feeling confident going into competitions
where there are men as well as females doing the sane sport. You kind
of have to block that all out and go into your own little world of progression
and focus on your own riding development.
What the best
way to get started in competitions?
Start with local competitions – if you can get your own group of
friends who go in together is the best way – this way you have a
support base and you work your way from there.
From those early years of competing did you ever think that you
would be on track to compete in the Olympics?
I guess I had thought about it because my older sister Rowena was working
toward the Olympics for skiing. Once I started doing well in the snowboard
events it crossed my mind – only in the past few years has it become
more of a reality and I am working toward that now.
Why do you
like snowboarding so much?
Because it is an outdoor sport – growing up we were always outdoors
as a family and it helped us get along. Most of all I like the feeling
in the pipe and jumps – where you can feel like a bird in flight
– that lofty feeling. I really want to learn how to fly and I want
to learn to rally car race so snowboarding combines the two. Plus I am
out in the mountains.
Do you have
any last words?
“If you don’t eat your beans you don’t get any pudding”
Pink Floyd
if you want to improve
your riding then check out www.pro-ride.com
as this is where Torah learnt her first 360.
Photo
gallery of Torah >>>
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