Snowboard Community Update - November 2023
Published Fri 24 Nov 2023
Hi all, welcome to the Snowboard Community Update. My name is Will Martin; I am a 17 year old boarder cross rider, member of the Emerging Talent Program and have just finished Year 11 at St Kevin’s College. I’m really excited to be bringing you the snowboard update for November!
I first learnt to snowboard when I was 7, although I continued to ski as well for a few years. I took up snowboarding full time when I was 11, so I guess you could say I’ve been snowboarding for 10 years now.
I love the creativity of snowboarding, whether that is picking out lines in the backcountry or trying new tricks in the park. The diversity in training keeps it fun and helps me adapt to the different Boardercross courses.
When I am not snowboarding, my life is consumed by school work and going to the gym. Any free time during the week outside of those activities I dedicate to helping benefit my on snow performance such as rewatching old World Cup races or my training footage to pick it apart. I also spend a lot of time tuning and waxing my boards to prepare them for race season. Outside of Snowsports I like 4WD, dirt bike riding, fishing, golf and surfing!
My 2023 domestic season was very productive, helped by a good dryland pre-season. I felt I progressed on snow a lot thanks to my coach Phil Reynolds, and I think this was shown in my results at the Chumpy Pullin Foundation FIS JNR SBX race at Mt Hotham. Unfortunately a crash in the big final put me in 3rd place, but I was very happy with the way I was riding.
Coming out of such a big fall and going into the ANC’s was a little nerve racking, but I felt I was still able to hold my own against the Olympic team and World Cup riders.
My Northern season has already kicked off and I am currently in Austria with Fast Ride camps training at Pitzal Glacier for the first FIS and Junior FIS races of the season. We are then going to Les Deux Alpes for a training camp before the first Europa Cup in Isola 2000.
I hope to podium at the upcoming Jnr FIS races and I would be over the moon with a top-eight at an EC race.
My biggest goal this Northern Winter is something I have been working towards for the last couple of years - to compete at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, Korea this January! This has been a dream of mine since seeing Josie Baff win the Winter Youth Olympic Games gold medal in 2020. My goal is to replicate her success and bring home the gold for Australia.
All the best,
Will
This edition includes:
- Women of Winter: Mel O'Halloran
- Positions Vacant: Mt Buller Ski & Snowboard School
- Watch World Cups LIVE
- Competing Overseas This Northern Winter?
