Snowboarder Magazine has always been a huge advocate for women’s snowboarding. Ms. Superpark is an event to give the top women in snowboarding an opportunity to come together and push themselves with features built specifically for progression and creativity. After a long season of contests, or for me back-country, this event is always something I look forward to attending. This year due to a lack of snow at the originally scheduled location of Seven Springs, PA, Ms. Superpark was quickly rescheduled and moved to Squaw Valley, CA. With about 50 of the worlds best female snowboarders coming to Tahoe to session the sick setup, ultimate views, and the fully blossoming springtime, this event is destined to be a winner.

After just 2 days on the slopes, there have been some big steps in progression for women’s riding. Ladies of all ages have been throwing down big 720’s, corked 540s, and stylie 360’s on the double line of jumps, and the creativity has sparked in the jib line with epic combos, tweaked out handplants, and tranny-finding transfers. Already I am thoroughly impressed with all the ladies riding and being able to ride with such a powerful and motivated group of women is humbling and so inspiring. Something about this event brings out the best in our abilities and for that I am so thankful for Snowboarder Magazine’s support in us.

Below is a personal recap from the past couple days and for more photos and coverage from this years Ms. Superpark event, check in with www.snowboardermag.com.

February rolled around pretty quickly this year and with the indecisive winter weather in California, I opted to head North with the Standard Films Crew to start putting together a video part for the new movie, “2112”. I loaded my snowmobile, and packed my truck for an indefinitely long road trip, and directed myself to the Northwest.  Our first stop, Mount Baker in Washington.

When I arrived at Mount Baker, I was in Awe. I had heard so many incredible stories about that legendary and mystical mountain but seeing it in person far exceeded any picture that I had in my head. The terrain was endless and the views were captivating. With a few amazingly deep powder days on the resort, a few days hiking in the side country, and my first experience witnessing the Baker Banked Slalom, I decided to head into beautiful British Columbia.

Though the season had a slow start in BC, this region was sitting on the highest base around North America. Watching it snow and waiting for blue window is the normal routine when filming a video part and the Northwest always defines these “hurry up and wait” cycles the best. After bouncing around from Whistler, to Red Mountain, to Revelstoke, I have been back in Whistler for a month. What I thought would be a couple week stint in BC, has now turned into a two-month trip away from California.

Fortunately, we have had a few stellar blue-sky days, and have been blessed with uncountable deep, deep days of powder riding. One of the many highlights I had this season was being able to join up with my husband’s film crew, Nimbus Independent. Being able to ride with this all skier crew in the backcountry was such a motivating experience because skiers and snowboards tend to look at terrain differently. These guys taught me so much and were so optimistic about having a girl on their crew, which isn’t always the case. All together this crew made me more confident and helped me put together so unique footage for Standard Films new movie.

Honestly, this season has been a tough one for filming a video part because of the unpredictable weather patterns and high avalanche danger. However, looking back at all the epic days we did get in the back country I am confident that these last two months have produced a fun storyline of footage for my video part.

Now that it’s the middle of April, and the spring cycles of warm weather have rolled into BC, I am once again packing up but this time it’s to head back down to California for Snowboarder Magazine’s Ms. Superpark and a park shoot at my home mountain, Mammoth Mountain! Let the spring park riding commence…

Check out www.burtongirls.com for more blogs.

Happy Spring Everyone.

“Snowboarding Makes Me Happy!” This is a common phrase used by many in this industry. A few years back Burton ran an ad campaign with their women’s team, which shared this statement publicly. Remember Victoria Jealouse with a huge smile in a white t-shirt with these words on it? Well, recently I have been involved in several conversations about how snowboarding has made people happy and how it has also changed people’s lives; including mine. Snowboarding has become my path to happiness.

This beautiful sport and passion has brought us all together, and there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t smile because of it. Whether it’s a hobby, passion, lifestyle, or addiction, it’s bringing us all happiness. Each of us has a story of why we got into snowboarding and what it means to us. These stories I have been hearing recently are amazing and I think should be shared. So I will start by sharing mine.

The soul of snowboarding is captivating and I don’t know about for you, but for me snowboarding changed my path in life! Before I had this career, I was a student, a Totally Board shop employee, and a waitress through college. I was working hard to establish myself and was trying to create an identity in the world. My number one aspiration was to become a professional snowboarder. I wanted to inspire others by proving that we could accomplish whatever we wanted to with hard work. When I was 14 years old my positive and focused outlook was threatened because I lost my father to lung cancer. This tragedy undeniably swayed my life’s path and without snowboarding I would have had no escape from those sad days. I was young and this loss of a parent felt like the end of the world. However, thanks to my very supportive mother and her dedication, I was able to fulfill this dream, and was able to see that every choice I made could alter my future drastically. Snowboarding quickly became my release. If I was stressed out, overwhelmed, mad, sad, or just confused, I would strap on my snowboard, and somehow all of emotions would disappear. Snowboarding made everything better and it became a passion that I knew I could not live with out. Snowboarding made me happy!

Today I look back at the road that snowboarding has lead me down and I couldn’t be more grateful and humbled by all my experiences. I have been able to travel the world, make new friends, push my limits, and most importantly, pursue the dream I was so determined to accomplish at a young age. I wanted to share my story with you, with the hope that you will share your story with us here at #Burtongirls. Together we can share our happiness, spread light, inspire one another, and show others that anything is possible with passion.

To close, here is one of my favorite quotes:
“Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Share your story of what makes you happy in the comments on the www.burtongirls.com page linked to each of the above photos.

Cheers to happiness. Chase your dreams and live life with enthusiasm and passion!

Love,
Kimmy Fasani

For more fun blogs visit: www.burtongirls.com

Being on the road can make getting to the gym challenging. Sometimes I feel like every time I leave for a trip I am heading out on hiatus and my body is just going to have to wait to get back in the gym when I get home. This could be months later if I really listened to that inner feeling. So instead, I have learned how to convert my hotel room into a traveling gym. First things first, I bring my running shoes on every trip with me so that I never have an excuse to get my legs moving. Here’s a quick routine that I use to keep my muscles firing and heart pumping while I’m trotting the globe. PS. Don’t forget your music, (and Skullcandy heaphones) a must for motivation!

1. Jumping Jacks: Start with 30 seconds of jumping jacks
2. Squats: 30 seconds of stationary squat jumps.  Jumping vertically and landing in a squat position. Be light on your feet.
3. Tricep Dips: Place an end table behind you, place your hands on the table directly under your shoulders. Dips to 90 degrees and straighten. 30 seconds
4. Pushups:  30 seconds
5. Situps: Crunches and toe touches. 30 seconds
6. Burpees: Start in a standing position, drop your hands to floor, jump your feet into plank position, lower into a pushup. Jump feet forward, jump off the ground, and return to standing. Repeat this for 30 seconds.
7. Wall sits: Sit with your back against a wall with your legs at a 90 degree angle- Hold for 30 seconds
8. Plank: hold for 30 seconds
9. Repeat this series 4-6 times for the best results
10. 10.  Stretch out the muscles you used during this workout.

Some of the other stretch it out must haves for long trips:

1. Foam Roller
2. Yoga mat
3. 2 Tennis balls in a sock for rolling out sore muscles
4. TRX

For more blogs and fun reads check out... www.burtongirls.com or click on the photo above.

For me traveling is a lifestyle, I adapt to my surroundings and can settle into a hotel room quite comfortably. However, the thing I miss the most when I am jaunting from place to place is my routine. My healthy eating habits may be jepordized and my gym routine becomes sluggish due to the constant change of locations. I am slowly making airports part of my new routine. I have learned how to make educated food choices and figured out a system for traveling that works with my health conscious way of life.

My Top 5 Airport Travel tips are:

1. Reusable Water Bottle: Bring your own refillable water bottle. When your traveling your body can become very dehydrated. By having your own, preferably aluminum (MIZU) water bottle, you are able to fill up and have water with you at all times. You are also making less of an impact by reusing your bottle.
2. Snacks: BYOS-Bring your own snacks. Sometimes the hustle and bustle of running through airports leaves you hungry and with limited selections you may reach for something you will regret later. Instead, pack a few snacks like Clif Bar shot Bloks, a Chocolate Coconut Luna Bar, or a Mixed Nut Mojo by Clif Bar. These are smart and healthy grabs that will hold you over until you get your next meal.
3. Stairs: I swear by the stairs in the airports. Long travel days can leave no time for a gym visit, so whenever possible I head for the stairs. I figure the more my feet move the better my body will feel after sitting on the plane.
4. Dining: Don’t be afraid to be picky with your food choices in the airport. Since airports are just starting to offer healthy items for travelers I am always modifying my selections. My biggest no-no’s: fast food, dairy items, heavy salad dressing, fried food. Instead, I stick with salads and healthy veggie options.
5. Stretch: If you have a layover use the spare time to stretch out your legs and hips. Sometimes we don’t realize how tight our muscles can get by sitting.  I will normally find a quiet corner and stretch out my hip flexors, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.

For more blogs and fun reads check out… www.burtongirls.com.

For link to Burton site click the photo above.

BURLINGTON, VT (January 17, 2012) Burton Snowboards is happy to officially welcome back pro snowboarder Kimmy Fasani to the team. First sponsored by Burton in 2001 during the earliest years of her career, Kimmy is returning to her roots at Burton to represent both hardgoods and softgoods, including the best-in-class [ak] outerwear line.

“Having the opportunity to be back with Burton and represent the [ak] outerwear line is such an honor,” said Kimmy Fasani. “Burton Snowboards and the products they make define snowboarding, and to be an integral part of their women’s team is pretty incredible.”

For Kimmy, 2011 was a year of big moves, and not just her move back to Burton. Last season, Kimmy became the first female snowboarder ever to land a double backflip in both the park and the powder, a landmark achievement in the history of women’s riding. And she didn’t stop there. Kimmy also hung tough with a heavy crew of snowboard legends in the Whistler backcountry and was one of three pro women selected to film with Standard Films, resulting in her own full segment in ‘TB20’. In 2011, she also nabbed Snowboarder magazine’s coveted Ms. Superpark standout award.

2012 promises to be just as busy for Kimmy. This winter, Kimmy willonce again work with Standard Films and continue to push the levels of women’s freestyle riding in the backcountry. While she’s out chasing big mountain shots, Kimmy will test Burton’s future product lines and play a big role in shaping what women will ride next winter and beyond. And although 2012 has just begun, Kimmy is already nominated for two coveted industry awards, including ‘Women’s Rider of the Year’ and ‘Standout Performance of the Year’ from the 13^th annual TransWorld SNOWboarding Riders’ Poll.

This week, Kimmy will kick off her sponsorship with Burton by joining fellow team riders John Jacksonand Mark Sollors at the Outdoor Retailer tradeshow in Salt Lake City, Utah. To meet Kimmy in person, drop by the Burton booth (Outdoor Retailer Booth #38121) on Friday, January 20.

Welcome back to Burton Kimmy!

About Burton 
In 1977, Jake Burton Carpenter founded Burton Snowboards out of his Vermontbarn. Since then, Burton has fueled the growth of snowboarding worldwide through its groundbreaking product lines, its team of top snowboarders and its grassroots efforts to get the sport accepted at resorts.  In 1996, Burton began growing its family of brands to include boardsports and apparel brands. Privately held and owned by Jake, Burton’s headquarters are in Burlington, Vermont with offices in California, Austria, Japan and Australia. For more information, visit www.burton.com.

Follow our line at facebook.com/burtonsnowboards and twitter.com/burtonsnowboard

Media Contact:

Anne-Marie Dacyshyn

amd@burton.com                                           

Burton Snowboards                                                  

516-301-6959

Despite the fairly snowless start to this season, I can tell it’s going to be a good year. I escaped North America and am currently sitting in a very snow covered cabin in Japan! My two week trip is winding down and lets just say 2012 has begun as a powder filled adventure. Lots of changes and new things are on the horizon. Next week I will be updating my site with new content and images but until then here’s a sneak peek of what my trip to Japan has been like… enjoy and check back next week for a new improved Kimmyfasani.com!

“The 3 C’s of life: Choices, Chances, Changes. You must make a choice to take a chance or your life will never change.”

Click the photo for a little simple wisdom for complex lives from Tinybuddha.com

This quote makes me smile every time I see it because life is constantly changing because of our decisions. Change is sometimes scary but can be amazingly stimulating. As we get into another winter season, we have choices. We make plans and decide what our goals are going to be and make commitments of where we are going to travel. Throughout this process snow starts falling and we take chances. We push our limits, try new tricks, and chase the snowfall. Each chance has a risk but we are willing to take it just to see what’s on the other side. All of these choices and chances create change in our life and the path we choose day by day. By listening to yourself and deciphering between true confidence and fear allows us all to chase our dreams.

For me snowboarding is about the adventure and the unknown. Snowboarding defines my happiness and partially defines who I am as a person. Snowboarding is still such a young sport and we are all capable of leaving our mark in the history books. I have learned so much in the past two years and am so thankful to everyone who has supported me along the way. It’s time to start off a new season with a blank canvas and enjoy every moment along the way. Happy Thanksgiving and cheers to a good and healthy 2011-2012 winter.

It’s been awhile… way too long. I have been all over the place, including; road biking and hiking around Mammoth, New Zealand, Southern California, Africa, and Aspen, Colorado. Life has taken me on so many adventures in the past two months and now I am home just in time for Mother Nature to switch into winter mode. We are expecting snow to start flying in two days and that means it’s time to, once again, wrap up the summer activities and start heading to the gym a little more frequently. I have put together some more photos to tell the stories of my travels. Now that I am home, I can admit it… Mammoth’s opening day is slotted for November 10th! It’s here! Who’s ready… I am!