A local athlete is gearing up to represent Canada on the world stage in August.
For this week’s edition of People of Collingwood we sat down with Riley Howell, an 18-year-old snowboard cross athlete who lives and works in Collingwood. While the Collingwood Collegiate Institute (CCI) graduate is currently ranked as the top male snowboard cross competitor in Ontario, he will be heading to the Junior World Championships Aug. 26 to 28 in New Zealand to represent Canada. He is one of four male athletes from across the county who will compete in his age group.
Q: How did you get started with snowboarding?
A: I started when I was six years old. I saw it in movies and TV and I really wanted to snowboard. I ended up getting one for Christmas, except I was too young for anyone to teach me. So, I went out and taught myself a little bit. My mom ended up getting me lessons by just begging. (laughs)
Q: Were you born in Collingwood?
A: I was born in Toronto. We moved to Waterdown when I was six, and then to Milton when I was nine. When I was 13 we moved to Collingwood. We moved to Collingwood mostly because of my snowboarding. (My family) didn’t really like Milton all that much, and we travelled up to Collingwood quite a bit as all my competitions were up here. We really liked it. It’s a pretty town.
Q: How supportive is your family of your snowboarding?
A: My mom travels as much as she can to watch my competitions, but the higher the levels I’m competing in, the harder it is. So, often I just end up flying out with my team. My mom works in a dental office in Wasaga Beach. She’s a single parent. I have a younger sister. She started snowboarding when she was, I think five. She tried competing in snowboard cross too, but she doesn’t like it that much.
Q: What exactly is snowboard cross?
A: There are four athletes and they race down at one time over rollers, turns and jumps. It’s an individual sport, so you’re competing against each other.
The snowboard cross boards are designed differently. They’re designed for speed. They have different shapes. Mine is designed for the fastest possible speed. My board is from my only sponsor right now, Coiler. They’re a company based out of Oro-Medonte.
Q: Is sponsoring a big part of snowboard cross?
A: No. There’s not a lot of sponsoring or funding. I’m working really hard and my mom works really hard to pay for it all. I do have some friends and family that help me out as well, but it’s really expensive.
Q: Do you ever get scared or nervous when competing?
A: I get a lot of adrenaline every time I’m in the start gate and am getting ready to drop out. Especially when (I’m up against) riders that I know are really fast.
Q: Do you have any major achievements you’re really proud of?
A: This past season I podiumed at my first North American Cup. I got third place. My overall ranking is 12th in North America. There are also people from Australia and China that compete at it. I’m pretty proud of that.
Q: How do you practice in the summer?
A: In the summer (off-season) I go to the YMCA (in Collingwood) to work out and build more muscle. Being heavier is an advantage. I train on the trampoline a lot. I stay as active as possible. I go paddleboarding and biking. I work at Head over Heels Gymnastics (in Collingwood). I’m here three days a week and this is where I usually train in the winter. I teach parkour lessons. In the winter I train at all the private clubs in the area every Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Craigleith, Alpine, Devil’s Glen, Beaver Valley and Georgian Peaks). If I’m not training, I’m competing.
Q: What does the future hold for you?
A: My goal is to go to the Olympics eventually. My main focus is snowboarding but I’m interested in tons of different stuff. I like being outdoors. I recently started taking up surfing, paddleboarding, slacklining and rock climbing. Physical, outdoor stuff.
To support Howell, visit his GoFundMe page here.
For our feature People of Collingwood, we’ll be speaking with interesting people who are either from or are contributing to the Collingwood community in some way. This feature will run on CollingwoodToday every Saturday. If you’d like to nominate or suggest someone to be featured in People of Collingwood, email [email protected].
