Moderator, Paul Graves, will be joined by panelists, Eveline Wirth-Schnorf, Laurie Asperas, Suzi Rueck, and Kelly Jo Legaz. Join us as we celebrate these pioneers and their accomplishments in opening up snowboarding to girls and women around the globe. We'll explore their stories and finish the evening with a live Q & A session with our audience. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity!
Laurie Asperas
Laurie Asperas first started snowboarding in 1984 at Stratton Mountain, Vermont. There, she was spotted by photographer Hubert Schreibl who captured her vibrant riding style on film. His photos catapulted her into becoming a media presence and opened up film opportunities. Her competitive spirit led her to Europe where she dominated the marketing of women’s snowboarding. Asperas is one of snowboarding’s most flamboyant and photographed women riders.
Kelly Jo Legaz
Kelly Jo Legaz’s involvement with snowboarding started with a chance meeting with Craig Kelly in 1985 at Mt. Baker Ski Area. Over the next twelve years together, they helped shape and develop opportunities for snowboarding around the globe. Legaz was a top-five international competitor with countless articles and film credits to her name.
Suzi Rueck
As a young skier in the mid-1980’s, Suzi Rueck caught the snowboarding bug at Stratton Mountain. She quickly joined the Burton team and was a snowboard instructor at Stratton. She became a top competitor in both the U.S. and Europe. She created The Green Mountain Race Series, which helped showcase up-and-coming talent like Tricia Byrnes and Olympian Ross Powers.
Eveline Schnorf-Wirth
Eveline Schnorf-Wirth will be joining us from her home in Switzerland. Her career began with Freestyle skiing. She competed in one hundred and sixteen World Cup events. Of her twenty-three podiums, she had seven firsts. In 1986 she decided to give snowboarding a try. Her transition was flawless and she immediately captured World Cup wins in the 1986/87 season. She took gold at the US Open in 1987. Schnorf was a major force on the European riding scene appearing in movies, starting snowboard camps, marketing campaigns, and promoting the sport.
Paul Graves - Moderator
Paul Graves's roots go back to the mid-’60s when he discovered sliding on snow with a Snurfer. He became the first sponsored rider, appearing in the first TV commercial featuring snowboarding for LaBatt Beer in 1979. In 1982 he founded and created the first National Championship in Woodstock, Vermont, exposing the sport to millions of first-time viewers. He gifted the event to Jake Burton who renamed it the US Open, which thirty-eight years later, is still snowboarding’s biggest and baddest event. You name it; Sherm, Jake, Tom, and countless others, he’s worked with them all.
Individual Event Sponsor
This series is sponsored by Sisler Builders, VT Ski + Ride, and this discussion is supported by Schoeller Textile USA.
Register, here.
