Girl On: Chanelle Sladics

Chanelle Sladics is smoking hot. She skates, she surfs, and she just so happens to snowboard professionally. Kind of strange when you consider that she grew up in Newport Beach, commuting to the mountains on weekends and learned how to snowboard while competing. But learn she did, and after dominating the junior circuit, she began her assault on the pro tour. With podium finishes in slopestyle and rail jam formats including a 2nd place finish in the Grand Prix Slopestyle at Bachelor in 2005 and a 3rd place finish in the Nikita Chikita Slopestyle at Tahoe Chanelle established herself as a top tier snowboarder. Whether she is turning heads in the terrain park or skate park, Chanelle is always pushing her limits.

 

      

Her hard charging attitude on the snow, pavement and in the water have earned Chanelle due praise, but she has also paid the price. Numerous injuries, ranging from a broken collarbone to torn muscles, have sidelined her occasionally over the past few seasons. But not to worry, Chanelle is back with a vengeance this year, currently training in Colorado for the X-games before testing her skills in the back-country and big mountains of British Columbia. Wherever she is this season you can bet on one thing; she’ll be smiling and having the time of her life. Lat34.com caught up with her in Colorado, this is what she had to say.

 

 

CS: Yes, a ton!  Right now I have been in Colorado, training for the X-games and shooting photos. Which has been amazing, its the most fun I have had riding- ever I think!  So rad.  But after the X-games I am planning on going to china with Oakley and Japan for the Nippon Open.  In March I am planning on going to a resort in Nelson B.C. called Baldface Lodge.  I am sooo amped b/c it will be a heli-boarding and cat-boarding trip. Both of which I’ve never done before, but am really eager to get into. So it will be a whole new experience, staying in a lodge in the middle of the woods, only reachable by helicopter. Plus Barrett Christy will be there, so it will be extra fun!

 

CS: Mammoth I guess.  We’ve had a shortage of snow though, so I have been spending my pre-season in Colorado with Tara Dakides, and Kristy Leskinen. Its been a blast!

 

CS: Ummm, not enough.  I was a weekend warrior no doubt, I was there every Sunday, doing the USSA events with my good guy friends from high school. My days on the hill were no comparison to my competitors, but I wanted to finish high school in Newport, so it was my only option. I had to make a lot of sacrifices regarding my social life in high school, in order to start competing nationally and internationally.  But it was all soooo worth it. It was kinda funny learning how to snowboard while I was competing on the weekends.

 

CS: Doing my first backflip into powder in Brianhead, UT on my family vacation. And then climbing on the buildings and hucking backflips off the buildings into the deep deep powder.  Or hitting wise-man for the first time at Snow Summit.  There was so much prestige hitting that jump back in the day....but thinking back, I am pretty sure it was tiny- or at least compared to jumps these days. haha

 

CS: I used to skate street a ton since you could do it everywhere, and I even build my own mini-skatepark in the street at my parents house.  I used to look all over my neighborhood, "borrowing" wood and PVC pipes, whatever I could find, and then my best-guy-friend and I would build some of the best childhood skate rails ever! Such good times!  My house was the neighborhood hotspot for sure.

 

Since then, I have broken 4 bones skating, so I stick to transition now, which I love love love.  Much less impact and flows so much more, especially since I am finally learning how to pump kidney bowls. It reminds me of surfing so much. I still love skating soooo much. Nothing will replace that, its my roots in action sports and every time I do it, I feel like I am 12 all over again.

 

CS: Surfing is my latest addiction. I got really into it 3 summers ago.  And I have been working really hard to improve ever since.  I find this sport the most difficult of them all, its like a constant battle and compromise with the ocean.  I feel most connected to nature when I am surfing- there is nothing like warm water, a beautiful sunset, glassy peaks, and lil' barrels....so tranquil.  So I finally got barreled this summer! Pretty much the best feeling ever. I spent a lot of time in the water in the summers.

 

Its how I reboot for the next snowboard season, and mend war wounds from the season.  Its such a challenge, and the lessons I learn apply everywhere in life. I am so fortunate.

 

 

CS: Since my style sucks surfing, I have been really trying to relax and be patient with the wave- not antsy. Go with the flow, "be like water".  It reminds me of spinning off a jump, trying to stay calm and patient, making contact for that grab, and trusting your landing.  When I am skating bowls I really feel my surf reflexes kicking it, while trying to stick to those walls. So fun. I still tap into my grommet instincts, from time to time while sliding rails. It has played a big part in influencing the tricks I want to learn and or have been learning.

 

CS: Hooking my edge off the take off of a jump, trying to get back in the swing of things. But my last semi-bad injury was last season when I broke a rib and tore a muscle in my low back. I didn't have enough time to open up for my landing, so I was stuck still twisted in my spin and crunched on my landing. Which a half of a year later, I am still trying to heal those muscles.  Bones heal much quicker.  I have been really fortunate lately, but I have plenty of injuries in the past.  I try not to huck anything I cant visualize anymore...good idea huh??? Haha, took me a while to figure that out.

 

CS: Computer, since  my entire life is on it. Cell Phone, to stay connected to the world. I-pod, I can’t breath without music, can’t snowboard with out it either. Digital Camera, to capture the moments, travels and adventures that I want to remember forever. I feel so blessed.

 

CS: The first day that comes to mind was pre-season with one of my best friends Jacqui Berg.  It was our last day riding before the roxy chicken jam. The jumps were perfect, the park was un-crowded, and her and I were on fire. Landing everything we were trying, learning new tricks, and just laughing and smiling.

 

Competition-wise, defiantly X-games.  I love love loved the course!  It had so many options and opportunities to be creative.  Something clicked, and I was able to land all my tricks, even ones I hadn't tried in months, and it was just a blast. A fun crowd, and my parents were there to watch.  Good tunes and good times.  I just love the feeling of landing trick after trick throughout your run.  Its a slow motion countdown for me...ok one moreeeeee

 

CS: Girl-wise, I love riding with Tara Dakides, Jacqui Berg, Jamie Anderson, Leanne Pelosi, and my skier roomie Kristi Leskinen...guys-wise I love riding with Andreas Wiig, Thomas, Danny Garrity, Maxwell and some of my local Mammoth friends.

 

CS: For me, girls push me way more.  When I see a guy through a 9, I'm like- weak grab, but when I see a girl do one, I’m like- hell yes, I am doing that! Guy’s help expand my tricks...try things I don't think of, and give me the tools to learn the tricks I want to stomp.  Plus, they are far less drama haha, I love ridin’ with the boys.

 

CS: Internationally, obviously New Zealand rules...so does Canada, I went to Bosnia last year and that was amazing, I would love to go more places secluded like that. As for the US, I love Colorado!  (Keystone, Breck, Copper, Vail, and Beaver Creek, such fun street rails and bomb drops. I am a Cali girl at heart, love the sunshine and park days at Mammoth. I am like a solar panel, the sun fuels me.

 

CS: yes....I’ll tell you in a month. Haha