Snowboarder Questionnaire
How old where you when you first began riding?
I started when I was 19.
What/Who got you into it?
I ran away from the UK to get on with life!! I really had no idea what it was all about, and then after my first season living on cornflakes and air and a little too much of the "apres" shall we say, I hooked up with some of the most amazing snowboarders who showed me what it was all about. After spending my mandatory time on the beginner slopes(don't ever knock 'em..I built my first kicker there!on my own!!ha ha!In Val D'Isere..the begginer slope's right under the main chair) I was shown the mountain and was as a "grom" riding with THE GUMBY! I rode powder all the time and had my basic knowledge learnt mostly there..then I hooked up with Gilly Seagrave and she was doing kickers and rails...I was like, right back to scratch then!!
What sort of board do you ride?
I ride the Nitro Black Widow as a freeride board. It was really meant for the pipe but i find it's wicked and stable through pretty much anything. T1 Women's for freestyle..like summer riding or jib days. It's a twin tip and had a really good flex that seems to just gide over boxes, rails blah blah blah... Both are always with me.
What length board do you ride?
Black Widow 153 T1 Womwen's 149
Do you ride Regular or Goofy?
I is regular innit! what you sayin?
Stance width?
21 inches
Stance angles (front and back)?
Front +18 Back -9.
Favourite resort?
Wherever I have been has had something good on offer. Morzine/Avoriaz,Val D'Isere/Tignes, BRECK!!!! And SnowPark Nz.
How many seasons have you done?
9 seasons all together.
Where and when did you do your seasons?
First couple were in Val D'isere, then Gilly told me about this place called Morzine.. And last year I had what I reckon is the best season ever, I had Morzine as a base but bought a pass for Breckenridge so I did some time there too. I was really lucky.
What was your favourite trip and why?
My favourite Trip ever has to have been with Gilly to the British Championships(our first one I think?) After setting off really early having had a bit of a party night the previous evening we got Barry(car name) ready and hit the road.. On arrival at Scotty's, Barry obviously needed more attention than we'd given him and the engine started to make funny noises then a fire started in the bonnet...what could we do, everything was shut. What we didn't remember(stil fuzzy) was that it was easter ...we thought we were bound to get a nice little B+B when we got to Austria, because The Grandmas(many thanks) always have their doors open there and of course there was nowhere to stay. So we had to pay mega big money to stay in the only free room in town for the night ..a 5star one!! But hey it had a spa and Gym and whatever treatment you could wish for...yeah we passed out at 8pm!boo!and didn't get to use any of the beautiful facilities. Anyhow we both won a bit of money at the Brits and after paying for Bazza to get fixed were still in pocket, so we set off back to Morzine to celebrate...it got cut short about 4km from the boarder by the police who fined us for speeding, not having tax and for having a car that polluted...we were so poor at the end of that Trip but it's one of my fondest memories ..
What do you love about snowboarding?
I love everything about it, from the superficial elements such as the clothes and the the equipment, but of course just being in the Mountains. I feel really lucky most days and just thank god that I trusted my instincts and thought there could be a different life out there other than the 9-5 job. I met my ladies of Our Camp fame and my closest friends like Clacka and too many other wicked people to mention. I also love the feeling of accomplishment that you get on the mountain. Somedays just turning can be as rewarding as going off a big kicker or finding a new line...
What's your goal within snowboarding?
I think I have many asperations in the physical side of the sport to keep me motivated to snowboard for years but I'm also motivated by wanting to accomplish goals within the industry itself. I have spent a lot of years competing and sometimes feeling that I don't have enough time to enjoy or appreciate an area. so amongst one of my goals is to snowboard and get footage and shots in places that I love or that have amazing conditions to help you accomplish your goals, like Breckenridge..everything was so consistant all the time that you couldn't help but progress and stick new tricks. There's also the coaching side of the sport. I'm a founder of Our Camps, with Gilly and Emma Rogers. We set up Female specific Camps throughout France(Europe soon) that are now going to be done in the Uk too...watch this space.. the first date is the 25thAugust in Castleford.
What aspect of snowboarding gives you the most satisfaction (powder, kickers, halfpipe, competitions, big air, cliff drops, etc.)?
In my heart it's Powder, whether it's to find and track a fresh line or the 2 hours spent hiking just to get one go on a drop. But I can't rule out the untouchable adrenalin I get from going off a kicker that almost scares me, or a rail that I thought I could never do... I basically love whatever I'm doing at the time..yeah moguls can be fun!?
What style of snowboarding best describes your riding (include a couple if you want)?
Happy Clappy...follow me guys...maybe that kind of thing?
What's your favourite trick?
Bs 1's or frontside 5s. No learning flat land..need a bit more help with that, and i've just started throeing backflips out there.. very hit and miss at the moment!
What's your scariest snowboarding moment?
There have been a few but I'm happy to say none of them have been scary enough for me to want to stop.
What are your top safety tips when riding?
Always try and ride with friends in the park. piste, and especially off piste. There's alot of information out there to take in that I think should be gained through the process and making yourself aware of the dangers you could be in, and also the dangers you could be putting other people in.
General Questionnaire
What's your favourite quote?
Eat a frog for breakfast..
Sonia's Results/ Achievements...
Year | Event | Discipline | Category | Position |
| 2006 | British championships | BX | ladies | 2nd |
| 2003 | British Championships | Big Air | Ladies | 1st |
| 2003 | British Championships | BX | Ladies | 1st |
| 2003 | Septomia, les deux alps | Bid Air | Ladies | 1st |
| 2003 | Playstation Tour | Big Air | Ladies | 1st |
| 2003 | Big Day Out | Big Air | invited rider | n/a |
| 2002 | Rip Curl, Les s7 D'eaux | BX | Ladies | 1st |
