In this episode, Cody has a conversation with professional snowboarder Louie Vito. Louie grew up in Ohio, where winter is short and there wasn’t much of a snowboard scene. So if he wanted to pursue snowboarding at a professional level, he had to travel. At that point, his dad was his mentor and his coach. He would bring Louie to events, competitions and snowboard camp. Louie eventually enrolled in Stratton Mountain School, a boarding school in Vermont that specializes in training winter sports athletes. There, he was around likeminded peers, all focused on the same goal. Today, Louie is a top tier competition rider who has expanded his professional repertoire with charities and a televised dance competition.

To ensure a stable of future professional riders, snowboard companies promote amateur riders who show the most promise. That support helps boost their exposure and helps solidify their place in the industry. Louie says he never had that support as an amateur, so he had to find his own way in. He did that by proving himself, competition after competition. Forcing his name into the conversation. Looking back on it now, he’s happy it turned out that way. He’s glad he was brought up to persevere. He remembers something his dad would tell him in those moments of frustration. He said, “If you’re good enough, then they can’t ignore you.”

Note: This episode was recorded before the COVID-19 quarantine.