The Women Who Are Changing Snowboarding Right Now – Transfer Top Ten’s
Desiree Melancon earned the right in productions like Videograss and Think Thank years ago.
Transfer | Louis Macindoe
James Brown once sang: “this is a man’s world, but it wouldn’t be nothing without a woman or a girl”. And JB was dead right, left to their own demise males would simply storm baron lands lumping rock around and grunting at each other.
Today marks International Women’s Day and we’re celebrating those women who are changing up the snowboard game.
From local and afar, we present you ten names who are changing up the snowboarding game right now, in no particular order…
Too Hard
Not since Tara Dakides have we seen such a radicalised female ripper like Danyale Patterson and the Too Hard Girls, consisting but certainly not limited to Madison Blackley, Kayli Hendricks, Maria Thomsen, and Corinne Pasela. These purveyors of sass don’t just make grown men quiver and cry but have shaken things up amongst the female snowboarding fraternity. Their edits and movies introduced snowboarding to a vaporwave aesthetic and their riding makes any male want to pawn their board and pick another pastime. Too Hard is the hero snowboarding needs, not the one it deserves.
Erin Hogue
When it comes to women who’re at the forefront of pushing snowboarding, the magic doesn’t just happen in front of the lens but behind it. Erin Hogue has been a key contributor for Transfer over the years, and we’re highly aware of her skills, but are you? Not only does Erin shoot amazing photos, the lengths she goes to document these are astounding. Which is why she’s earned the right to capture the biggest names in snowboarding.
Desiree Melancon
In the realms of snowboarding, Desiree Melancon transcends the term ‘cool’. Does that sound like a pretty big claim? We hope so. Desiree’s riding is one of the reasons why the term ‘pretty good for a girl’ is about as redundant as MFM’s Block Hotel chain. Not only did she put down back-to-back parts in Videograss and Think Thank titles, she did it all without conforming to the female snowboarder stereotype at the time. It was a breath of fresh air in a room that otherwise stank of potpourri and prissy outerwear prints. But it’s Desiree’s more recent output with her United Slopes of America project that truly makes her love of snowboarding evident. We can’t support her quest enough to ride every resort in North America while she lives out of her home-made camper.
Jess Kimura
If you need a reason as to why Jess has a place on this list, please exit through the side door over there. Jess makes Dan Brisse question his own testosterone levels. #Kimuraspots
Jess’s no stranger to the sunrise shoot, she’s had more than one invite in her time. Image:: Finnegan Laver
Jess Rich
From one Jess to another, I couldn’t make my way down the list without mentioning one of the most dedicated and skilled snowboarders to come out of Australia, ever. Jess Rich has broken femurs and shattered the dreams of competitors since 2010. Arriving on the scene at the Thredbo Freeride Series equipped with one of the best back 7’s we’ve ever seen, Jess has since been hell bent on breaking the glass ceiling and making a name for herself on the international stage.
Tess’s riding demands attention and deserves respect.
Tess Coady
Whoever gave 16-year-old, Jindabyne local Tess Coady a snowboard – thankyou. Tess excels in all forms of snowboarding and all other competing applicants need not apply. She has demonstrated great skill and we anticipate she’ll make a seamless transition into professional snowboarding. Seriously, let Tess’s riding be the reason why you seek higher education – she simply schools anyone on the hill.
Marie Frances Roy
When a once-highly publicised rider tapers off the radar and drifts out of the snowboarders subconscious, it’s easy to assume that they’re probably washed up. We were prompted to think about MFR’s most recent ware bouts when compiling this list and it immediately struck me that I hadn’t such much from her for a little while now. But MFR is one rider who’s not concerned with self-promotion because she’s too busy thinking about the burly line she’s taking on her next AK decent. If it’s inspiration you seek, look no further than the doings of snowboarding gnarliest female.
Anna’s helping debunk the illusive snowboarder girl image.
Anna Gasser
Snowboarding hasn’t always been the most forthcoming when it comes to embracing its femininity in the public eye. From products to protagonists, snowboarding has come a long way in recent years – choosing to embrace the femininity on all levels. Anna Gasser is one rider who not only rips and takes first place frequently at slopestyle events around the world (US Open ring a bell) but also isn’t afraid to embrace a photo shoot or two without all the snowboard cladding on. Without sounding hedonistic, it’s good we’re no longer living in the dark days of shunting the female form.
Michaela’s uncompromised approach to attacking big mountain terrain has served her well over the last year. Image:: Mirko Geuther
Michaela Davis Meehan
I’ll admit I was pretty dismissive of the freeride tour up till last season, I didn’t give it the credence it deserved until I stood up top of the Alta Chutes in The Remarkables to watch riders navigate their way down a minefield of sharp rock and ice. The riders that have enough pucker to charge down this have since gained a lot of respect in my books. Australian snowboarder Michaela Davis Meehan is one of those riders who not only proved their salt on that very day but has since been attacking all kinds of Coight tightening terrain on the Freeride World Qualifiers this year. Respect is due.
