Tell us a little about your hobby.  

Snowboarding is a winter sport where you sit in the middle of a ski run with a piece of wood strapped to both feet (that’s a little joke for the skiers). In the snowboard community, there is an ongoing debate about whether snowboarding is more sport or art — for me it is therapy. You get to be outside, often in some of the world’s most beautiful places, learning new things, falling a lot, and getting up and trying again. But, no matter what, you are always present in that moment.

When did this hobby start for you?

I skied for the first time in high school. Then I tried snowboarding. I was terrible but loved it. In college, I got my first snowboard and would hike the golf course and cemetery in rural Missouri to try and learn. My junior year was my first time going west to the mountains. After I graduated, I moved to Utah and would snowboard as much as I could. Now I try to make it back west at least once a year and take my family to Seven Oaks in Boone as often as possible.

What’s something this hobby provides you that applies to your job?

Snowboarding offers a combination of nature, exploration and flow that helps clear a year’s worth of stress. There is no correct path down a mountain. Each run is a chance to learn, challenge myself and grow. Being in this flow state can also help to find creative solutions to problems that have been stumping me. Riding with others amplifies the experience as everyone chooses their own path based on their strengths and preferences but meeting at the same destination. Pushing each other to take on new challenges and celebrating the efforts and successes is one of my favorite parts.

Tell us a tip or fun fact about your hobby.

One of the top snowboard companies in the world, Capita Snowboards, was founded by a Marshalltown native, Blue Montgomery. You will never breathe air so fresh or experience such silence as you will on a snow-covered mountain.