SIGN UP FOR EMAILS
Georgetown, Ontario
How did you discover your talent? What got you started?
I owe the start of my snowboarding career to my parents. They would take my siblings and I up to our family chalet at Beaver Valley Ski Club ever since I was born. They taught me how to snowboard as soon as I could walk, and I loved it for as long as I can remember. My parents helped me get into freestyle programs there and eventually local contests which led to me entering provincial contests. Once I started winning those competitions I got into competing nationally. I realized I was usually taking top spot at national contests and that I could do tricks the other girls couldn’t yet. I started to believe in myself more and that helped me to get to the next step of committing all my time to snowboarding, knowing I had what it takes to snowboard as my career. Soon enough I made the national development team and eventually the national team.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
As a kid I wanted to be a doctor when I grew up. I was on track to achieve that all through high school and got accepted into a life sciences program at Laurier university in Ontario. I am still taking courses on the side of snowboarding, and plan to keep educating myself towards my goal of becoming a doctor which I will continue to pursue after snowboarding.
Who was your biggest inspiration?
I didn’t really grow up watching snowboarding honestly. There just weren’t enough women being filmed and included in the industry to watch as there were men. I would watch mens snowboarding from time to time but my biggest supporters and inspirations were always my first coaches and my family. My brother has always been good at snowboarding and his progression would help me push myself to do better.
What makes you keep innovating and pushing your skills to new heights? What’s the intrinsic driver or motivation?
I genuinely just absolutely love snowboarding. I love having something out of the ordinary that I can excel at and always be progressing at. The feeling of landing a new trick you’ve worked so hard for or were so scared to try is unmatchable. I chase that feeling of adrenaline and pure satisfaction and stoke that comes on the daily when I snowboard. Any day I get to snowboard is better than any day not riding, so my genuine love for the sport is what continues to drive me. I don’t know where I would be without it.
So far, what has been your favourite highlight of your career? An achievement? A specific moment?
My favourite highlight of my career was definitely winning the World Ski & Snowboard festival big air in Whistler in April 2019. That moment meant a lot to me because I competed against and beat these women that I had been looking up to for years, who had been to the Olympics and X Games and that made me feel like I’m really capable of being one of the best in this sport. The $20,000 cheque was definitely not bad either.
In regards to your career, where do you want to be in 5 or 10 years?
In 5 years I hope to have competed at my second Olympics, and to have been invited to X Games at least once. By then I hope to have a big enough name in snowboarding to have an influence on the younger generation of women and girls and help them find inspiration to do what they love whether that’s snowboarding or something else.
In terms of healthy habits, what are your thoughts on the current beverage options out there? (I.e. Energy Drinks, high sugar drinks etc)
To be honest, the beverage options out there are not drinks I would spend my money on and they definitely do not suit my lifestyle and health/nutrition habits. Energy drinks are too full of sugar and the caffeine level is too high to have on a regular basis. Even non-energy drinks are usually just packed with sugar which I don’t need in my diet. I love coffee but unless you go to a real coffee shop or make it yourself at home, the bottled coffee or fast food coffee is either terrible or way too sweet or both.
How does Wize fit into your current lifestyle? And why do you choose Wize?
I choose Wize teas as my main beverage because they’re the only drink I’ve found that suits my lifestyle as an athlete. First of all the caffeine comes from coffee leaves, making it more of a slow rising and declining energy instead of a quick boost and then crash. They also only have 1 gram of sugar so I never feel guilty for drinking it. It still tastes so good and gives me the energy I need in the morning or throughout the day.
What are the next projects coming down the pipeline?
This 2021-2022 season I am strictly focused on making the 2022 Olympics. This has been my dream ever since I started winning my first local competitions. I plan to train on and off snow everyday and base all of my daily decisions around staying healthy and progressing my riding.
What’s your favourite flavour of Wize tea? When do you typically drink it?
I drink Wize teas all day long honestly. First thing in the morning, at the gym, after the gym, with lunch, and in the afternoon. The 35mg caffeine is great because I can have one in the evening and still sleep just fine. My favourite flavour is the hint of lemon iced tea but the grapefruit and mango are also amazing.
Thanks for the interview! Where can our audience find out more about you?
I’m most active on Instagram, @jasmine.baird, and sometimes on snapchat @jazzibaird
