SNOWBOARDING NEWS ITEM

Austin Ford: From Surf to Snow

SATURDAY, 23 JUNE 2007

Fifteen-year-old Austin Ford, who lives in Santa Barbara area and started surfing at the age of six, will be riding his board again these coming months. But waves are not what he will be riding on, as the youth will be training in Mount Hood, Oregon for the Bonfire Pipe to Pipe event.

“He told us he was a surfer, so we picked up a used board at a garage sale for $50 and, I’ll be darned, he was a surfer,” said Kimberly Ford, Austin’s mother. “He got up the first time and has been up ever since.”

Since then, Austin has been competing in the USA Snowboarding Association, qualifying for the nationals both in 2006 and 2007. The Ford family has since then driven a total of about 15,000 miles on their Land Cruiser while ferrying Austin to and from the mountains.

And what does the talented young man have to say about his passion?

“I like competing. Snowboarding is more focused on competing than surfing is. You get butterflies and hear the crowd cheering. It really pumps you up.”

For further information, snow reports and web cams, visit www.independent.com

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