Racing down a steep hill, zooming inches past trees and banks, adrenaline bursting, a small figure descends with seeming ease down towards the finish line as though he were on a light jog not some extremely dangerous sport. But for, Jaren Johnston, a senior, this experience is as normal as waking up each morning. In sixth grade, Johnston joined a Boys and Girls club team, thus beginning his journey in competitive snowboarding.

“Both my dad and Gavin Courtney [also a senior] hugely influenced me. My dad used to snowboard all the time before he got old,” Johnston explains. The team practices at least once a week, going up to Stevens Pass for an all day practice, but Johnston often goes up on other days to continue practicing and improving.

Just like any sport might ensue, Johnston has had both proud moments and some scary ones. For instance, recently he won a bronze in a slope style, which has a lot of tricks and jumps, in Canada with over a dozen in his age group. Then again, during one competition, he had been going on his merry way on a run when he suddenly noticed something seemed a little off. “I slowed and edged farther down the hill and almost went right over a drop off. It was super scary because I could have gone right over the cliff. I had to unstrap and turn around.”

At this point, Johnston continues to enjoy learning and growing in this winter sport he’s come to love but he is not sure where it will take him in the future. One thing he was sure of though was the fact that he had really bonded with his team members. Johnston says through a smile, “[my team] rules, it’s like my fam. I love it.”