When did you first get started snowboarding?

Public Relations Coordinator, Heavenly Mountain Resort
April 16, 2008

Next up in our Women in the Industry series, we thought it'd be fun to find out what it's like to work at a resort. Aimi Xistra-Rich lives and works in Lake Tahoe, as the Public Relations Coordinator at Heavenly Mountain Resort. This means not only does she get to work at a mountain, live in a beautiful mountain location, and get in a ton of riding, but through her job, she gets to do all kinds of fun stuff, like work with industry folks and media coming in to do photo and video shoots.

I began snowboarding at Mt. Hood Meadows in 1991.

What is your role at Hevaenly? How did you end up working at there?
I am the Public Relations Coordinator and Heavenly High Roller Team Manager. I actually stumbled upon the open position. One day I went in to visit a friend working in the Heavenly Marketing Department, Greg Wright, and he referred me to the position.

Do you have a powder day clause?
We’re very busy on powder days getting the word out to media about the awesome snow. I try and get out as much as possible; that is why we all work in the industry, right?

Do you get in a lot of riding still?
I get almost 100 days in a season. Lots of them are spent with TV crews and journalists who are here writing stories about Heavenly and Lake Tahoe.

Pirates or Ninjas?
Aaarrrggghhh……

Somewhere you're dying to snowboard but haven't yet?
I really want to go heli-boarding in Alaska, the Chugach would be nice but I’m not picky!

Least favorite trend in snowboarding?
Emo, I mean really, did you steal your sister’s pants?

Any up-and-coming young riders you're impressed by?
All of them. They start when they’re three years old now. My best friend Liz Hallen has a son who is four years old, Preston, and he is amazing. Such enthusiasm and hunger for the sport; that’s what I miss about the former scene, everyone was so into riding not bro-braing down and jabbing away about the sick trick they did that day.

If you were forced to pick between a 20 foot jump and a flat-down-flat box, which would you go with?
The jump for sure. I’ve hit a lot of jumps in my days and 20 feet isn’t that intimidating; boxes are sometimes catchy and I’d hate to eat it and hurt myself.

What do you do in the off-season?
My position is year-round so I work (not as much as I do in the winter of course) and I go to the beach a lot. This summer I am going to take some Mommy & Me swim classes with my daughter Mila. I also skate a lot when it’s nice out, wakeboard, wakeskate, wakesurf, snorkel, Tahoe is really nice in the summer so I get outside as much as I can.

Tight pants wide stance, or gangsta steeze?
“Ain’t nothin’ but a G-thang baby”

What's the most embarrassing thing you've done on a snowboard?
Over the last 17 years of riding I have definitely done my share of stupid shit…I am not very fond of the scorpion move which I have executed flawlessly more than once!

With all those casinos nearby do you worry you'll turn into one of those old ladies who's obsessed with slot machines?
Right, like I have time to gamble! Hee! Hee! I’m a poker player anyway.

What would you tell a girl who was interested in working at a resort?
It may not pay a lot, but it’s the funnest job you’ll ever have.