Silvia Mittermuller
Originally from Munich, Germany, Silli now rides and competes both in the US and Europe. She’s made a name for herself as a hard charging rider who pushes the limits of women’s snowboarding, with huge, clean spins in competition, and an affinity for “snowlerblading.” Ok, maybe the snowlerblading doesn’t push the limits quite as much as the spins, but this well-rounded rider has an impressive resume, competing in everything from rail jams to halfpipe. She’s also one of the only women who has a frontside 900 in her bag of tricks. Look for her at the X Games, or check her out in the all-girl film “Float,” as well as the Runway films.
Age: 25
Years Riding: 11
Hometown: Munich, Germany
Home Mountain: Breckenridge, Keystone
Sponsors: Oakley, Rome, Vans, Elm, Planet Sports, Eesa
What did you think of snowboarding when you first tried it?
I thought, ‘I want to ride and not to fall,’ so i never learned how to fall when I tried to ride. Of course, i fell anyways, so I broke my wrist, the very first day. I thought, ‘damn, snowboarding is hard and it hurts.’
Do you have a process for learning new tricks?
Kind of… they have to make sense in my head first. I have to be able to picture my entire movement, especially the takeoff. Once it makes sense i will try it on a real jump. Before i do it i picture it again and make sure i think this will work. If you think something works, the likeliness of it actually working is way higher!
Do you ever get sick of snowboarding and wish it was summer?
Right now i am far away from feeling like that. I have been hurt a lot in the last year, so I was impatiently waiting to finally be at 100% again. In the last few weeks, few weeks, I finally feel at 100%. It feels great. All i want to do is snowboard right now. I started my season the 15th of November in Breckenridge, and ever since then i have been so stoked on snowboarding, I didn’t take a single day off until around Christmas, when I got really sick for 5 days. I wonder if my body just wanted a break.
Speaking of being sick of snowboarding, what’s this I hear about your extreme snowblading? Planning a switch?
Well I have been riding the snowlerblades for a few years now, its really relaxing to me to switch it up sometimes. I love carving on my sharp-edged snowblades on late afternoon ice. Its the perfect way to end up a great snowboarding day. Maybe I will even bring my snowblades to X Games this year, and if I get to stressed or nervous I can take a quick run on them to calm down.
If you could change anything about how contests are run what would it be?
More snowblading. No seriously, I would have more practice hours and build more fun courses. Contest courses seem to always be built as big as possible for the terrain, and it always ends up being a straight-line-tuck-down-perfect-landings-point-it-plus-race-waxjob mission. I would make the jumps 10 feet smaller, throw more fun rails in the course, and let everybody practice 2 days before the main event. That would be sick.
What do you consider when picking a new sponsor, or switching sponsors?
I feel sponsors are a bit like relationships, if there´s no major problems, I dont like changing anything. Right now i am really happy with my sponsors, so i hope i wont need to switch anything any time soon. In general though, I think its important that you work with companies that you can identify yourself with, where you kinda feel “at home.” If you feel comfortable, you are honest and productive and can give good input to make products even better.
Seems like these days you spend a lot of the season in Colorado, how’d you end up out here?
Wow… A few years ago i had the chance to come to Breckenridge for a Vans Triple Crown contest, Oakley got me a wild card for it. Ever since the first time I was in Breckenridge, I was amazed by the perfect parks. I pretty much fell in love at first sight. Later, I also had an American boyfriend and we lived there together for a while, so i just ended up coming back to Breck over and over. Up to today i still think the Breckenridge area offers the best “snowboarding infrastructure” in the world, so i will keep coming back!
My summit county friends said there’s a rumor that you like to grocery shop in a one-piece ski suit. Is this because the freezer aisle is cold?
Yeah, it is cold in American supermarkets!!!!! In the summer I sometimes bring a jacket if I know I will spend some time inside. Isn’t that ridiculous? The one-piece shopping is only for really indecisive days though, when I know I will be standing in front of the freezers for over 10 minutes. So if you see me in a one-piece in the supermarket don’t ask me yes-or-no-questions, I’m having a difficult day!
How do you feel about women’s snowboarding today?
i think women’s snowboarding has become something to take seriously. There are a lot of very good girls these days, in pipe,park and backcountry. In the past, you knew every single girl that would come into the park, but things have changed. Today i see a lot of girls i have never seen before hit jumps, and sometimes they ride surprisingly well. I think its a great that there are more and more girls trying to ride on a more technical level.
What’s your favorite snack while riding?
Ihave always been a healthy person, but I have turned even more healthy lately. So, if you check my backpack on the mountain you will probably find some organic trail mix in it or some Clif bars. And 1-2 bottles of water.
Pirates or Ninjas?
Ninjas
Filming or contests?
Contests in the winter, filming in spring.
Who are your favorite people to ride with?
Anybody motivated who is not scared to get up early. Lately, I´ve been riding with Bev,Chanelle,Jamie and Spencer, that was pretty sweet! I have a special early morning friend named Dillon, we battle each other for who can make it to Park Lane (Breckenridge park) earlier in the morning. Usually he kicks my ass by getting there 8.30 and I don’t arrive until 8.45, but then we have really good mornings together.
What was it like growing up snowboarding in Germany? Did you start life off as a hard booter?
hard boots? No. But i stared with cut out ass shaped pieces of insulated camping mattress sewed into my pants for butt protection, haha. And i didnt ride with a beanie for 1 or 2 years. Also, i loved goggle-tan-burning my face and started jibbing on wooden boxes, since many resorts in Europe still haven’t figured out how to build proper park jibs. We also don’t really have good parks in Europe in general, I started jumping on shitty self-built takeoffs in the middle of nowhere, throwing myself some direction seeing what happens. the first time riding the park in Breckenridge really changed my world.I couldn’t believe there was such a place, all year round.
Posted by Kelly Vance on 01/13
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