etnies

SNOW

Growing up in her native Calgary, Leanne Pelosi dreamt of one day becoming a professional athlete, although not in the sport you might expect. While many Canadian youngsters carry aspirations involving hockey rinks or fresh powder, Pelosi dreamt of becoming an Olympic soccer player.

"I believe things happen for a reason," Leanne says. And even though things were slowing down for me throughout my soccer years and I was devastated, I can look back now and be satisfied with how things have changed for the better with me and my career in snowboarding.

While her soccer career never materialized, Leanne has more than made up for it on the slopes, making a name for herself as one of the top up-and-coming riders on the pro circuit, winning six competitions and the TransWorld SNOWboarding's 2004 Rookie of the Year award. Any chances of Leanne suffering a sophomore slump in 2005 were quickly put to rest as she followed her breakout rookie campaign by winning eight more competitions.

Despite her meteoric rise, Leanne has managed to maintain her humble Canadian roots. "I traveled so much this past season, I thought my head was going to fall off. I had an amazing time though, and I know that I'm truly very fortunate to be getting paid to do what I love to do. I really like the spontaneity of snowboarding. One day we'll be in Switzerland, the next New York, the next L.A., so it's really exciting and there's always new places to see and things to do."

Leanne's hobbies include surfing, running, soccer and mountain biking, as well as serving as director for the MGT Snowboard Camp at Whistler/Blackcomb.