Mike Leighton

Mike Leighton
Age
21 Years Old
Location
Charlottesville, VA
Main Sport
Snowboard > Slopestyle

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My Sports

I Do: Cross Country, Dirt Jump, Freeride, Trials, Pools/ Bowls, Skate Park, Urban / Street, Vert / Halfpipe

I Compete: Boardercross, Giant Slalom, Slopestyle, Shortboard

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About Me

Growing up in Jersey I didn't start riding until I was 12, although, I've been surfing since I could walk. Snowboarding has been a gradual progression for me, one that has really started to take shape in the past couple of years, I feel like the results from this past year really start to indicate that. Currently, I attend the University of Virginia and am studying Economics. I ride for UVa's Snowboard Team in the USCSA's Southeastern Conference. Virginia was a place that I didn't want to be, with most of my close friends moving to Cali or Colorado after high school.

This season has taught me a lot, especially with the lackluster snow conditions that the Southeast received this past year. Riding with the friends that I've made at Wintergreen, I think I've really learned that any day on the snow is a good day. Our season ended seemingly way too early, but I'm traveling out to Mammoth right after finals to get some good late season shots in.

Latest Event Results

Date	Event	Class	Result
3/8/2008	USCSA Giant Slalom National Championship	USASA - Collegiate	8
3/8/2008	USCSA National Championships Final Standings		7
3/7/2008	USCSA BoarderX National Championship Finals	USASA - Collegiate	4
3/6/2008	USCSA BoarderX National Championship Qualifiers	USASA - Collegiate	1
3/5/2008	USCSA Slopestyle National Championships		23

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Q&A

What inspires you to compete?

Growing up playing all kinds of different sports really instilled a competitive drive in me. Although, it does not always have to be against other people. A lot of the competition that happens is with myself. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, always trying to improve. Although competition results validate my improvement, I'm my own biggest critic.

Do you train? What does your schedule look like?

I feel that training is crucial if you are going to avoid injuries and be able to constantly progress. In season I'm on the hill 3 days during the week for practice and then I am usually competing on the weekends. In addition I also do a bit of cross training, lifting, and yoga. Out of season I'm constantly active. My team at UVa has dryland practices two days a week. I also do a lot of running, cycling, and other forms of cross training, as well as lifting and yoga.

Describe your style...

When I'm riding, I am all about going fast and having fun while doing it. I'm always looking for things to jib and jump. On the hill, I've always got a smile on my face and I'm just trying to have as much fun while riding as possible.

Why do you like this sport?

In snowboarding, unlike most other sports, there really are no boundaries. It's a way for me to get away from the constraints of everyday college life and into a world where I can dictate what happens and where, which is all about having fun but having a purpose.

Do you like to travel? What's your best (clean) road trip story?

I love traveling. It probably started with the road trips I used to take when I was younger to surf different beaches up and down the East Coast, and it's grown to the point where almost on a whim I've been buying plane tickets to go ride in different places. For example, I'm driving two hours north to get on a plane that leaves four hours after my last final exam so that I can ride late season Mammoth before summer school starts. Best road trip story would have to be my very first snow road trip. Not a big trip, just up to Sugarloaf with my parents when I was 13, but to be exposed to a mountain that was so much bigger than my home mountain really exposed to me that there was a lot more out there than just Creek. Plus, I landed my first three there, so it's always held a special place.