Interview with Randa Shahin
I met Randa Shahin, a local Pacific Northwest pro, during a weekend up at Stevens Pass with Ride Snowboards. It was fun to hang out, talk about gear, and how to get more women interested in snowboarding. She was kind enough to take some time and answer some questions I had.
Where are you from?
Well in a nut shell, my mom is Russian and my dad is Egyptian. I was born in Kuwait., then I moved to the United States when I was six. Dallas, Pennsylvania is where I grew up until I moved to Oregon in 2002.
What is your home mountain?
Montage mountain, which has a new name now. Snow Mountain I think? Even though it is not a mountain….more like a rolling hill. I spent a few years working at Big Boulder. Both resorts are in the Poconos of Pennsylvania.
How long have you been snowboarding?
About 10 years now.
What first got you interested in trying it out?
I had some friends in high school that convinced me to join ski club at school. The school basically took us to the mountain each Friday night for 6 Fridays in a row. I started out skiing but I was super motivated to learn to snowboard.
What keeps you motivated to keep riding?
Support and personal satisfaction. Every time my sponsors extend an increased amount of support, I get super motivated to keep that support increasing. More significantly, every time I learn something new I gain an extreme sense of happiness and self satisfaction that keeps me searching for that feel more.
So currently you are down at Mt. Hood, what are you up to out there?
I live here year round which is the beauty of Mt. Hood because you can snowboard here 12 months out of the year. Currently the summer snowboarding is amazing and I have been taking full advantage. I’ve been snowboarding about 3-4 days a week and skating, camping, golfing, and kicking the rest of the time.
You also work with Cilla, what got you interested in the company?
Pat Corelli who is currently the NW Rome rep introduced me to the company. He knew Priscilla Levac, founder of Cilla, because she was a pro snowboarder for Ride and Pat was a rep for them as well. He referred me to Priscilla as an athlete to sponsor and she was kind enough to hook me up. After riding for her for a season she presented me with the NW sales position which I happily accepted because Cilla is an amazing company.
You’ve done a lot of competitions in the past, are you going to be doing some this upcoming season?
I am planning on competing but not a lot. I’d really like to focus on traveling and filming.
What would your ideal day on the snow be like?
An epic pow day with good friends.
What would you say to female riders who are thinking of snowboarding this winter or who are just learning?
Function over fashion. Snowboarding is a cold sport and you really need to consider your gear and making sure you stay well insulated so you can tolerate the cold. Also most importantly, don’t give up. Snowboarding can be extremely difficult to learn initially which means it can be extremely frustrating. Don’t give up. It will get easier every time and then eventually you are going to have the time of your life.
Sponsor shout-out?
Ride snowboards, Smith Optics, Pow, Spacecraft, Evo gear, Cilla, Shredbetties.com, & Kind Bars.
