Ask most snowboard nerds about the history of a certain handrail, and they’ll rattle off every trick that’s gone down on it since 2001. Spots have lore. Crews have timelines. But when it comes to the history of women’s snowboarding, that timeline feels a little fuzzier.
Some of the most influential riders and defining moments in the culture have come from women. But unless you were there to witness it, good luck finding it told with the same reverence as, say, the evolution of Red Ledge.
Mia Lambson, established filmer—former staff Videographer at Snowboarder Magazine—has spent years capturing snowboarding from behind the lens. But somewhere along the way she didn’t really have a full grasp on the history of women in the sport. So she started digging.
“Realizing how little I knew about the history of women in the sport—even as a certified snowboard nerd and woman myself—made me want to learn more. And the more I learned, the more I wanted to share it. That led me to making a documentary about the women who shaped snowboarding over the past 40+ years—and how the industry has evolved, leading to the insane progression we’re seeing today.”
That digging has since become a feature-length documentary under her new banner, Tomboy Media. And like any deep dive, it surfaced more gold than could possibly fit into one movie. That’s where we come in.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be dropping some of the side stories, off-cuts, and essential ephemera that didn’t make the final arc of the film—starting with a place that needs no introduction: Mt. Hood.
There are few places in snowboarding with a more mythic presence. Hood has been a proving ground, a party zone, and a perpetual summer daydream for multiple generations of riders. If you're lucky, you’ve made the pilgrimage. If not, you’ve definitely seen it in the background of some of the most iconic shots in snowboard history.
Stay up to date on all Mia Lambson and Tom Boy Media Productions by following @tomboy.media on Instagram, and stay tuned for more here at Slush. Now enjoy this very important walk down Hood's memory lane, led by the women who were shredding the mythic glacier before some of us could strap in.
Two of the most powerful pipe riders of the 90s- Cara-Beth Burnside and Nicola Thost shared a part largely shot on MtHood in MackDawg’s Simple Pleasures, released 1997.
I can’t think of too many contemporary pipe riders who also send massive jumps, but back in the day a lot of boarders kind of did it all- Shannon Dunn in the 1999 Kingpin film “The Revival” proving she’s not afraid of some air time out of the pipe or off a classic Mt Hood booter.
Cara-Beth could- and did hang with the dudes on just about anything.
Tara’s iconic parts from Mack Dawg’s Amp (2000) and Stand and Deliver (2001) both have some pretty heavy Hood clips, from huge rails to
After coming off a season of injuries, Nicola Thost filmed her entire part for XX Productions’ all-chick-flick “Hardly Angles” at Mt Hood in the summer of 2001, with style and air-time that still would be impressive today.
FRESH & TASTY JANUARY 1996
To celebrate the history of women's snowboarding, we had to revisit '90s women's snowboard magazine, Fresh And Tasty. Bethany Stevens and Melissa Longfellow granted Tom Boy archived access, and we will revisit these issues as much as possible throughout our history lessons. We thought the January 1996 Issue was fitting to include into our ode to ladies ripping Mount Hood. Inside there is a Cara-Beth Burnside interview and a timeless Morgan Lafonte backie @ Hood double page photospread that had us thinking about summer at the glacier. You can read the entire issue here!
READ FRESH & TASTY 1996 ISSUE ON YOUR COMPUTER
Contents:
12. Cara-Beth Burnside
17. The Herstory of Snowboarding
27. FAT Photospread
43. Impressions
53. How to Tune Your Board
54. SACH
56. Music
65. Events
