Live from Sundance: Oakley Learn to Ride with AOL

Since the age of three I’ve loved skiing, especially having grown up on the east coast. Not to out my age here, but when I was young…everyone skied. My cousins and I spent our weekends at my parents ski house, ruling Okemo in Vermont. One weekend we decided to rent snowboards; being used to flying down the mountain on skis it was frustrating being a novice again. I told myself I would most likely wouldn’t try that “snowboarding thing” again, I was glad I had tried and proud I didn’t totally suck.

Fast forward to Sundance 2014, which I’ve decided to rename #Fundance. This year, I was invited to Oakley Learn to Ride with AOL and offered a chance to take a snowboarding lesson at Park City Mountain. The older, wiser me who has learned to enjoy each experience life hands you, decided it was time to get back up on the board and give snowboarding another whirl.

My day started on Main Street with the awesome Oakley and Fingerprint Communications teams. Immediately I was brought over to racks of Oakley jackets and snow pants; being a Fashion Stylist, I felt right at home. It’s wild how far snow fashion has evolved! In true New Yorker fashion I chose to rock all black gear, vibrant yellow sunnies, and chic grey gloves…all of which I got to keep. Next, I was brought to the Rossignol zone. There I was given boots, a rad board and introduced to my super cute snowboarding instructor who’s name happens to be Brian Griffin. At first I thought he was messing with me…but his name is, in fact, Brian Griffin and he’s reason enough to give snowboarding a second chance.

I took a few graceful, and not so graceful spills on the way down and experienced some serious snow karma. Back at Okemo where my cousins and I ruled the slopes as little punks, there may have been a few times we flew by skiers not as experienced as us and sprayed them with snow mercilessly. Today, karma came my way. While sitting mid-mountain letting my legs have a rest, some killer snowboarder flew by me and covered me with snow. All I could do was laugh, wipe it off, get back up, and smile knowing I fully earned this one.

Following my boarding adventure, I returned to the beautiful Oakley Suite to hang for a bit and enjoy some yummy mocktails from Emergen-C with fellow boarders Aaron Paul, Chanel Iman, Ireland Baldwin, Kellan Lutz, Lil Jon and Ryan Rottman…not a bad way to kick-off #Fundance.