At 29 years-old this Calgary, Alberta, native has traveled the world en route to her rightful place atop the list of the best female shredders in history. Not just a pretty face, Leanne Pelosi graduated from the University of Calgary with a bio-mechanics degree and was halfway through her second, a degree in mechanical engineering, before getting the itch to move to Whistler to chase her real passion, snowboarding. After 13 years of riding, she shows no signs of slowing down. Her travel schedule is so intense that it became cost effective for her to get a US cell phone. It was on this phone that I caught up with her between stops on the Standard Films premiere tour that has been crisscrossing the globe the last few months.

You are most certainly one of the most recognized female shredders on the planet. What would you say had the biggest influence on getting you to where you are today, contests, photos and magazines, or videos?
It all started out with doing lots of contests and then eventually the magazines took notice that I started getting a ton of photos sent to them and published. That was one of the main things I would focus on, the photos. After contests I would run off the mountain with my friends and go hit rails and get a couple photos. I think between magazine exposure later on, and starting Runway films really helped my career. Once you get some solid sponsors, then they back you to get a video part. That's what I'm focusing on now, that's what I'm doing this winter. I'm going to film more with Standard Films.

Runway Films put out a couple videos, but has been out of the picture for a year or so now, no pun intended, what's the story there?
We made movies for two years and it eventually became too much work for me and the co-producer, Jeff Keenan. Jeff wanted to focus on other things and I definitely didn't have the time to take it on full-time because of snowboarding, so we made the decision to not make any more films. The economy was also looking really bad, so it would have been really tough to get any sponsorship money and we didn't want to end up in any financial troubles by going ahead with the movie and not having the money show up later.

You also have the MGT all female snowboard camps running, where is that at right now?
It's going really strong! I went to Argentina this past fall and got to see our second camp in Argentina; it was awesome! We are focusing on a couple camps in Alberta, BC and Argentina, and then promoting my camp at High Cascade in the summer. We are in our seventh or eighth year. I attend as many as I can and we have a bunch of coaches that go as well. Joanna Majcherkiewicz is my business partner, and together we make creative decisions happen for camp. We also have Robin who is our marketing manager who takes care of executing the camps. Thanks to these girls!

What are your next goals in snowboarding and what steps are you going to take to get there?
Like I said, my main focus is going to be shooting with Standard and I'm going to try and get in there a little bit more. Being the only girl on the crew, it's easy to get left out. I will have to make more of an initiative to wiggle my way more into the crews and film with them a lot more. [laughing] I definitely wasn't included as much as I would have liked last season, so this season I'm going to try and commit 100% and show them a full video part. Last year I only got to go on a couple rail trips. I got a little part with [Andrew] Geeves, which I'm super stoked on, but I didn't do any park shoots or anything.

If there was anything you could do different, from the very first time you strapped on a snowboard until today, what would it be?
I think maybe sometimes not let my sponsors choose what I'm going to be doing. [laughing] They aren't going to like that one, but I've definitely been pulled in a lot of directions and I wish I had had the confidence to stay more focused along the way.

How about the other end of the spectrum? Is there anything embedded in your career that you wouldn't change for anything?
I'm really happy with the sponsors that I've chosen along the way that have backed me in everything that I've done. Um, I don't know... I'm trying to think. I definitely wouldn't have changed moving up to Whistler and quitting my second university degree. I am so happy that I moved on and did not continue engineering.

I hear you...I left midway through an engineering degree to move to Whistler myself; best decision I ever made.
Oh, yeah! [laughing] Didn't you get your Pilot's license too?

Sure did!
That's pretty awesome... that's something I want to do one day. I think it would be really cool to fly a plane. I went skydiving for the first time a month ago and it was crazy. Have you ever gone?

Nope. As long as that propeller is still spinning I see no reason to jump out. [laughing]
Well, true dat! [laughing] It's not that I ever had that on a Bucket List or anything, but, the opportunity presented itself when Jeff and I were both in Hawaii. The waves were too big and we were just like, what should we do? Let's go skydiving! We watched three rounds of busloads of little Japanese women going up to do it so we were like, if they can do it, we can do it! I was obviously nervous but I think it's pretty safe.

Is skydiving something you are going to pursue more in the future?
No, it's more of a ‘been there, done that' kind of thing. It was cool. I wouldn't say no to another opportunity. Being able to jump out in Hawaii with all the islands and everything, it was gorgeous. If I was in another exotic location I would do it. Just to get a chance to scope out the land... it was so cool.

Leanne proudly rides for K2, Bonfire, Dragon, Dakine, Monster and Whistler Blackcomb.

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