Alert Bay, B.C. is a small
fishing village on an island off the north-east tip of Vancouver Island. How
small? A total population of 556 small.
Walk around the coast of the Island in an afternoon small. This place has only one ATM and one grocery store... but what
it does have, is bragging rights to being the home town of superstar sister pro
shreds Spencer and Meghann O'Brien. The younger, Spencer, was four years-old
when the family moved to Courtney, on Vancouver Island. Still not a bustling
metropolis, but certainly a huge city center in comparison to Alert Bay.
At 11 years-old, Spencer began tagging along with
her sister on snowboard trips to Mount Washington. "I definitely looked up to
my older sister Meghann," Spencer explains, "she's a few years older and is the
reason I wanted to start riding and the reason I wanted to start competing.
She's been a big inspiration for me throughout the years."
Spencer moved to Squamish when she was 17 and then
on to Whistler at 18, finishing up high school through home schooling. Now, at
21, Spencer is living in North Vancouver. She made the move to not only escape
the "Whistler bubble", but mostly to be closer to the airport to help ease her
extensive contest travel schedule. Coming off her best year yet - she's currently
the Women's Dew Tour Slopestyle Champ -- Spencer is spending time with friends
and family, and keeping her mind occupied with a new found love in the kitchen
before starting up the contest routine all over again in a few weeks.
What did you
get up to all summer?
Well, at the end of May and June I went to Europe
with my boyfriend for a month and a half. I had never been to Europe before,
not even for riding, and I've always really wanted to go, so...we planned this
trip and rented a car and drove through France, Italy, Croatia and Austria. We
just kind of camped most of the way. It was really fun! No snowboard bags. I
just totally wanted to do the traveling thing and check that out, because I've
never gotten to do that when I'm going snowboarding somewhere. It was so nice
to not be carrying 200 pounds of stuff with me. [laughs]
How long are
you usually away when you go on your contest circuits in the winter?
Usually I will spend December and January -- I come
home for Christmas every year -- but I will usually do the rest of December and
January in Colorado doing contests. I try to come home as much as I can. I do
like to ride Whistler, and if I have time I like to take my sled out, but last
year that didn't happen very much. This year I have February off, so I am going
to do a trip with Red Bull with Marie [France Roy] and Annie [Boulanger] and hopefully
do a trip with Janna [Meyen] somewhere. I'm hoping to get some powder because I
didn't get any of that last year. [laughing]
Speaking of
Colorado, the Winter Dew Tour, in which you are the reigning Women's Slopestyle
Dew Cup Champion, is coming up December 18th to 20th. Are
you back on that tour to defend your title?
Yeah, totally! I am going to see how the first
event goes. Because of the Olympics, all the rest of the events are really
overlapping each other this year. Specifically the Dew Tour and the Burton
Global Open. I am going to see how I do in the first Dew Tour and then make a
decision from there. If I do well at the Dew Tour then I will probably be doing
those stops, but if not then I might end up doing the Burton Global Open
instead.
What's the
reasoning for doing the Burton Global Open instead of the Dew Tour?
Well, my sponsor, Burton. It's obviously their
event and they would be stoked if I did it. Plus it's a much larger grand prize
if you do win the overall title, so that's some good incentive... but I do like
the Dew Tour and I have a lot of fun at them, so I am just going to play it by
ear see how I do and decide from there.
Have you
been doing anything, besides baking, to get ready for the season?
[Laughing] Yeah! I've been working out with my
trainer a bunch that Red Bull set me up with. He's awesome and is getting me
good and strong for the season. I've just been working out a bunch and trying
to relax and recharge my batteries.
You had a
couple parts with Runway Films when they were up and running. Do you have any
plans on getting back into shooting a video part, or will you just to continue
to chase contests for a while?
I'm definitely going to concentrate on contests
again for this year, but I do want to get back into shooting video parts again
for sure. I really, really like filming and it's something I want to devote more
time too, it's just kind of... I want to make sure that I'm not overloading
myself; that I'm not doing a little bit of everything. I think sometimes, when
people try to do everything, then they don't really do that well in anything.
I'm going to keep doing contests while I'm stoked on them, and then when I have
a bit more free time I definitely want to start filming again. But, no plans
for this year, mostly just contests.
Now, most
importantly, what have you been baking lately and how do I get some?
The other night I made lemon loaf, and ginger snap
cookies. I can get you some next time you are in Vancouver. [laughing]
When did you
get into baking?
Last fall I really got into the Food Network. I'm a
total Food Network nerd. I started getting really into cooking and baking. I
don't know; it's just a really good way for me to pass the time during the off
season because I don't have much to do. Kind of like my new hobby...
From what I
understand, baking is more chemistry than anything else. What's your take on
that?
Yeah, totally, but you don't really have to think
about it or anything because it's just all in the recipe. But it is [chemistry],
you can't just do a little bit here and a little bit there, you have to follow
the recipe and make sure the ingredients are right or else it's not going to
turn out properly.
Kind of like
my grade eight science experiment with the vinegar and baking soda?
[laughing] Exactly like that...
Spencer
proudly rides for Burton, Red Bull, Dragon, Nixon, Lifetime, Etnies and Coastal
Riders Boardshop.
P.S:
I managed to also track down Meghann, Spencer's older sister, for some insight...
Meghann on Spencer:
"My fondest memory of her is being a little girl with curly hair, when she was in dance class (she was such a good dancer!), and playing volleyball."
"My worst memory of her is her freaking out at Dairy Queen when she was 3."
"I knew she would be a snowboard force to be reckoned with when she learned her backside 180s when she was 14, maybe...then when she got rookie at US Open at 17"
"I'm super flattered that my sister is a pro because I encouraged her when she was little...or that she looked up to me. That's a nice feeling."
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Related:
The Award-Winning Marie France Roy
Spencer O'Brien Signs With Red Bull
Inside Infamous Management with Roberta Rodger