Posted: 2/14/07
High above the competition
 Gilman holds two of the trophies he has won from snowboard competitions he has entered. |
By Steve Morris
A Switch-Front Side 900, a Mac Twist or a 1080 to many, sounds like gibberish. For one local snowboarder, it's the language that surrounds him.
Snowboarding is not an easy sport to learn. For scores of people, it take days, weeks or even months to learn. For 12-year-old Easton Gilman of Chisago Lakes it was different.
A TALENT DISCOVERED
Skiing one day at Wild Mountain in Taylors Falls, Gilman noticed kids snowboarding and decided to give it an attempt because he thought "it looked cool." Moments later, he was hooked and didn't leave the hill until he learned how to ride. From that day forward, a passion was formed and a talent began to be cultivated.
"I spent all day getting it and fell in love with it right away," Gilman said.
It took Gilman one day to pick up the act and he has never looked back since, winning tournaments and showing off his skills at local and national tournaments.
Gilman, a seventh grader at Chisago Lakes Middle School, has been snowboarding nearly half his young life and has earned local sponsorship, is coached by professional snowboarding coaches and travels the country and region to compete.
He practices two times a week at Wild Mountain with Minnesota's and eastern Wisconsin premier snowboarding team, the G Team.
Director of the G Team, Jessica Zalusky said Gilman has impressed judges with his advanced snowboarding maneuvers, attitude, and sportsmanship.
SUCCESS ON THE BOARD
His G Team coach, Sam Tukey said Gilman can do things 17 and 18-year-old kids can only dream of.
"He's one of my best riders," Tukey said. "He's the next big thing, there's no stopping the kid."
Tukey went on to describe how Gilman is able to pick maneuvers up quickly, compared to other kids and that he is one of the best snowboarders in the state for his age.
Recently, Gilman has been rolling over competition with an array of twists, turns and grabs. This season started with a top performance at the Next Snow Search, "Star in the East Event" Dec. 9 at Wild Mountain. He was crowned as one of the top five male snowboarders in that competition and earned a spot to compete among the best from Minnesota and eastern Wisconsin at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Sports Illustrated for Kids Next Snow Search Super qualifier at Hyland Sky and Snowboard area on Jan. 13. At the event, he finished as one of the top males among 35 kids.
As a top qualifier at Hyland, Gilman was invited to compete alongside the nations top skiers and snowboarders at the Next Snow All-Stars event at Steamboat, Colo. Feb. 2-3.
And Gilman didn't disappoint, finishing among the top 3 out of 102 kids from across the country and earning a spot on an All-Star team. At the event, which is scheduled to be aired on NBC Feb. 24, he finished third in the half pipe and fourth in big air. Because of his performance, he was invited back next year, meaning he won't have to qualify to attend.
"He's gained more confidence that he can compete with kids across the country," Gilman's mom Kathi said.
In Colorado, for a short while, Gilman was enjoying celebrity status, being interviewed by Sports Illustrated for Kids magazine and the Cartoon Network.
"Easton is a phenomenal rider who has a bright future ahead of him in snowboarding," Zalusky said.
The sky is the limit for Gilman. He hopes to move out west when he gets older to pursue his passion. The Winter X games, the Junior Olympics team and the All-American team are things Gilman has set his eyes on.
With all his success at a young age, Kathi Gilman wants to make sure her son doesn't grow up too fast.
With a smile, she said,
"The doors may be open, but mom and dad my not let him through because he's only 12 years old."
Comment from fl project, 2/16/07
YA EASTON!!! Thanks for being apart of the FL PROjECT FAMILY!!
www.theflproject.com
CONGRATS!
from the FL PROJECT
Comment from hailey balsimo-RIDGWAY, 2/26/07
Easton! thats awesome !
see you in vermont! :]
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