Westbeach rider Cerys gives us the lowdown on the In & Out Series

By sneakerfreaker, 2 Oct '12 at 16:39

12-year-old UK shredder Cerys Allen has been snapped up by super-brand Westbeach to keep her kitted out with the sweetest outerwear this winter. With only a few weeks til the Westbeach In & Out snow comps hit the UK, we thought there’s no better person to give us the lowdown than one of the brand’s newest riders.

Words - Kaz Willmer

Name: Cerys Allen
Age: 12
Hometown: Buckingham
Favourite slope: The Snow Centre, Hemel
Sponsors: Definition, Westbeach, The Snow Centre, Boarders Boards.

Kaz - How long have you been riding for, Cerys?
Cerys - Three years

Kaz - How did you get into snowboarding?
Cerys - My older sister tried it and thought I might like it. I was hooked from the first moment.

Kaz - What’s your biggest achievement so far?
Cerys - Getting Bronze and Silver at Laax in Boarder Cross and Halfpipe when that was my first try at both

Kaz - What’s your favourite trick?
Cerys - Method 360

Kaz – What’s the one trick you would most love to land?
Cerys - A double front flip

Kaz - How do you go about learning new tricks?
Cerys - By watching and asking other riders, then I get Gav (Learmonth) to tweak them.

Kaz - You are coached by Gavin Learmonth at the Definition weekend courses (www.definitioncamps.com). How important has this coaching been to your progression?
Cerys – Very. Gav has given me so much help and advice. If it was not for Gav, I would still be doing straight airs!

Kaz - What are you most looking forward to this winter?
Cerys - Getting on a mountain again

Kaz - Who are your favourite people to ride with?
Cerys - Hayden Bennett, The Needham Boys, Anya, my sister and my Girly boarding friends Nat, Kaz, Becky, Amber etc

Kaz - Are there any female riders who inspire you?
Cerys - Jenny Jones

Kaz - There are plenty of indoor comps coming up. Which are you most looking forward to?
Cerys - Westbeach In & Out

Kaz - What is happening at the Westbeach In & Out series?
Cerys - Two comps, big air on a dry slope and rails indoors,

Kaz - What are you most looking forward to about the comp?
Cerys - I love big air but I have been working really hard at my rails and let’s just say 'Look Out'

Kaz - What features would you most like to see at the comp?
Cerys - High side hit street rails

Kaz - What do you most like about UK indoor comps?
Cerys - No rain indoors!

Kaz - If there’s anything you could change about UK comps, what would it be?
Cerys - There needs to be standard points scored for each trick, so everyone can plan their runs.

Kaz - Do you think female riders are represented well in the UK?
Cerys – It’s getting better. More and more girls are out on the slopes, which is great, and a lot of the boys now ask me for advice.

Kaz - What do you think is the hardest thing about being a female rider in UK comps?
Cerys - Sometimes not enough girls enter, so the age groups are just put together - so an 8 year old can be riding against a 25 year old.

Kaz - You stormed your first Brits this year in Laax. What do you think of the change to Tignes?
Cerys - Well I have never been to Tignes but I know my dad is hoping it will be cheaper! I just can’t wait to get back to a halfpipe

Kaz - Are you hoping to compete in more competitions abroad in the coming years?
Cerys - Want to do BEO and the Brits but also looking to some of the smaller comps in Domes all over Europe

Kaz - If there’s anywhere in the world you could ride, where would it be?
Cerys - My ambition is to ride in Canada

Kaz - When you’re not snowboarding, what do you like to do?
Cerys - Chill in front of TV, out with mates or play with my little brother and sister

Kaz - What’s your favourite piece of Westbeach clothing you’re rocking this winter?
Cerys - My Kamtow Pants in Bananarchy yellow

Kaz - What makes Westbeach better than other brands?
Cerys - 100% reliable, great design and colours, never let me down in any weather


Kaz - You became part of the GB development squad this year. How has this been?
Cerys - Really good! The main coach Ben Kinnear is great fun to be with, very helpful, and I get to ride with the best

Kaz - What training do you do off the snow to help improve your fitness and help push you to the next level?
Cerys - Gymnastics and walking our dogs



For more on the Westbeach In & Out Series, check out their Facebook page on www.facebook.com/WestbeachInNOut - the competitions are at Bearsden on October 13th and Milton Keynes on November 9th

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