Snow star

Aviemore to Ben Nevis Range, Scotland by Lesley McKenna, Roxy Snowboarding Team

Lesley McKenna is one of the brightest stars in snowboarding. As Britain’s most successful Snowboard World Cup competitor ever, Lesley has competed in the last two Winter Olympics and notched up a number of top five wins.

"I have the best office in the world," says Lesley, who is a member of the Roxy snowboarding team and has travelled all over the world to compete, from Utah, USA to Turin, Italy.

Growing up in Scotland, Lesley, 33, is well versed in driving on treacherous roads to reach the best snowboarding spots. Putting on winter tyres and snow chains is de rigeur in Scotland. "My favourite drive is from Aviemore, where I live, to the Ben Nevis range. It is a stunning drive, and even though I have travelled around the world, it is one of the most memorable. When the international season has finished I know I can come and ride at home in Scotland. It is snowing here now, I hope it lasts till I get home."

Aviemore is the UK centre for winter activities and growing up there meant that Lesley was practically born with a pair of skis attached to her feet. "I was on the Scottish Ski Team, then the British Ski Team for three years." An injury eight years ago meant that Lesley couldn’t put on the hard ski boots, only softer snowboarding boots – so she gave snowboarding a go. "It wasn’t that skiing was boring," explains Lesley, "but the enthusiasm wasn’t there any more. I just fell in love with snowboarding and the energy that everybody had for the sport. Even if the conditions were marginal everybody would still be out having a good time and trying new tricks."

That was in 1997 and she hasn’t looked back, turning professional just three years later. Lesley competes in the half-pipe and was the only British snowboarder, male or female, to qualify for the last Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, 2002. "I think you are either into competing or you’re not. And if you are good then it’s a natural progression. So, I guess I did well enough in the competitions to turn professional. That was seven years ago.

"I was really lucky that local businesses in Scotland offered me a lot of support. It isn’t that easy to get sponsors but if you want to make it your life then there are companies that are willing to support that. The Olympics in 2002 was a really big incentive." Lesley is a well-known face on the scene and has attracted sponsorship from Roxy, Volvo and Visit Scotland, among others.

"Snowboarding has changed a lot in the last ten years and I have seen it grow up as a sport. Salt Lake City was really the first time that snowboarding was seen by the world so it was really nice to be part of that, and part of a new sport that was happening.

"I am pretty much on the road for ten or eleven months of the year. I could snowboard for twelve months if I wanted to, but it’s important to take rests. If you don’t you are so beat-up. It can be pretty hardcore sometimes – but I get to go to some really nice places and meet a lot of really nice people.

"Ten years ago, the sport was pretty small. There were only about four or five well-known female British riders back in those days. In the last five years the number of female participants has shot up."

Encouraging women to get involved in snowboarding is something that Lesley is very passionate about. This is what led her to set up Chunky Knit with Josie Clyde. They were the first company to make all-female films.

"Our films are more documentary based," explains Lesley, "as we feel that’s more interesting for women and girls. We really wanted girls to watch our films and be inspired to give snowboarding a go, instead of feeling intimidated. We bucked the trend a bit there and I think we did make a change in the industry by making snowboarding more accessible to women and men. That is something I’m really proud of."

If you’re interested in visiting this area, Diamond have teamed up with the Scot House Hotel, Kingussie to offer some great deals on accommodation. Click here for more information.