Nine-year-old Port Jervis resident Ashlyn Overland came home with two medals from a national snowboard competition in Colorado last week, despite several falls on her tail bone and a chipped tooth.
Overland, a third grader at Anna S. Kuhl Elementary, got a bronze medal in slalom and a silver medal in boardercross, her favorite event, during the week-long competition at Copper Mountain.
She was set to compete in six events but only competed in five because she fell on her tailbone twice right before she was to compete in slope style. She rested and iced her sore back, and the next day she won her bronze in slalom. Before that she hit her face on a rail while attempting to mount it and ended up with a bloody mouth and a chipped tooth.
“She came over to me and she was crying a little and I told her it wasn’t that bad and she washed her mouth out with water and spit it out,” said her mom, Dawn King. “I asked her, ‘Do you still want to compete?’ and she said ‘Yes.’”
This is Overland’s second year to be invited to nationals but her first time to go. It is also her second year snowboarding competitively, and this year she ended her season with the Southern Vermont Series as the regional champion in boarder cross, rail jam, giant slalom, and slalom.
She also picked up a sponsor, Donek Snowboards, which makes custom snowboards and skis, and by this time next year Overland hopes to be riding on her new, custom-made snowboard.
When asked how she felt about her performance, she merely said, “Good,” adding her only expectation was to have fun.
She says he plans to go back next year as well.
Now that snowboarding season is over, Overland will start her wakeboarding season on April 29, which will be her second year training, and first year competing.
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