Tess Whittet
Staff Writer
Mira Costa junior John Pogue is sliding into the world of snowboarding, where he aspires to be a professional snowboarder within the next few years of his life.
Pogue competed in the United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association (USASA) Nationals at Copper Mountain in Colorado last spring break and placed 38th, which is in the top half of all competitors. Pogue reached the national competition after placing in the top half in the Southern California regionals in the halfpipe tournament and bordercross competitions.
Photos: John Pogue Snowboarding
“I can do whatever I want, and I really like the freedom that snowboarding gives me,” Pogue said.
Pogue’s father, Mike Pogue, is a skier and first taught Pogue to ski when he was four. At seven years old, Pogue eventually switched to snowboarding full-time. Pogue believes that his father’s interest in winter sports has allowed him to further increase his interest in snowboarding.
“We are a very active family, and I love to ski,” Pogue said. “Our whole family gets out to ski, including John’s younger brother, who is a ski racer, who made sure we were out on the mountain as well.”
Pogue has been practicing at least one or two times a month for the past four to five years. His entire family will at times travel to Mammoth or Big Bear to spend hours practicing with Pogue. When he practices, he often spends both Saturday and Sunday snowboarding from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pogue’s father belives it is his son’s intense training that has launched his career
“When he goes to practice, he works on new tricks and things he wants to try during a competition; it’s a repetition thing,” Mike Pogue said. “Every year, he has gotten much better just from spending days on the mountain.”
Pogue is in the process of becoming a professional, which snowboarders usually achieve through national rankings and sponsorships, some of professional snowboarding’s main attractions.
“I want to become a pro because you get free gear and free trips to snowboard,” Pogue said.
He plans to compete in USASA competitions in Southern California to qualify for nationals on Sunday. Pogue is also filming for an overall winter season edit that he will send to some snowboarding companies. The video recipients are still undecided at this time.
“He is fearless, which means that he is willing to try new tricks,” Mike Pogue said. “He is always willing to go fast when he needs to, and he has just excellent coordination and good balance when he is on the snow.”
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