EP 119 Starbound with Sammy Luebke

In this one, Cody talks to professional snowboarder Sammy Luebke. Snowboarding has been part of Sammy’s life for 25 years. He grew up in it. His first board was a 111 Burton Air — it was about 3 and a half feet tall — and he rode it at Alyeska, when he and his family lived in Girdwood, Alaska in an A-frame nicknamed Twin Peaks. There, at Alyeska, was where he laid the groundwork for the rider he would later become. Confident and versatile. Then, in 1998, he and his family moved to Truckee. His parents had just split up and the move provided his family with more opportunities. It also put him in a position and a scene that would help grow his snowboard career. It wasn’t long before he met friends, kids who were also competing in the USASA competitions. They formed a crew and called themselves Starbound.

 

Early in his career, he focused on freestyle riding — hitting jumps and rails. In 2011, he got first part in a Standard Films video and a cover shot with Onboard Magazine. At 21, he had accomplished what so many professional snowboarders work their entire careers to achieve. Then, in 2012, he switched gears and made the decision to focus on big mountain riding. He competed in the Freeride World Tour and came in 3rd place. Every time he returned, he got closer and closer to winning. Until, in 2016, he nailed all of his lines and won the tour. He would go on to win it in 2017 and 2018 as well. Three years in a row. He says doing the competition was probably the biggest decision he’s made in snowboarding because he did it for himself. It wasn’t to appease sponsors or to make money, it was out of his love and devotion to snowboarding.

 

Right now, he’s at a point in his life where he’s trying to be a jack of all trades. He’s learning new skills — stuff he says he missed out on when he was younger and busy pursuing snowboarding. His plan is for these new skills to lead to work that will allow him to snowboard his own way. He’s learned a lot since Girdwood, back when so many big parties were at his house and he was surrounded by adults. He had to grow up fast. So now, he impresses on his daughters to enjoy being a kid because it doesn’t last long and adulthood, with all its responsibilities and obligations, will come soon enough.

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