Travelogue: June Bhongjan

Jul 1, 2010

Author: Sara Tollestrup

Big Bear rider, June Bhongjan heads-up the U.S. contingent of the Peep Show crew. She might be a badass snowboarder, but she has a soft place in her heart for the progression and preservation of women's snowboarding. We caught up with June to find out where she' s been and what she's been up to over the last couple of months.

Name the last 4 places you've traveled to and why you were there.
1. Minnesota. I filmed with Melancon, Hadar, Michilot, Preda and Maiden for Peep Show.
2. Quebec. I was shooting with Oli Crouteau and filming with the Peep Show crew. We also worked on a short documentary about Jess Kimura and Peep Show (it can be viewed on sbcwomen.com).
3. Snow Summit for Ms. Superpark.
4.Tahoe. I was filming with Colleen Quigly, Nicki Slechta and Darrah Reid-Mclean. Tahoe received 30 inches of new snow, so we trekked there to GTS.

It sounds like the Peep Show crew is traveling together tons and that you've switched up your program a bit.
Yeah we're actually going on trips together as a crew, as opposed to last year when we had riders send us footage of themselves. We've also got some amazing filmers like Pat Barazza, Gary Tyler Mcleoud and Colin D Watt working with us. We've had a few new riders join our crew too: Laura Hadar, Darrah Reid-Mclean, Paige Rainear and Nicki Slechta.

Why are you so stoked to have Hadar be part Peep Show this season? Is it because you looked up to her in the past, or because she's already an established pro?
I wouldn't say I'd be stoked on a snowboarder only because they're an established pro. Being pro doesn't have anything to do with it. I've always been stoked on Hadar's snowboarding and what she represents. She's a free spirit. She's a unique snowboarder who's been in the industry for a while and doesn't let the BS affect her snowboarding. Last fall, when Esthera and I asked if we could throw a premiere party at Fice, she wasn't hesitant to say yes at all. We're all in it for the same reasons—to support the growth of women's snowboarding, and to run around in our foxholes and hide in our wolf dens. I have a lot of respect for our whole crew, not only Hadar, and I'm stoked to work with all of them.

You and Esthera Preda have worked really closely over the last few years to make Peep Show happen. What makes her such an awesome person?
Esthera has so many great qualities; it's pretty hard to sum her up. She's an amazing person who is very uplifting and positive and is willing to make sacrifices in order to help others out. I think the best thing about her is how open minded she is and how spontaneous we are together. She's always reminding me to have fun with whatever we do.

I've heard that Minnesotans are super nice and always down to show people spots. Is it true or is that state getting played out and the people getting sick of snowboarders coming to town?
Cops are definitely sick of us starting our gennies in the middle of the night and snowboarding on private property. We've had a few cops, though, who come by, stick around for the show and leave. There are a lot of film crews that travel to Minnesota and spots are getting blown out, but it's what you make of it. The snowboard locals there are awesome. Tarah Michilot is a local and her brothers Jordan and Jonas were down to help us out. Tarah is an incredible snowboarder and could care less about sponsors and such. She's so humble and real and is always down to help any friend out. It's riders like her who make Peep Show what it is.

What's the gnarliest thing that happened in Quebec?
Probably Jess (Kimura) throwing down tricks left and right like switch front board, back lip to fakie, back tail to regs. That girl is killing it, and she deserves to be noticed in snowboarding. She got broke off on a down rail. She slammed on her shoulder and dislocated two ribs. She ended up snowboarding with her arm tied to her side. She's really insane. Really. She's very aggressive with her snowboarding and is the most fearless female rider I know.

How was Ms. Superpark?
I think Izzy Lalive summed up Ms. Superpark best when she said, "Ms. Superpark is so gnarly even photographers get fucked up." Riders as well as photogs went home with some bloody faces and black eyes. Hadar was trying to go over the hip and hit it as a jump but overshot the landing almost to flat and tore some ligaments in her foot.

Funniest quote from your trip to Tahoe?
"If I could make a clone of myself, I would fuck the shit out of me." Colleen is just in love with herself, no other explanation necessary.

What's next?
No plans really. And even if I do have plans they're always changing.