Apr 3, 2011
Author: Sara Tollestrup
 Dutch rider Cheryl Maas’ part in Dropstitch, a 2004 all-girl snowboard film, blew my mind. The rails she hit were bigger and more technical than anything girls were attempting at the time, and she was even out-sliding some of the guys. Her natural talent was apparent and extra impressive given that she had grown up riding artificial slopes in the Netherlands. Despite dealing with multiple blown shoulders over the last two seasons, Cheryl is back and pushing the limits of women’s snowboarding. Last month at the European X Games Cheryl landed the first ever 900 in women’s slope competition, and she just released the teaser for her own web series called “Open Air.” Prepare to have your mind blown, or blown again as the case may be.
1. What are you most looking forward to this month? Easter holiday in Norway, going cross country skiing with family.
2. Do you sit down and make goals for yourself every season? I know what I’d like to do each season but they are not really goals. I just know what I’d like to focus on, but I don’t always make a goal. But this year I did, I would like to get best girl video part of the year.
3. What do you remember about your first time on a snowboard? That I was really bad at it! And they could not figure out if I was regular or goofy.
4. When did you first realize you could be a snowboarder for a living? I guess when I was getting paid enough to not have to keep my summer job any more and could go riding.
5. Who is the best female snowboarder of all time? Janna Meyen-Wetherby
6. How do you get over a bad fall? You just have to get back out there and do it again. And fight the bad memory.
7. What do you do to keep from burning out? Treat yourself good! Like, good food and massages.
8. Which women (snowboarders or not) most inspire you? My wife Stine Brun Kjeldaas.
9. What is your guiltiest pleasure? To do nothing for a day.
10. An Olympic gold medal or Best Video part award, which would you prefer and why? I would like a Best video part because that means I had a good, fun winter. But a gold medal would be good for the future, because the mainstream only knows the Olympics.
11. What is the best thing about your home mountain? That I don’t have one, so I don’t have to wait for snow! I just travel.
12. What scares you? Gap jumps ever since I fell into the X Games gap.
13. Favourite on the road food? Sushi
14. One must-have item for snowboarding? A riding friend!
15. Who would you like to thank? Mom and Dad. Stine Brun Kjeldaas. My brother. Jeroen Baziun. And Volcom, Nitro, Electric, Vans, Nixon, Rockstar, Celtek.
Photos courtesy of Volcom.
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