SBC article: Canadian Open

Catching Up With Kara Rennie Part 2: Burton Canadian Open Feb 15, 2011 Author: Kara Rennie A 14 hour drive and one more time getting hassled at the boarder, I'm back in my home country for the third annual Burton Canadian Open. I've made it to all three Canadian Opens so far, and this year is by far the best slope course they've had. I ventured alone, but met up with some friends from all over the globe. I was the only Nikita girl. Stefi Luxton from NZ said it was her first time in Canada! Silje and Enni fresh off the X Games podium became my shopping buddies for a day. However, I mostly hung out with my Dad, who was in Calgary for a business trip. It was freezing the day most people arrived with temperatures at -25 C. For all you Americans, that's approximately -13 F. Not even 24 hours later it was on the verge of raining. Great for the weather to warm up but the ugly clouds made it hard to see. I didn't stick around for the whole thing but I heard it got windy, and everyone was still killing it. I hurried back home to Park City to try and get a few days in before Snow Basin Dew Tour. Dad stayed and watched finals, he was also pretty stoked to meet one of his favourite riders (other than me of course) Jamie Anderson. Accidentally took the scenic route through Montana. Stefi Luxton and I at the start gate. Stefi with the view of Calgary. Myself (Kara Rennie), Silje Norendal, and Enni Rukajärvi. Stefi Luxton cab 5.

SBC article: Colorado

Catching Up With Kara Rennie Part 1: Colorado Feb 15, 2011 Author: Kara Rennie I was given a chance to spend the week in Breckenridge and I figure what better time to go, with SIA and X Games going on? I grabbed a ride from a friend, leaving my car in Park City, and therefore making it very difficult to get around anywhere further then the town of Breckenridge. I did however make it to the Winter Park Burton Am, where myself and 11 other girls rode our best for a chance to take home some bills and bump up our TTR points. Winter Park Village after a long day. The course was really fun, three jumps and two rails. It was my first time at Winter Park—I always get excited riding new resorts. Congrats to the girls who made the podium! Heal quick Stephy—a broken collarbone from a backside rodeo, but still in good spirits. Winter Park Burton Am Slope results: 1. Heather Baroody 2. Haille Soderholm 3. Michelle Zeller 4. Ariel Friedman 5. Kara Rennie 6. Stephanie Feld The whole week was bluebird, I had a great time riding with my friends, and doing some power laps alone. A couple days I spent riding with Silje Norendal, a 17 years-old girl from Norway, who inspired me to try new things and sew my pants. Thanks for that. Lauren and Alexa at X Games. By Sunday it was time to get back to PC, my friend Lauren picked me up and we stopped in Aspen for a quick minute to check out the last day of X Games. Alexa met us and we had a great two hours or so hanging out at the Oakley truck and watching men's slope finals. Lauren and I hanging out at Oakley. Super stoked for the boys who made podium, Seb Toots, Mark McMorris, and Tyler Flanegan (child-prodigy podium right there). Also congrats to my good friend Sage Kotsenburg for taking 3rd in Big Air a couple nights before. It's amazing what the not so little, little guys can do these days. X Games slope, pipe and big air.

Dew Tour; Snowbasin Utah

I was invited back to the last stop of the Winter Dew Tour at Snowbasin Utah. Ilissa and Aimee Maiatico flew in from Canada to hang out and write this story on SBC. All my best friends were there and the weather was beautiful. I ended up in 9th place, while Jordie took 4th and Madison 6th. Ice CUBE!

Nikita at Dew Tour: Breckenridge

Kara Rennie and the Nikita Crew at Dew Jan 3, 2011 Author: Kara Rennie The week started grey and cold for the first stop of Winter Dew Tour in Breckenridge, Colorado, but once the first couple days of practice were over it turned to blue skies and OQ day was perfect. The course was big, 4 jumps and 3 sets of rail options. A bunch of ladies got broke off or dropped out, but it was survival of the fittest, and 10 ladies moved on from OQ to Prelims, where they battled the snow storm. Nikita girls were as follows: Jordie Karlinski, Maribeth Swetkoff-Kramer, Madison Blackley, and moi, Kara Rennie. We had a ton of fun riding together and eating greasy food in the packed lodge, it was definitely a good experience. Madison Blackley front lip (finished 10th place) Jordie Karlinski Back 3 (finished 6th place) (From left): Maribeth Swetkoff-Kramer, Madison Blackley, Jordie Karlinski, Kara Rennie. Photo by Travis McLain

I was selected to be SBC's December rider of the Month featured on the website sbcwomen.com. Check it out!!

December Rider of the Month: Kara Rennie Dec 1, 2010 Author: Sara Tollestrup/Photos: Nicholas Dubeau If you’ve ever checked out the TTR World Tour rankings then you’ve probably come across the name Kara Rennie. Born in Oakville and raised in Orangeville, December’s Rider of the Month started shredding the hills of Ontario at the age of 11. Last season Rennie was a contest machine hitting TTR events around the globe in places like Switzerland and Vermont before ending up at Camp of Champs for the summer. With a recent invite to the Dew Tour, you can expect to see her taking her riding to the next level this season alongside past Dew Tour slopestyle champs, Spencer O’Brien and Jamie Anderson. 1. What are you looking forward to this month? I’m going to be driving to Breck and staying there for all of December. I’m looking forward to seeing all my friends I haven’t seen since last winter. 2. What would you like to accomplish this month?I just got into Dew Tour, and I would like to actually be ready for it this year. Making it home for Christmas would be a big accomplishment too. We’ll see.  3. Which female snowboarder(s) did you look up to when you were growing up? I honestly didn’t watch girls until about four years ago. I always looked up to the old Forum crew, like Devun Walsh, Peter Line and Bjorn Leines. Now I look up to my friends, and girls I ride with like Jordie Karlinski, Madison Blackley, Spencer O'Brien and Jamie Anderson. 4. Best female snowboard video part? MFR in the Rome movie 5. What is your pre-shred routine? In Breck it’s usually too cold to move in the morning, so I just eat my cereal and go. I really should stretch. 6. What is the best way to avoid getting injured? The thing I don't do, stretch.  7. Which trick could you use a little help with? Back 7s. I tried them all summer and I cork my 5s too much so 7s just don’t work. Sad. 8. Where would you like to go snowboarding that you've never been to before? Japan looks amazing! I would eat so much sushi.  9. How do you motivate yourself to go out and ride when the weather is bad? There's not much else to do, so I tell myself to just go for a couple runs and usually it ends up being more fun than expected. 10. Who is your favourite person to snowboard with? Jordie Karlinski and Madison Blackley. 11. What is your favourite song? Apparently "Disturbia" by Rihanna is my most played song on iTunes. "Beautiful Things" by Ming & Ping and "Hotel California" by the Eagles. 12. Other than snowboarding what are you most passionate about? Photos. I don’t even have a good camera, but I love taking pictures of beautiful things. 13. Best thing about being a girl? Shoes! We have so many options. 14. Best thing about being a snowboarder? Traveling and meeting new people. 15. Thanks? Mom and Dad, Jordie, Madison, Aimee, The Kotsenburgs, Nikita, Bataleon, Celsius, JC, Showcase, and all my friends and family!

Shred Betty of the Month

So happy to be featured as the Betty of the Month on shredbetties.com. This website features the up and coming girls in snowboarding. Honored, thank you.

Betty of the Month: Kara Rennie

Name: Kara C Rennie
Age: 23
Years riding: 11ish
Hometown: Orangeville On, Canada
Home mountain: Breckenridge CO
Sponsors: Nikita, Bataleon, Celsius
Recent results: 
13th US Open slope
10th Canadian Open slope
12th Canadian Open pipe
3rd Australian Open slope
4th Billabong big air NZ

What have you been up to this summer - have you been training?I’ve been living in Whistler all summer riding at Camp of Champions, lots of biking and working at Showcase.

Photo: Nick Dubeau

Where should we look out for you this coming season?  Any competition plans? I will definitely be in Breck again this season, and when I’m not there I’ll be at some sort of contest. Burton Open perhaps, maybe a Dew tour.

Competition or filming? I love competing but I’m actually hoping to film a little this season, even if it is just with my GoPro

Photo: Joseph Gaynor

What tricks have you been working on? This summer I was trying Back 7s and switch back 3s at Camp. I really want to work on more rail tricks too.

How do you go about learning a new trick? Focus. When I’m learning something I just tell myself to man up and try it. Think about it the whole run into the jump, rail, pipe.. whatever it is, just keep my mind focused on it.

Photo: John Webster

How did you get started competing? I grew up riding Blue Mountain in Ontario, and my friend Jessica made me go to a Wednesday night contest there. I guess i did well because i ended up with a bunch of Gameboys that winter  After that I went to my first US Open, and that terrified me, but it got me hooked and I’ve been traveling around for all the Burton Opens since.

Any advice for girls just getting started in the park? Ride with a good crew, because everybody can push each other and it makes you want to try more.

Pirates or ninjas? Ninja. All stealthy

Photo: Dice K
Favorite pro rider? Jamie Anderson, Sage Kotsenburg

Where is the coolest place you’ve traveled for snowboarding?  Where would you really like to go? It was really cool snowboarding in Australia, nothing too huge or crazy, just different. I really want to ride in Japan, and visit Iceland, Norway and somewhere in the Caribean.

Final thoughts?  Thanks for snowboarding 

Photo: John Webster

Favorites:
Lift snack: Powerbar
Snowboard shop: Showcase Whistler
Summer sport: Surfing
Movie: Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Imaginary animal: pingcat. penguin-cat?
Inspiration: God

Kara Rennie's Letter from Camp Aug 5, 2010 Author: Kara Rennie Another summer snowboard camp passed by, and Camp of Champions was the place to be. Out of the four weeks of camp, two and a half of them were perfect blue bird days! I was invited by Nikita to help Tenaya out with Nikita Mondays, all girls shred session and after camp mini ramp skate sesh. COC never fails to be my favourite part of the summer. Camp A girls sessioning the progression line. Hiking the hip with the ladies from camp B. One of the skate sessions that went down. Camp C chickas. I got a bunch of my own time riding and a few shots. Photography by Joseph Gaynor.  The big hip was my favourite feature in the whole park. Photography by Dice K.  Gotta be my fave pic of the summer. Photography by Nick Dubeau (www.ndubeauphotography.com).  Camp parties were super fun as well. Prom, Euro, Jersey Shore, and Foam themes. Unfortunatly no pics from those, but good times regardless. Now I'm posted up in beautiful Whistler for the rest of summer!