Interview - Laura Berry

As part of SCUK's partnership with Chunky Knit Productions, we're proud to bring you an interview with one of the stars of their forthcoming DVD Transfer. None other than the UK's Miss Laura Berry.

Interview by Sian Hughes, ChunkyKnit.

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Laura Berry turns 17 this year, and has been touted by Snowboard Magazine as ‘the future of UK’s snowboarding’. It is fitting then that she was part of the groundbreaking crew who visited Iceland in 2003 to kick off filming for ChunkyKnit's first all girl snowboard film, DropStitch, and is now returning to finish filming for Transfer, their second production.

This season has been a hard one for Laura; trying to fit in filming around competitions and studying for her GCSEs has meant she has been on the road more than she has been home. Still, since she began snowboarding at 12, and then burst onto the scene in 2001, Laura has been hot property. Her results in competitions this year speak for themselves. Since March she has taken home golds in the Boarder Cross at the Orange Brits, at Wahoo’s WinterPark Freeride Series in the Slopestyle and at the Kimberly Night Lights Style Session in the Big Air. Once predominantly a rail queen, Laura is now proving her talents lie in every aspect of snowboarding. Whilst filming for Transfer she went heli-boarding in Utah courtesy of her and Transfer's sponsor Red Bull, sparking a new found hunger for riding back-country as well. Laura’s talents do not lie only in snowboarding, she can also strike a mean football having played in the Arsenal Youth team, and is a quiet pool shark.

We caught up with Laura to ask her some questions about filming and this is what she had to say:

What is it like working with a crew of girls in a traditionally male dominated sport?

It was a bit strange to begin with as I am used to riding with all males. I really like it now and I think that the other girls who have been around the scene a lot longer than me have really helped me and given me some good advice as well as support. I also have a lot of new friendships from hanging with a different scene of people.

Have you ridden much with girls before?

Before going to Iceland to film I had never rode with a group of girls. I find myself riding with girls quite a lot now seeing as most of my trips abroad are to film or for competitions which means being surrounded by other girls. It is a welcome change though and I get just as stoked riding with them as I do with guys.

Is it hard work to get a good section in a film?

Yeah! I don’t think a lot of people realise how hard it is to get a section how you want it too look. When I see a good section on a film now I get so much more stoked than I used to, as I know that they must have put in so much effort and pain! There are so many problems that can occur making it a super hard thing to do.

Have you met many new girls?

Yeah I have met loads. Before all the filming started I probably knew just a couple, such as Lesley (McKenna) and Jenny (Jones) and now I think I know pretty much all the European female riders and a few American riders too. It surprised me as to how many girls are really out there!

Have you filmed much before?

No not really. I had done a little filming with the Lockdown Projects crew (Tim Warwood and Adam Gendle) but nothing major until this came up.

Do you normally do competitions?

Yeah I do the Orange AIM Series and The Orange Brits, but only this season have I started doing bigger comps like the Roxy Chicken Jam and the O’Neill Pro Freestyle events.

Where do you see Women’s riding heading?

I see it getting better and better but that’s the same as anything. I don’t just see female progression I also see male progression and I think that will in a way help each other.

Have you noticed much of a change in the standard over the past few years?

Well I’ve only really been on the scene for pretty much two and a bit years so I can’t fully say. From what I have seen though is a higher standard for sure. You can’t win a contest now with a straight air as you could before!

What do you feel are the biggest influences in womens' riding?

Well from a personal point of view my biggest influence is male riders who I look up to. I want female riding to be looked at and be at the same level as male riding (or as close as it can get). Also obviously the people making the kit we use/wear is a massive influence too as if that was bad it wouldn’t help us ride better!

Do you still feel as though it’s a male dominated sport?

Yeah for sure. There is no question about that. There are a lot more girls coming into snowboarding now though thanks to tours (such as the AIMS Series Schools Tour) which give out free lessons, etc. There are also now all female events, which help publicise it more such as the Chicken Jam and in the UK the Just For Girls event.

Do you feel there will ever be a time when women overtake men in any aspect of snowboarding?

Too be honest as a whole no. I do think that certain female riders will reach the level of male riders in specific things. For example Cheryl Maas is as good as the guys on rails and pretty much as good on kickers. I think there will be more people like this but overall I don’t think we will ever overtake men.

Who do you look up to?

Within snowboarding, Joni Malmi, Travis Rice and Cheryl Maas and outside of snowboarding Kelly Holmes.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Hopefully still snowboarding and pushing female snowboarding further. Also maybe within media – maybe a snowboarding magazine or something like that. I hope to stay within the industry for as long as I can.

Thanks Laura!

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By Sian Hughes. Published 12th May 2005.

To read more about Laura, check out her Soul Sports Profile.