Back East.
Cover Image of sunset at Bolton Valley, Vermont by Evan Litsios.
Most who grew up snowboarding east of the Rockies would agree that the siren song of the west is nearly inescapable. Snowboarding’s mythos implores the rambunctious children of the middle and eastern portions of North America to set out from home, just as the American propaganda machine did long ago: “Go west young men and women! Go west and find your fortunes!”
And so many of us do. But during those pilgrimages, some people find something else. In the mountains of the west, it becomes clear to them there is more to life than snowboarding. And some snowboarders, intentionally or not, one day find themselves living back east.
The story of heading west is as old as snowboarding. But the stories of those who’ve gone back east are not commonly told. When I was 18, I left my prairie home and headed to Vancouver, B.C., a place I thought of as a promised land. When I was 28 I found myself back home, almost by accident, and realized that many boarders before me had found new fulfillment upon returning home. As time has gone on and I have begun to feel an urge to rekindle my relationship with the mountains, I have been feeling – counterintuitively – almost more uncertain than I did when I came home. Looking for advice, I sought out those who had returned home before me, and asked them a few simple questions about snowboarding and life.
And so here are snowboarders – some pro, some not – some retired, some not – who have travelled that path. What follows is a conversation between six passionate people, searching for and finding purpose in the places snowboarding has taken them.
Emily O’Connor deals with the kinks in life. Screengrab from Quicksand, a film by Alex Havey and Never Summer Industries.
Emily O’Connor grew up in Michigan and moved to Leadville, Colorado at 20 years old in 2016 to work as an instructor at Copper Mountain. After three seasons, she moved back to Dresser, Wisconsin to ride at Trollhaugen ski resort, where she has been a member of the park crew for the last three years. She now lives full time travelling in a van with her boyfriend, is sponsored by Never Summer Industries, and helps put on rail jams around the U.S.
Evan Litsios grew up in Strafford, New Hampshire riding at Gunstock Mountain Resort and is now a Senior Copywriter for Burton. After graduating from college at 22, he moved to Bellingham, Washington where he worked as an intern with The Snowboarder’s Journal [TSJ] before eventually moving back to Vermont, where he now lives with his wife and son.
Jake Blauvelt… well you know who Jake Blauvelt is. After growing up in Waterbury, Vermont, Jake moved to Mammoth Lakes, California at 16, then Tahoe at 18, then eventually to western Washington where he lived for twelve years. A long-time pro for Ride Snowboards, he’s produced numerous video parts, as well as his own full-length film, Naturally. At 31 years old, he moved back to Vermont full time where he now lives with his wife and kids.
Lukas Huffman started snowboarding in central Vermont at nine years old in 1987. He moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming with his brother Jesse at 18, before heading to Whistler where he spent ten winters while summering in Vancouver and Portland. After a decade of pro boarding for Nitro Snowboards and parts with Kingpin Productions and Mack Dawg Productions, he retired from snowboarding and moved to New York to attend film school at Columbia. He now lives in Vermont with his family and operates a film production company, Huffman Studio with Jesse.
Marie Hucal is from Brighton, Michigan and grew up snowboarding and working at Mt. Brighton Resort (not to be confused with Brighton Resort in Utah, though she’s boarded there too), eventually winning USASA Nationals and Junior Pro while still in high school. She then headed west to work as a digger at High Cascade Snowboard Camp and spent time in Bend, Oregon before landing in Salt Lake City, Utah. After filming video parts with Peep Show and several years sponsored by Rome Snowboards, Holden, and Ashbury, she moved back to Michigan following a major spinal fusion surgery. She now lives in Detroit and runs a wellness house called Apotheca Holistic.
Ralph Kucharek grew up in Vermont riding at Bolton Valley and Stowe. At 18, he moved to North Lake Tahoe, California. After three years in Tahoe and several around the Pacific Northwest, he returned to Vermont at 25. Once a member of the legendary Burton Knowbuddy team, he’s had parts in many video projects including 100 North, A Vermont Snowboard Movie. He now rides for Rome, Bonfire and Coal, and works as a fly-fishing guide.
Wordsmith turned surf-smith, Evan Litsios boarding his home made pow-surf known affectionately as “The Glizzy.” Action shot by Tommy Delitto.
The Margin: Why did you move back east?
Ralph: I had an opportunity to go to college and knew if I didn’t take it that I would regret that choice. It also coincided with blowing out my knee and, at the same time, feeling like I wanted to be closer to my family.
Lukas: I had run my course as a professional snowboarder and was transitioning to a filmmaking career. I had also fallen in love with the energy of New York City by then. I moved away from Portland Oregon, where I had been living, to go to film school in NYC and start a new chapter in my life.
Emily: I was 23 when I moved back east, to Dresser and Trollhaugen. I had a new fire lit to pursue snowboarding as a career, I started believing in myself. To do that I needed to move back to the Midwest so I could financially survive the snowboard bum lifestyle needed to progress as a rider. Troll’s parks are the best in the Midwest, so it was a no brainer to move there.
Jake: I wanted to raise my family near my parents and my wife’s parents, and have my kids grow up with cousins and aunts and uncles all around.
Evan: Shortly after my internship at The Snowboarder’s Journal ended, a friend who worked at Burton Snowboards called me and said, “Hey, you need to apply for this job.” It was an entry-level copywriting gig, and I got it. The move also worked well for my girlfriend at the time, who is now my wife. She ended up going to grad school in Boston for the first couple years, then found a job in Vermont. We bought some property. Now we’re having a kid. It’s been almost 9 years. I think it’s safe to say we live here now.
Marie: I found out that I needed a spinal fusion, a really serious surgery. I knew it was going to be a full year of recovery, and perhaps a lifetime. I waited as long as I could safely, then went home for surgery and began recovery. Then it was time to start trying to work again, so I went back out west to SLC. I thought I could work my job, start snowboarding again, take it easy, and rehab. I spent maybe four to six months out there and I wasn’t even close to recovered. So I sold my car, said my goodbyes, and went back to the Midwest to restart. It was emotional, but I took it as a sign to focus on myself and my future, and to see what else was out there as a person.
Marie Hucal, handplant. Photo by Cameron Strand
Marie with a certified classic, unknown photographer.
How successful do you feel you have been in snowboarding? Are you proud of how it turned out?
Marie: Absolutely! Every time I think about it, I give myself a little pat on the back. I really lived to my fullest. I knew it couldn’t last forever, but am beyond grateful for all the experiences I was offered, all the time I put into these projects and relationships. And the amount of people who believed in me and supported me through it all, you can’t even ask for that kind of a thing. It’s stayed with me. Whenever somebody asks me about my snowboarding history, I light up and get very happy.
Emily: It wasn’t until I moved back to the Midwest and pursued snowboarding as a career that I started feeling successful. I’m pretty happy with how it has turned out so far. Since committing to living my dream I’ve traveled all over the U.S, overcome fears, been invited to events and contests, and had some crazy experiences along the way.
Jake: I felt like the west definitely helped me be a more successful and better snowboarder. I was able to ride more days in better terrain which helped my confidence. I was also able to check in with sponsors who are stationed on the west coast to have a closer relationship and help develop better product.
Ralph: I wasn’t successful until I left Tahoe. Being there enhanced my riding, but not my industry connections. I realized that in order for me to be successful I had to go meet riders beyond my existing community, network, and put myself out there as an individual. I ended up at the Burton Demo Center in Government Camp, Oregon which completely changed my trajectory. The Knowbuddy crew and I flocked to the Demo Center thanks to Connor Manning and the late David Massie, who became our fatherly figure. I started to focus more time at [Mt.] Hood and the aspects that create a successful career, like working with filmers and photographers and putting energy into Instagram. Eventually I started spending more time in the PNW and at [Mount] Baker, which helped shape my riding and niche in this whole thing. I am definitely proud of how things turned out.
Lukas: I did pretty well. When I first moved away from Vermont, I always thought I would just snowboard professionally for one more year and then I’d be done, but that turned into a 10-year career that was successful by pro snowboarding terms.
Evan: I moved to Bellingham, WA in the hopes of getting an internship at Frequency, now TSJ. They took me on, and it became that step I needed in order to get into the bigger world of snowboarding. During that internship, and in the years since, I was lucky to write about, interview, ride and hang out with many of my heroes. I learned that the pros doing world-class snowboarding are people just like me who made a bunch of choices to get to where they are on and off their boards. Going out west put me into a bigger context of snowboarding. I took those lessons to heart and made my own choices to build a life here in VT centered around the things I care about most.
Ralph Kucharek on the three most important F’s in life: family, fishing, frontside. Photo by Max Lyons.
What did you miss about the east when you were out west?
Lukas: I missed my family and friends that still lived on the East Coast. I missed some of the bucolic charm of Vermont’s small towns. In general, I missed some of the history that’s seen in cities and towns on the East Coast. I did not miss much though, as I was in my twenties and wanted to experience new things.
Ralph: I come from a very tight-knit family and missed being closer to them. In regards to riding, I felt like I missed the passion and cohesion of east coasters. I felt like it was hard to find a crew to film with and show me the ropes. People were sometimes fair weather when it came to going snowboarding. I have always loved going in any conditions, and it’s not to say others didn’t feel the same, but I didn’t want to feel like I was dragging people out of the house. In Vermont, we take advantage of every situation we can, from treating 6” of snow like its six feet to riding in the rain because it’s the only soft snow we might get for a month. I also felt like my community was more open and less judgemental. Out west, I felt like I was proving myself to others instead of proving myself to myself. There is a spotlight effect out there which drives us to all ride better and push the sport, but it was also fairly intrusive to my psyche. That dynamic didn’t leave room to think about how I wanted to ride and what I actually brought to the table.
Emily: I missed how quickly I progressed riding rope tows back home, and how small resorts are there. It's also way more affordable to snowboard in the Midwest than in overpriced mountain towns.
Marie: I missed my family and spending time swimming in the Great Lakes. It was difficult to be on the other side of the country when I truly cherished time with friends and family in some particularly special places that I would go to regularly.
Evan: I missed the friends I left behind and the reliability of the familiar, things you’d expect, but I guess I also missed the perspective that East Coasters bring. Some people out west can tend to take things for granted. That jaded backcountry rider mindset. And, hey, I get it. But back east people have this grit that makes them want to lap the jump line on an eight-degree day, or hit every single sidehit on every single run, and it can make for some of the best days even in the shittiest conditions. We just juice the day for all it’s worth, ‘cause what’s the point if we don’t? I found plenty of folks out west who had that mentality, but more than a few of them were imports like me.
Jake: I missed my family and the maple syrup back here in Vermont. For some reason, the west has never felt like home. Home is Vermont.
Lukas Huffman proving you don’t need big mountains to go big. Stowe, Vermont boarding, photo by Nathaniel Asaro.
What do you miss about the west now?
Emily: When it comes to snowboarding, I miss getting spoiled with deep snow, beautiful mountain views, and quiet tree laps. But also, I miss the amazing friends I met out there and all of the outdoor summer activities like hiking, climbing, or camping.
Jake: I miss my friends and the terrain. There’s nothing like the PNW terrain. When I moved back east, I’d say I appreciated it more every time I go back out west. The terrain, the weather, the snow, it’s all a lot better in the west I must admit!
Evan: I miss the access to big mountains, challenging terrain, and consistent snow. And I miss just being there. To ride all winter at a place like Mt. Baker is a real privilege. To be inside that world. It was a dream come true for that little kid in me who just glazed out over magazine pages wanting so badly to be a part of it. It’s amazing to have a seat at that table, even if no one knows your name. Also, when you get runs that good, and you’re with good friends, that’s the most fulfilling feeling I’ve found in snowboarding. I’ve found it back east, too, but there’s no comparison to the riding opportunities you can find out west.
Ralph: I miss riding bigger features, lots of powder, warm and soft conditions, and seeing tons of snowboarders. In the PNW, most of the people at a ski resort are on snowboards. In Vermont your average lift line might have 25% snowboarders in it? But I also miss the views and scenery. You can’t argue the West isn’t full of beauty.
Marie: The people who I met out west are some of the greatest folks, and I miss those spontaneous visits with snowboard friends the most! I recently went to Portland for work, and I took a car out to Government Camp and Mount Hood, just to feel it all. The smell, the open air, the moss on the trees, the water flowing, the snow. There’s just some magic in the air. I feel like I would come across this feeling in a lot of different places I travelled to, places like Moab or the canyons in Salt Lake, or in B.C.
Lukas: I absolutely miss riding powder and softer snow. I miss the largeness of the West Coast mountains. I miss the West Coast spirit of making a new life for yourself. The East Coast is entrenched in history, which can feel conservative at times. The spirit of reinvention on the West Coast is real and I occasionally miss that.
Emily O’Connor, new definitions of home.
What do you prefer about the east now?
Jake: I don’t know what it is, but for some reason Vermont just feels like home. Sometimes the weather sucks. Some winters are horrible, but it’s what I know and there’s a feeling I get here that I don’t get anywhere else in the world: a sense of “home” and security. The people here talk and act like me and I know everyone in town. All of that feels good.
Evan: I like how direct and honest the average person is in New England. There’s a real puritan hard-skinned don’t-worry-about-me kind of mentality, but at the same time people tend to take care of each other. There’s a healthy balance of community-mindedness and independence. I also feel like when you make a friendship here, especially on the mountain, it’s going to have some real juice to it. There aren’t so many people coming in and out all the time. You see the same faces in the same places. We don’t live in abundance, so we’re grateful and passionate about what we have. Plus, you just can’t fuck with driving down a dirt road through the woods in northern New England. That shit’s beautiful.
Lukas: In general, I like the history of the East Coast. You see it and feel it everywhere you go. There’s also a sense of tradition and legacy on the East Coast. When you are in New York City you feel like you are part of an urban culture that’s bigger than yourself, which has been happening for centuries.
Emily: I love the small town, the more relaxed resort atmosphere. People who ride in the Midwest are just doing it because they love it. In my experience riding resorts back east are also way less cliquey than some resorts I’ve been to out west.
Marie: It’s just completely different. When I was younger, there was still a very negative view of the city of Detroit, so I didn’t think about living here as an option while in recovery. But when the pandemic hit, I moved to southwest Detroit, and realized there is a deep cultural and social difference that I hadn’t immersed myself in ever before, and that it was time to be outside of my comfort zone. There is a lot of healing taking place here and I am finally living at my fullest capacity, and in a deeper healing journey while cultivating gardens and starting a career as a bodyworker. It’s beautiful to be in a city that is rebuilding at a rapid rate and to be part of it.
Ralph: I like the grit. New England is a melting pot of accents, opinions, and hard work ethic. This accumulates into an interesting approach to riding. It’s pretty evident the biggest east coast names are some of, if not the most, hard-working snowboarders. Pat Moore, Jake Blauvelt, Johnny O’Connor, Jeremy Jones, Scott Stevens, Chris Grenier, Lily Calabrese, Lukas and Jesse Huffman, Jeff Brushie, E-Stone, Pat Bridges, Maggie Leon, Kelly Clark, Savannah Shinske, J. DeForge, the list goes on. You learn to work with less and get more out of it and that attitude alone is infectious for riding. I don’t need to travel far to be in a new scene or at a new mountain. We’ve got four within an hour of Burlington, each with their individual flavor. Bolton Valley is literally 30 minutes door to door for me. And there’s all this access without living in a mountain town. Balance is key for me. As much as I’ve loved diving all in, I have also learned that space from snowboarding is important too.
An actual picture of Evan’s backyard in Richmond, VT. We’re not jealous. Photo by Evan.
How much do you snowboard now? Do you feel fulfilled with snowboarding now?
Emily: I ride all year, all the time. The past few summers we have spent riding Hood until the snow melts. In the winter I help my boyfriend host a rail jam tour for kids, mainly based in the Midwest. In between riding resorts and traveling we’ve been filming in the streets for an upcoming movie. Filming and helping a grassroots event series has me feeling way more fulfilled in snowboarding than I did when I lived out west.
Jake: I don’t snowboard nearly as much as I did when I was in my 20’s. I actually just got a total hip replacement the other day. The last couple years have been painful, so I’ve tried to choose quality over quantity. But I still produce for my sponsors and I’m hoping that this new hip gives me a little something extra I’m looking for.
Evan: It’s taken a few years, but I’ve found a good balance between my desires, ambitions, expectations, and the reality of winter here. Once I learned out west what steep and deep powder felt like, it was like my brain had shifted and I was no longer the same rider. Fulfillment is a feeling, though, and it’s not exclusive to deep powder days. The question becomes: Did you feel good on your board today? And there’s a million ways to get a “yes” on that. Maybe this sounds like trying to compensate, and actually that’s exactly what it is. Good compensation gets the job done, right? There’s a part of me that will always wish I stayed so I could ride powder forever, but it’s just one part. The real secret is: I’ve been very lucky to have the privilege to take trips every winter to keep it satisfied. I call it the powder pilgrimage. And in between those trips, I’ve had to learn to adapt and actively maintain my connection with the things I really love about riding boards, being in the mountains, and being part of the community. Now I feel like I have the tools to live a long and happy life as a snowboarder no matter where I live.
Something tells me the kid’s gonna grow up fast. Evan and "mini me.”
Ralph: I’ve set up my seasons to be able to ride at the drop of a dime and that’s what I do. I rode somewhere around 70-80 days this past season. We’ve got world-class tree riding and, if conditions permit, I’d rather be here than anywhere. It’s a special thing and our snow days could be limited here in the future. But my largest source of fulfillment here is my community. When I moved back, in ways it was isolating. However, my satisfaction in snowboarding exponentially increased. I didn’t feel like I was competing, I was in my own lane and my community is here. We all love snowboarding and most of the people I ride with are 40+ and rip harder than most of the youth. Watching them and feeling my mind transition to “how can I sustain my body to ride into the future?” is a new form of fulfilment. Plus, emotion has a huge effect on my riding. Being here, supported and happy, has had very positive outcomes. To me the most impactful moments are the lift line interactions, helping kids learn, being a part of events, and being a supporter of our community. Building the course and starting 120 riders through the Sidesurfers Banked Slalom this year was one of the most satisfying experiences of my journey yet. Taking a step back to watch and being part of the bigger picture isn’t just humbling, but, to me, is what this whole thing is about.
Marie: I did not make it out to the hill this year. My goal was to go one day per year. To be honest, the first time I was able to strap in, a few years ago, my back still had a lot of pain. But I’ve realized that I built up enough strength that I can handle a day or two a year. I’m hoping to get out again next year. But there is a truth to it: a hole was filled when I strapped into a snowboard for the first time in five years. It was so healing for me. Now, I know it’s there, but I don’t depend on it. If I want, I can go and board and have a great day and laugh a lot. That gives me hope.
Lukas: I retired from snowboarding because of injuries and an emotional burnout from traveling and the pressure of being a world class athlete. I hated snowboarding when I first moved back to the East Coast. It was not fun anymore and I needed a break from the physical aspects of doing it and from snowboard culture. After taking a break, I was able to let go of my baggage of feeling like I always had to be the best snowboarder on the mountain that day. Once I let that go, I rediscovered recreational snowboarding. Last winter I got lucky and was able to snowboard a lot in between my work cycles. It was my second winter having a season’s pass since 2007 when I retired, and I logged maybe forty days, which is huge for me. I absolutely loved snowboarding this winter. Being on the East Coast and snowboarding with old friends who I rode with decades ago played a part in my enjoyment. I appreciated rediscovering the mountains as a more mature person. However, most of my enjoyment came from the fact I learned how to enjoy a mellower, recreational, approach to snowboarding that doesn’t involve all the crazy tricks I loved doing as a professional.
Marie Hucal, doing things most of us never will (even without a major back surgery).
Do you feel more or less fulfilled in life outside of snowboarding?
Ralph: I feel more fulfilled because my wants and needs have evolved. The 18-year-old version of myself is a lot different than the 30-year-old version of myself. I’ve built a community of friends and family here, I have a lifestyle that works for me, and I have also found new passions like fly fishing.
Lukas: I moved to the East Coast to develop my life outside of snowboarding and that has happened. I don’t think that would have been dependent on where I lived though. For some reason, when I was finally ready to accept fulfillment from life outside of snowboarding, I was called to New York City and that’s where I really started life beyond snowboarding.
Evan: If you really get into something, like snowboarding, it’ll take you pretty far from where you started. So, you’ll end up having a piece of yourself here and a piece way over there. I’ve learned to prioritize based on which pieces are most valuable to me, and that informs all of my big life decisions like where to live, who I hang around with, and what I put my energy towards. That’s become my purpose and source of fulfillment, living intentionally around the things I value most. It’s all a work in progress, but it works.
Marie: Equally fulfilled! I believe it’s part of growing up to acknowledge what you’ve done and where you’ve been and feel satisfied with that. But also, to acknowledge that where you are now is a part of a different process, a different transition to get from point A to point B. When I was snowboarding, my goal was to see everything, experience everything, do everything I possibly could, until my body gave out. And I did that. I accomplished my mission. But where I’m at now is a new goal, I’m ready to build a family, to take root in this place where I am.
Emily: I feel more fulfilled, thanks to connecting to my roots. The Midwest is where I found snowboarding and it feels so good to promote the Midwest scene! I didn’t necessarily think I was lacking fulfillment out west, but I connect so much better to the Midwest culture, and I relate to the Midwest work ethic that makes our crew thrive!
Jake: My family gives me fulfillment. Everything I do now is for them. I’m not trying to prove myself on my snowboard anymore. It’s a way to have fun and produce for my sponsors, and pay my bills. I love snowboarding, but it’s not who I am. It’s a big part of me and I feel I still have a lot to give to the community, but there are so many other things I hold dearly in my life.
Ralph, livin’. Photo by Casey Callahan.
What would it take for you to move back?
Evan: My wife would have to be 100% down to uproot the life we’ve built here in Vermont, which now includes property, a house, our jobs, and a baby. Dangle the right work opportunity in front of me and I’d strongly consider it, but I doubt she would! And that’s okay. Keeping our family happy and thriving is priority #1 for me, so, chances are I’ll be here for a while.
Emily: An awesome opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
Lukas: A job that paid a lot of money. I now live in Vermont with my family. We moved here from NYC to be near my parents, so the richness and intimacy of our community on the East Coast cannot be found anywhere else. I would move West temporarily for work if there was good reason to do so.
Ralph: In all honesty not much. I’ve actually thought about it quite often and would really enjoy spending a few months or years out west to ride. I like the idea of trying something new again, which to me feels like using the new set of tools I have now in a new place. I would hunker down in the PNW.
Marie: Maybe with my first million dollars, I could buy a house and live out there for part of the year. But I don’t actually know if I would choose that as my first option. If my family decided to all move West, I would feel more ready to take that journey. Michigan is home, and where my roots are!
Jake: Hah! For everyone in Vermont to come with!
Just because it’s the path well travelled doesn’t mean it doesn’t look good. Evan with a classic method at Burlington, VT’s Hospital Hip. Photo by Tommy Delitto.
Would you do it all over again?
Evan: Again and again. Hard to put into words. When Jake Burton died, I found myself in tears because I realized how big of an impact snowboarding has had on my life. As ex-Burton prototyper Chris Doyle once said, “We are just so lucky that we get to be snowboarders.”
Emily: Yes, I would. My experiences I had out west have helped shape the person I am today.
Jake: In a heartbeat!
Lukas: Of course!
Ralph: Yes, I would. The only thing I would change is trying to enjoy the chaos more. It’s funny reflecting back on over a decade of memories and realizing how I wasn’t in the moment for so many, or that I had no idea of the impact they’d have on me. It’s so easy to get caught up in the chase and forget about what you’re chasing.
Marie: Hell yeah! Absolutely. I would wake up tomorrow and say let’s go. If I hadn’t already experienced those ten years, I would get started right now. I wouldn’t be the same person without traveling west as a snowboarder!
Jonathan Van Elslander is is a writer and snowboarder, as well as the editor of The Margin. Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, he has lived and boarded around British Columbia for ten years, before returning home. Now he’s setting out for the west again, full of questions.