Tween snowboarder scorches the slopes

Nine-year-old snowboarding phenom Alexis “Lexis” Roland from Bloomington, Minnesota was first discovered in a YouTube video showcasing her talent when she was just six years old. She’s had small parts in several snowboard videos, including the bonus section of “Ro Sham Bo” by Misschief Films, and “Frozen Assets,” and a starring role in the popular snowboarding video “Knock on Wood”.

Burton is now her sponsor, and she’s featured in a double spread in the company’s new catalogue. Her board is about three and a half feet long, and it’s custom made. She and her dad decided that a regular kids’ board wasn’t light or flexible enough, so Burton designed something better suited to Lexi’s frame.

She’s also been featured on the Today Show, in Huck Magazine and the New York Times who wrote:

“At age 9 she has a chosen career path: to do the kinds of things on a snowboard that grown women don’t tend to do – let alone little girls.”

Like a lot of child prodigies, Alexis has had a helping hand from her parents, with dad Shawn Roland going as far as setting up a snow machine in their back yard when nature fails to do its job.

Juggling grade school and competitions, where she regularly takes out girls twice her size and age, this mini shredder is blazing her own trail. Our pick for a top tween.

AlexisRoland.com