Rosalind Groenewoud
Full name? Rosalind Heather Matthews Groenewoud
That's a lot of letters and syllables…what do people actually call you? Roz or Roz G. (Some people spell it Ros but that really bugs me even though I understand the logic of why they do it.) My family calls me Rosalind and my Latin friends call me Rosa.
Where is home? Home ski hill? Hometown is Calgary, Alberta but I'm living in Squamish BC going to Quest University Canada and skiing at Whistler/Blackcomb. In Alberta my home hill is Castle Mountain in Southern Alberta.
Lived anywhere else? When I was eight, I moved to Quito, Ecuador and lived there for over four years.
How was that for you? It was the best of times and it was the worst of times. Sometimes I really miss it, especially speaking Spanish all the time, dancing salsa and meringue, the rainforest, the Galapogos and the challenge of daily life.
When did you start skiing? My dad took me to a series of parent/child ski lessons when I was three. I joined a racing program when I was five. At eight, I left for Ecuador and didn't ski for four years.
Are you strictly a park and pipe skier? I love to ski. Because I am competing a lot right now, I spend most of my time in terrain parks and halfpipes and I love it. However, I want to do more of everything and that will happen in time. I remember the first time I jumped off a cliff and it was the best thing I had ever felt in my life. When I'm home at Christmas, I look forward to finding secret stashes of first tracks between the trees with my brother, dad and godfather.
What did you do this year in the off-season? I did things to make it a shorter off season, like coaching trampoline at Momentum Ski Camp so I could ski the glacier for June/July and then in August I went to New Zealand. I have started at Quest University Canada which has awesome outdoor options for after class: climbing, slack rope walking, bouldering, hiking, biking, surfing. When I can, I head to North Van to the Vancouver Circus School to do some tramp work and try out the flying trapeze. I am also doing some MMA to toughen me up (haha) along with hitting the skatepark.
Describe your style: Eclectic: Karen O meets Jackie O.
Hidden talent? I'm a ninja with a graphing calculator.
Other sponsors? Rossignol, Electric, Kombi, Swix, Bula and Whistler Blackcomb.
Shoutouts? All the people who inspire me and encourage me to reach my goals, past and present: Davie Borkenhagen, Trennon Paynter, my teamies: Justin Dorey, Sarah Burke, Mike Riddle, Matt Hayward, Karen O, Veronique Dryden, my family, Rob McNeill and Consuelo Gaspar, Jimbo Morgan, Paddy Kaye, Kenny Nault and all the female athlete/artists/fashionistas who push the boundaries and raise the bar.
