Naima Antolin has been diverging from the norm her whole life. She’s the kind of person that will make you question what the heck other people even mean by “normal” anyway. Then, she’ll make you wonder who those folks defining such a thing would be, what would qualify them to do so and all that. She’s the kind of person who will make you laugh, often unintentionally. Not because you’re laughing at her. More so because you’re laughing with her, or at yourself, or your ego, or the absurdity of all that encompasses this eccentric experience we’ve dubbed life on planet Earth.

To paraphrase rapper A$AP Rocky, “Our presence is a present, just to kick it is a blessing.” Naima doesn’t strike me as a hip-hop head, though I know she can appreciate a nice line, be it lyrical or laid down on snow. You won’t be familiar with Naima through televised snowboarding events and other big-name competitions. She’s never been a marquis pro, and likely never will be. Nevertheless, her presence in the snowboarding community is truly a gift. That’s because while Naima may not be the very best or most technical snowboard athlete, as far as pro riders go, Naima is practically unmatched when it comes to being her authentic self.

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