Robin Van Gyn has an alter ego. Her name is Athena Ride. Robin’s a bit reluctant to talk about Athena, but she’s also proud of her. Because without Athena, Robin may not have won this year’s inaugural Natural Selection Tour. Or quit her main sponsor of over a decade to better align with her core values as a person, as an athlete, as a snowboarder. Or continued her progress toward backcountry guide certification. Or produced Fabric, a film project of depth, focused on empowering women on boards and beyond.

Robin had a big year. Probably her biggest ever since she became a pro rider. Her winter required multiple quarantines and many calculated risks, but they paid off. She put a lot of pressure on herself. That’s part of Robin’s personality, a self-described Type A individual from a family of Type A’s who, as Robin puts it, are “crazy in the right way.” They’ve had their share of problems, as any family does, but nowadays they’re as tight knit as ever…

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“Halfway through our first stint filming for ‘Depth Perception’ [2017], Robin and I found ourselves stuck in a tiny cabin in the middle of a gigantic forest in British Columbia’s Selkirk Mountains. We were experiencing a huge snow cycle but everything around us was still except the subtle breeze in the trees. We spent the following weeks snowboarding some the best terrain and powder we have ever ridden. To be able to share that experience with her is something I’ll never take for granted.”Photo: Austen Sweetin