April 2008 — VOLUME 6 ISSUE 4
On top of her world
Not many people get to spend their typical day shooting a video on the top of an untouched peak in the mountains of Alaska, but for Burton Global Team rider Victoria Jealouse it's just another day on the job.
Jealouse, who used to ski race at Sun Peaks-then called Tod Mountain, is probably one of the best-known names in snowboarding. The famous big mountain rider helped to pioneer the pathway for women snowboarders in the very competitive world of corporate sponsorship.
She changed to one plank from two, she says, because snowboarding offered her more possibilities.
"It's a different tool to do the same thing-I discovered the snowboard could do things that skis couldn't do," she says. "Then, after snowboarding got big, ski technology changed and now skis are much more dynamic like a snowboard, but I still prefer snowboarding because it just feels groovier."
Jealouse has been a member of the Burton team for 18 years now and snowboarding for 19 years. She spends the majority of her time in helicopters or on a snowmobile with film crews hunting for fresh lines and epic shots. Jealouse is currently working with longtime collaborators Teton Gravity Research and says she's trying to film as much as possible at home in Whistler as opposed to travelling.
"I'm trying not to travel very much and just shoot in my backyard," she says. "Most snowboarders travel just to film in my backyard." 
About being a part of a video shoot, Jealouse says that being in the mountains with fresh air and having the freedom to choose what kind of day she's having are perks to the hectic and often stressful life of filming that many snowboarders, and even skiers, daydream about while sitting behind a desk or till.
Jealouse has been in more than 20 movie segments, including the classic Imax film Extreme, and was the first woman on the cover of Transworld Snowboarding. Although snowboarding films are still dominated mainly by men, women are making headway, she says.
"The girls are really coming on strong and it's great to see," says Jealouse. "Girls didn't get much exposure for a long, long time and now the industry is supporting all-girl projects like Runaway Films and all-girl snowboarding magazines which gives the girls a way to get exposure and for them to see girl pros ride and get inspired."
Kelly Isaacs, a public relations manager for Burton, says though the demand for women in snowboard videos is still low there's always a place for them when they're riding really well and Jealouse definitely does.
"Victoria has always been a trailblazer in snowboarding," says Isaacs. "She sets standards and consistently pushes the limits of women's riding."
Jealouse also had a big part in the development of some Burton products like the "B by Burton" outerwear line, and Isaacs says besides being essential in product development she is also well respected by the Burton team and is an inspiration to them.
"Her career can be seen as a metaphor for anyone who wants to go out and live life on their own terms," Isaacs says. "She's respected by the other riders on the [Burton] team as well as all the people at Burton who work with her."
Jealouse now calls Whistler home and spends a lot of time shooting films there. Her favourite places to shred are on the big, beautiful, snow-caked peaks found in British Columbia and Alaska.
"I've ridden a lot of mountains in a lot of countries, but the Pacific Northwest is my favourite area to ride," she says.
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