Michelle Parker

Nickname: Mi Mi or Parker
Age:
DOB: 04/10/1987
Height: 5' 3 "
Hometown: Squaw Valley
Other Hookups: K2 skis,Scott Goggles and Poles, Dakine gloves and packs, Tecnica boots, Marker bindings, Orage outerwear and streetwear, Skullcandy, Kicker, Squaw Valley, Eesa socks and of course PORTERS TAHOE!

How long have you been skiing?
Since I was 18 months old.

What is your favorite part of life on the road?
Meeting people, getting to know them, learning about their life and culture. Another favorite thing is coming home to my family and friends in Tahoe.

What is the worst part of life on the road?
Eating unhealthy food and not really having many options, layovers, ski bags, overweight charges, losing stuff, getting lost, hurry up and wait games, and being away from my family and friends.

What skiers inspire you and why?
A lot of different skier inspire me. Growing up, Eric Pollard was always somebody that I looked up to, along with Shane McKonkey, and Seth Morrison. Eric, I felt, was ahead of his time a bit and was always innovative. Shane is still one of my influences just because of the way he carries himself. This year was the first time that I actually made some runs with him and watching him find lines and stomp cliffs really impressed me. It also gives me hope, because he’s super old (grey hair old) and still ripping. Seth is just a badass. 

Your exposure started as a park skier, but you seem to be transitioning to more backcountry and big mountain. How does that make you feel?
I grew up skiing Squaw and on the race team. My passion has always been freeskiing. It just so happens that I was noticed while skiing the park. My first sponsor and pretty much every sponsor after that have been really into the park comps. Personally, I don’t feel like I am a very competitive person. That is why I stopped racing. My passion is big mountain, lines, and backcountry. I’m trying to make the transition into being more of a film athlete rather than a competition athlete, but it’s a difficult thing to do when your sponsors want you to compete. I feel like a competition result lasts for a week or so and then people forget about it, but a film segment is timeless. I wish more people saw it that way.

What has been the most exciting/important moment of your career thus far?
This year I spent two month in Haines, Alaska. The first month was for heli guide school, which consisted of avalanche training, medical, and crevasse rescue. We would go to class with our ski gear on and when it was blue we got to take class while heli skiing. I feel like this class has been the most important choice and by far the most beneficial thing I could have done for my career.

You’ve also had the opportunity to film with Poorboyz, what is that like?
I’ve worked with them for a few years now. I’ve found it to be extremely difficult to get a solid segment (I still don’t feel like I’ve ever had one). It’s really frustrating when you work so hard all year for a segment and then you find out you didn’t make it in the movie or that you have a split segment. This makes me more motivated. At the same time, I believe that, as a female, I have to prove my worth. I can’t just expect to make the movie and I don’t want to have a segment unless it has quality shots.

What do you like about living in Tahoe and how has it affected your skiing?
Living and growing up in Tahoe has shaped me as an athlete. There are so many opportunities to explore and take advantage of being outside. I remember growing up and the only ski movies that I could rent from Squaw were MSP films. I watched those all the time and then when I would see Gaffney, JT, or Shane on the hill I would just be stoked to be around them. They influenced my ski career in a big way.

What does it mean to you to ride for Porters Tahoe, and what do you feel you will bring to their team?
 Riding for Porters is rad. I’ve been a customer for years, so it’s really cool for a local shop to pick up local talent. I feel like Porters is more of a family than a work environment. This summer I got to play for their softball team and attend some of their shop gatherings which made me feel like I was a part of their team in a bigger way than just being an athlete. Everybody who works there is passionate about winter sports. They know what they’re talking about. I wouldn’t ride for a shop that didn’t have good people behind it.

You are only 21, which means that you have quite a few years of shredding ahead of you…….. What are some of your major career plans/goals?
Getting a full length segment is a big goal of mine. This year I will be working with MSP and am really excited about that. That has been a goal for a while now. I would like to continue to make trips to Alaska. I feel like you have to put your time in to ride the lines that you actually want to. On top of that I would like to progress in taking tricks to the backcounty and in lines.

Check out Michelle's blog posts