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—Photo by ERIC PLUMMER Evan Strong, who won Paralympic Gold in snowboarding at the 2014 Olympics in Russia, rides a wave on Lake Pend Oreille during a recent training session.
—Photo by ERIC PLUMMER Mike Minor, who was born without part of his right arm, was one of five members of the U.S. National Snowboard team training in Sandpoint last week.
—Photo by ERIC PLUMMER Sandpoint native Pat Holland, pictured driving the boat, is excited for the opportunity to share his knowledge and enjoy the rush of top level competition again.
—Photo by ERIC PLUMMER Pictured front row, from left to right: Brenna Huckaby, Keith Gabel, Heidi Duce and Mike Minor. Back row: Pat Holland, team manager Jessica Smith and Evan Strong.
—Photo by ERIC PLUMMER Keith Gabel, in a show of fortitude, was back snowboarding just three months after losing his leg in an industrial accident.
—Photo by ERIC PLUMMER Despite being racing in what is called the adaptive class, the Paralympic riders have no trouble holding their own against top able-bodied pros.
Pat Holland named new coach of U.S. Paralympics Snowboard team
By ERIC PLUMMER
Sports editor
SANDPOINT — One was born without a leg, another lost a leg to cancer, and another two lost theirs’ in accidents.
But if you think that was going to stop them from not just doing what they love, but excelling at an elite level, you’ve never met the members of the U.S. Paralympics Snowboarding National Team, who spent last week in Sandpoint training for the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
Led by new head coach and Sandpoint native Pat Holland, five members of the team, including a gold medalist and bronze medalist from the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, enjoyed North Idaho by mountain biking, skateboarding, wake surfing and working out at the Sandpoint West Athletic Club.
One of the biggest highlights was Holland taking them out on lake Pend Oreille to wake surf, which is remarkably similar to the two events they race in, snowboardcross (SBX) and banked slalom, simply trading snow for water.
“They all let go of the rope and surfed. I had a fun time showing them our local town. They want to come back next year,” said Holland, who like all of the riders, has the next Olympics in the back of his mind. “I want to help them improve and get on top of the podium.”
Holland, 34 years-old and back living full time in his hometown, spent the past couple of X-Games working the SBX starting gate, where he befriended coaches and athletes on the Paralympics team.
A former pro SBX racer and member of the U.S. Men’s National team for several years, Holland started in more than 30 World Cup races, notching a third place finish in Spain in 2010. He jumped at the chance to take the reins when the team was looking for a new coach recently.
In their brief interactions, he’s cultivated a healthy respect for the athletes and their skill and passion for snowboarding.
“It shows they’re not willing to let a major setback in their life stop them from snowboarding,” marveled Holland. “They’re out there having fun riding down the mountain, hanging with their friends.”
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To get an idea of the toughness and dedication of the athletes, consider Keith Gabel, a 32 year-old from Ogden, Utah who lost his leg after an industrial accident.
He wasn’t down and out long, either emotionally or physically.
“I was back on a snowboard three months after amputation,” remembered Gabel. “That’s one of my biggest accomplishments to this day.”
Gabel won Bronze at the Sochi Olympics, as the U.S. men swept the podium in a strong showing. Leading the pack was Gold medalist Evan Strong, a 29 year-old from Maui, Hawaii who won both the SBX and banked slalom events.
Strong grew up surfing in Hawaii, riding his first tube at the age of 8 years-old. He lost his leg years later after getting hit by a car on his motorcycle. Undaunted, he continues to surf, snowboard and skateboard at an elite level to this day.
He’s hungry to defend his golds in South Korea, surfing the mountain with speed, style and power. He was asked what he loved most about snowboarding.
“The free falling motion. It’s almost like flying, then being able to set the edge and get that G-force,” described Strong. “It’s better than carving curves with a Porsche. We push so many more Gs.”
Brenna Huckaby, 20, grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, not exactly a hotbed of snowboarding, and was a competitive athlete as a youth. When cancer took her leg a few years ago, she decided to try the sport of snowboarding, and was hooked quickly by the freedom of it. A remarkably quick study, she is currently the reigning World Champion in women’s SBX.
What’s interesting about the Parablympics athletes is they look no different from the able-bodied racers in snow pants, a fact not lost on Huckaby.
“When I’m out there, I’m like everybody else,” she claimed. “It’s not like walking down the street. It’s just a getaway.”
Like her teammates, Huckaby boasts a fierce competitive streak. When asked what her goal was in South Korea, she was quick to answer.
“Gold over there,” she said, before Holland quickly asked how many? “Two. I don’t know anybody that would say anything different.”
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Mike Minor, a 26 year-old from Waymore, Pennsylvania, was born without part of his right arm. He joked that a shark bit it off while he was snowboarding. Like everyone else, he’s also got his sights set on Gold, saying there is no other goal. He’s been snowboarding his whole life, and was asked what he loved most.
“It’s life,” described Minor, also an avid skateboarder. “Nothing gets you closer to nature.”
Team member Heidi Duce, a 25 year-old from Colorado, has been on the team since 2011, just missing the podium with a fifth place finish in Sochi.
She was born without a fibula, but not without some serious drive. When she’s not shredding the slopes on a snowboard, she can usually be found mountain biking, white water kayaking, ice climbing and just about anything else you can do outdoors.
“She’s a bad ass, basically,” chimed in Huckaby of her teammate.
Duce admits to loving sports in general, and enjoys being outside and meeting amazing people. There isn’t much she doesn’t love about snowboarding.
“I like to go fast. I love all aspects of it,” said Duce, who enjoyed her first stay in Sandpoint. “It’s a really cool town. Great vibes. Pat knows everybody in town, it seems like.”
The U.S. team and Holland will compete in several World Cup races this winter in the Netherlands, Finland and Norway, as well as the World Championships in Kelowna, B.C. There will also be qualifying races to determine who makes the U.S. team and gets to compete in South Korea.
“The big thing I enjoy is being witness to it, part of it. It gets my adrenaline jacked up, it’s what I love,” admitted Holland of coaching. “It’s a great opportunity to work with high level athletes, get back on the World Cup tour. I’m looking forward to helping them take their skills to the next level and win gold medals in South Korea.”
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Holland has been retired from competition for the last two years, relaxing and following the exploits of older brother Nate Holland, one of the world’s top SBX racers for the past two decades. Pat has enjoyed the Olympic experience three times watching Nate, and can’t wait to enjoy it from a coaching perspective.
Pat Holland knows the sport inside and out, and marvels at how close in skill and speed his team is to the top pros in SBX.
“They were taking all of the same 60-70 feet jumps. They charge, they’re willing to put in on the line. It’s impressive to see what they do,” lauded Holland. “I’m looking forward to helping athletes figure out the fastest line, figure out how to win, sitting back and watching them perform.”
Whatever physical limitations they’ve had to overcome, there is no lack of confidence on the team. Gabel was asked how he might fare in an SBX heat against the likes of Pat Holland and some of the current SBX pros, and he didn’t give an inch.
“Rubbing is racing. I’ll hold it down as long as I can. Going in with a positive attitude is half the battle,” claimed Gabel, who is hungry to turn that Bronze into Gold at the next Olympics. “Setting goals and accomplishing those goals, then surpassing them and setting new ones.”