A portrait of Jacqui Shaffer.

Discipline: Snowboard

Hometown: Bellingham, WA

Currently Living: Bellingham, WA

Height: 5’8

When did you first start snowboarding? 
When I was 16 years old. All my friends would go to the mountain every weekend so I had to see what all the hype was about. I had a skateboarding background & was instantly hooked. 

What do you most enjoy about your sport?
Snowboarding is the ultimate form of self expression. It gives me an overwhelming feeling of joy and freedom.

How do you define success?
I feel successful when I set goals and accomplish them. The outcome doesn’t have to be perfect, but doing something hard and coming out the other side is success to me. Being able to learn and laugh along the way is crucial too.

What are you most proud of, either in life, your sport or both? 
Having a couple Legendary Banked Slalom duct tape trophies. Being a business owner feels pretty good too. 

Who are your heroes? 
Snowboarders who want to give back to snowboarding! Anyone who is a steward of the sport & chooses to pay it forward.

What inspires you? 
Feeling really small when I’m surrounded with massive mountains. 

What are your hobbies outside of your sport? 
Surfing, sleeping outside, traveling, yoga

What’s your guilty pleasure? 
Thrift Store shopping

What are your hidden talents? 
A palm reader told me that I had psychic abilities one time…

Tell us about your most favorite place in the world:
 
Mt. Baker Ski Area and the surrounding mountains 

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be, and why?
Being better at following through! I have so many ideas & projects floating around in my head. I wish I could create the energy to follow through and do all of them!

Tell us about a time in your life when you have been scared: 
Getting caught it a wind & snow storm on Mt. Shuksan. It was so windy that I thought my snowboard was going to get blown out of my hands while we were on the final boot pack. We had to navigate down the glacier with 50mph gusts. We ended up getting cliffed out and had to hike around under the hanging glacier. I was gripped. 

Describe your perfect day: 
Getting up in the dark, climbing up a mountain with the sunrise, stable snow conditions, good crew and all the best snacks. Basically any day in the mountains when I am fully present with no distractions. 

How would your friends describe you?
I asked and they said “down for a sufferfest” “down for a good time all the time” “work hard, play hard, rest hard”