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Estevan’s Murphy wins Mini Grom event at Mission Ridge

When the weather allows, an 11-year-old snowboarder who lives in Estevan gets a good basis for training close to his home.
Sebastian Murphy
Sebastian Murphy has enjoyed success in snowboarding.

When the weather allows, an 11-year-old snowboarder who lives in Estevan gets a good basis for training close to his home.

Competitive snowboarder Sebastian Murphy took first place the last grom of the season at Regina’s Mission Ridge’s winter park earlier in March, the Mazda SSA grom.  

“It’s a bit different,” said Murphy, who also sometimes competes at Asessippi in Manitoba, earning a few points in the Manitoba Snowboarding Association’s 13 and under division as well. “It’s a bit more difficult than skiing and I like a bit of a challenge.”

It’s not too easy to find the kind of terrain necessary for snowboarding in the province, but Murphy, who has been snowboarding since age 7, uses what he can.

“In my backyard, I live right on the valley, so I go on the hill in my backyard.”

At times, right after school, he would be there practicing in much the same way that some kids have backyard ice rinks.

In his first year as a U14 competitor in the Saskatchewan Snowboarding Association, Murphy got points in four events on the season competing against kids two and three years older. Last year, he also competed in the male 10 and under and was ninth in the points pace on the season. 

Murphy, who can back flip and front flip on a board, performs in slopestyle.

“I did my run and then midway through, I undid my foot so I was going on the rail one footed,” he said. “And then I did a 360.”

He, of course, watched the recent Olympics from PyeongChang, South Korea, where snowboarding was one of the more prominent events.

“I was really inspired by some of the new tricks people have come up with,” Murphy said. “And how they’re committing to all of this stuff. It makes me want to commit more. If I think I can’t do it, I can’t do it. But if I think I can, that gives me a chance.”

Now that he’s had a taste of success in snowboarding with the Riderz Club at Mission Ridge, he plans on continuing with the sport next year through Slopestyle