Rakai Tait - USA

Instagram: @rakai_taitertot

Born: In Santa Cruz, California on December 11, 1998

Hometown: Everywhere…because I’ve lived in a lot of places. California, Hawaii, Switzerland, New Zealand, Vermont, and now Colorado.

Years living in the Vail Valley: Six months and counting…and I don’t plan on leaving.

Home Mountain: I first learned to ride in Leysin, Switzerland, but I began pursuing snowboarding heavily when I moved to Vermont and rode Mount Snow. Now my favorite mountain to ride is Copper. I guess my “home mountain” is Vail because that’s where I go to free ride with my friends.

Stance: Regular

Years Snowboarding: 5

How did you get into snowboarding: When I was seven years old my family moved to Leysin, Switzerland from Waimea, Hawaii. I was an avid skater and had always wanted to get on a snowboard, so my dad put me on a snowboard on a hill behind the Lower Sporting Center in Leysin. There was a small kicker down at the bottom and my dad specifically told me not to hit it. There was this other English-speaking guy there who sort of laughed and said that I wouldn’t even make it that far since it was my first time. I guess I just sent it anyway, no turns or speed checks, since I didn’t even know how to do that. After that, I was hooked.

What do you love most about snowboarding: I love making turns with friends and pushing each other to go out of our comfort zones. I like being in the mountains and the feeling of landing a new trick. I also like that snowboarding is a medium where I feel like I’m being creative and expressing myself.

What are you most excited for this season: I’m pretty excited to attend all four Rev Tour stops this year and compete in half pipe and slope. Also, riding pow in the Rocky Mountains, which is now my home, and I’m super stoked to be repping a cool local company like Weston Snowboards.