Our Newest Athlete: Zoe Kalapos

INTRODUCING OUR NEWEST ATHLETE Zoe Kalapos. For the born and raised Michigander, snow sports have always been second nature. After purchasing her first snowboard from our shop at The Highlands at Harbor Springs in 1998, Zoe’s father introduced her to the sport at the early age of 5, which quickly set the stage for a lifelong passion. With his unwavering support and encouragement, her father crafted a mini backyard park for her and her brother, which they dubbed “Mt. Kalapos.”

At the mere age of 10, Zoe began competing in USASA events at northern Michigan resorts. With halfpipe being her bread and butter, her dedication and skill were soon recognized, propelling her to compete in the USASA Nationals at Copper Mountain, CO. Zoe and her family then relocated to Avon, CO where she would further her training and education at the Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy. Throughout her high school years, she continued to travel nationally and internationally to compete in women’s halfpipe events, and later went on to compete with the US Snowboard Team at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.

As a part-time Coloradan, she continues to train and compete, further fueling her passion for the sport with intentions to compete in the next Winter Olympics.

Zoe’s vibrant and effervescent energy make her the ultimate hometown hero, igniting a fierce passion in the hearts of all the young girls in our community and beyond, urging them to dream big and aim for the stars. Welcoming her as a Boyne Country Sports x The Highlands Athlete, we are excited to share that Zoe will be visiting our Petoskey location Saturday, November 11^th.

Listen to Zoe's Spotify Mix

A Quick 10 With Zoe

 1. What's your favorite time of day to ride? 
My favorite time of the day to ride is in the morning! I love to get to the mountain right when it opens. The conditions are always the best when everything is freshly groomed and the laps are always the quickest before everyone else gets there.

2. What's your favorite park to ride?
My favorite park to ride is Copper Mountain. They have a chair that is designated just for the park and there are so many different feature options and feature sizes depending on what you want to hit that day!

3. Other than your board, what's one piece of gear you are obsessed with?
My board is definitely number one, then I would have to say either my helmet or my Zoe Jacket. I designed a coat this year with my outerwear sponsor and I’m obsessed with the different colorways and style coat we created. However, I will also never step foot on the mountain without my helmet. Protecting your brain is so important and I am a huge advocate for helmets, regardless of your skill level. You only have one brain and it’s SO important to protect it.

4. What's your go-to slopeside snack?
My favorite slope-side snack is probably a protein shake or a GoMacro bar. A protein shake is nice because I drink a little bit every run and it keeps my energy levels steady. GoMacro bars are also one of my favorite things I eat on the mountain, because they’re filling, full of protein, and delicious!! Whenever I’m at one of Boyne’s resorts I always go for the Boyne chili, it’s been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. 

5. How many countries have you been to?
I’ve been to 15 different countries, almost all of them for snowboarding! I think I’ve been to Switzerland like 22 times, which is insane hah!! I’m so grateful for snowboarding, and all the incredible places it has brought me.

6. What's your favorite restaurant when you're in Colorado?
My favorite restaurant near my home hill is Butterhorn Bakery. When I’m in Colorado, I’m training at Copper Mountain every day, which only 10 minutes from Butterhorn. It’s definitely really dangerous that it’s so close but I’ve been going there for years now and they always give me some delicious baked goods whenever I come in haha.

7. Who is the most inspirational rider to you?
The most inspirational rider to me is Chloe Kim. We’ve been friends since we were like 12, and she has always been the one of the most insane snowboarders I know. She’s so fun to ride with, very supportive of other women in snowboarding and has been pushing progression in womens snowboarding for her entire career. Her work ethic is extremely admirable and on top of all of her accomplishments, she remains humble.

8. Best activity to do on your days off?
My favorite activity to do on off days would have to be playing with my dog, reading, or going split boarding with my family and our dogs!

9. Favorite form or exercise or specific workout to get you ready for the season?
My favorite form of exercise to get me ready for the season is weight lifting and yoga. Working out all off season is super important for staying healthy during the winter and allows me to take some tough falls and be able to walk away most unscathed from them. I also love to do yoga and stretch to counterbalance all of my strength training and keep my body loose.

10. What's an affirmation or words of wisdom you tell yourself to stay motivated?
1.) Pressure is a privilege
2.) Don’t let fear hold me back from everything you want

 

Zoe's Gear Picks