It doesn’t matter if it’s a snowboard, a surfboard, or even a skateboard; if there’s a board involved, senior August Amistadi is all for it.
Ever since his sophomore year of high school, he has been grinding the slopes, working to perfect his snowboarding tricks. However, his interest in board sports began at six when he started skateboarding.
Amistadi has never had an interest in team sports such as football and baseball, both of which he has played during his time at La Salle. “I played a bunch of various sports and nothing really connected with me,” he said. “Nothing like board sports.”
As the first person in his family to start snowboarding, Amistadi is very grateful for his parents’ support.“They’ve always been super helpful and super accommodating to what sports I want to do,” he said.
“They’re really just teaching me that mindset of, if you do it and you show passion towards something, then we’ll be here to support you,” he said.
Although snowboarding was somewhat difficult for Amistadi at first, persistence and the ability to keep trying after getting knocked down was crucial for his journey.
“My first day up was such a struggle. I could barely get off the snow, barely stay on the board, almost always falling, but I got up and kept trying,” he said. “I think that’s kind of what the sport is really about, is just continuing on, trying and never giving up, kind of like life, if you give up then what’s the point?”
Along with skateboarding and snowboarding, he has also found an interest in surfing.
Amistadi greatly appreciates the welcoming and amiable community on the mountain, especially how courteous the other people on the mountain are.
Although he has only been snowboarding for a couple years, Amistadi has faced challenges. While practicing some tricks, Amistadi got into an accident where he hit a tree while going around 25 miles an hour. While this incident proved to be a major setback, he recuperated and used the experience as a learning opportunity.
“I couldn’t work out for a while, [I] couldn’t weight lift or anything,” he said. “It was a little sad, but then again, I just took it with a grain of salt, let myself heal, and I got right back to it.”
On his board sport journey, Amistadi has learned from and been inspired by his old skateboarding instructor.
“He’s the reason I kept getting up and even when I was scared, I just did it, I just sent it, and I just kept going,” he said. “That fear is what powers me, I got to be afraid, if you’re not afraid, you’re not doing something, right?”
When he is not practicing, Amistadi enjoys hiking. It is an opportunity to experience nature — an activity Amistadi has a passion for.
While on the mountain, he enjoys listening to Bob Marley and other Reggae types of music, as well as J. Cole and Lil Yachty if he’s trying a trick on the riskier side.
“If I’m sending something, I got ‘Coffin’ by Lil Yachty blasting in my ears,” he said.
In the future, Amistadi plans on attending Central Oregon Community College as well as pursuing his EMT (Emergency Medical Technicians) license, with hopes of becoming a wilderness firefighter.
