Ladies We Love: Gretchen Bleiler
Gretchen Bleiler is one of the most successful women snowboarders, ever. And, with 11 years as a U.S. Snowboard halfpipe team member—plus four X Games gold medals and a silver medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics—she is certainly no stranger to the dangers of the sport.
But in June of 2012, while practicing a double backflip trick on a trampoline in Park City, Utah, Bleiler came face to face with a life-changing accident. Over-rotating the backflip session, she came down off-kilter in the middle of the trick and propelled her knee into her face. The result was a shattered eye socket (with nothing left holding her eye in place), a severe concussion, and a broken nose.
The hard-working, hard-charging Bleiler faced surgery, a long recovery, and intense double vision, which she battled with unconventional physical therapy. Her plan was to come back at the 2013 Winter X Games but after a practice run in the halfpipe she bowed out of the competition.
As this inspiring athlete battles her demons she remains upbeat and positive about snowboarding and all of her other impressive endeavors, from Primordial Sound meditation to her own eco-focused company and her women’s line with Oakley. Here, she sits down with WomensMovement.com to share her passions.
WM: At the core, what do you love the most about snowboarding?
Gretchen: I love that I get to travel to some of the most beautiful places around the world with some of my closest friends and push myself physically and mentally every day. I get to live my dream and inspire others to live theirs and show people what women are capable of…
WM: You’ve had an amazing, lengthy pro snowboarding career packed with accomplishment. What are your competition plans/goals for the next few years to come?
Gretchen: I’ve spent the past couple years revamping and reinventing my snowboarding, which has brought a new challenge and fresh creativity into my riding. And it’s all working towards finishing off my career with style, amplitude and an overall run and perspective that I can be proud of. I would love to go into the next Olympics just feeling totally confident and proud of everything I’ve worked so hard to lock in, and therefore just enjoy the experience and give everyone a really good show around the world!
WM: What are your business and life plans for the next few years to come?
Gretchen: Well we are re-launching our cleanable, compactable, and customizable water bottle, ALEX, in May. Besides the original stainless, the bottle will also be coming in BPA free Triton plastic, which is very exciting! So be on the lookout for ALEX soon. I also have my Signature Series eyewear and Pro Rider Series apparel with Oakley and continue to work with POW (protect our winters) and ACES (Aspen Center for Environmental Studies). I’m also working on a book with Pretty Tough and am working to become certified instructor in The Chopra Center’s Primordial Sound meditation teachings.
WM: What is the one snowboarding win or accomplishment that’s the nearest and dearest to your heart?
Gretchen: Either winning the silver medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino or winning my fourth X Games gold medal in 2010. Being an Olympian had been a dream and goal of mine since I was a little girl, so to stand on the podium and receive a medal was just surreal and I had the best journey getting to that moment. My win at the X Games in 2010 though was maybe the run I am most proud of in my entire career. Everything came together and it was effortless and fun yet I went bigger, was cleaner and had more style than ever before. I truly detached from any result and let gravity take me—it was almost a spiritual experience.
WM: What inspired you to get into product design?
Gretchen: When you’re up on the mountain as much as I am you definitely figure out what works, what doesn’t, what you like to look like and how that makes you feel. When you look good, you feel good and that transfers over to how you perform. Oakley was my very first sponsor so to work with them on product design has been an honor. But it hasn’t stopped there either, I’ve been able to work with K2, Holga, Mission, and obviously my company ALEX as well. It’s a great way to round out what I do on the mountain and maintain my creativity.
WM: What inspired you to become passionate about supporting eco causes/awareness?
Gretchen: Traveling around the world to snowboard and compete year round for the past 12 years, I’ve seen the effects of climate change first hand. And after I won the silver medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics, I realized I had a platform to do my part and talk about what I was seeing and try to make a difference by bringing awareness to the subject in my industry and world.
WM: How can our readers make one or two simple changes in their lives to help support the planet and reduce global warming?
Gretchen: Well the organization POW (protectourwinters.org) that I work with has created the POWSEVEN which actually Grist has called “The best green action plan” they’ve ever seen so I highly encourage you to check out http://protectourwinters.org/get-involved and get involved!
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About Erinn Morgan
After a 10-year career as an award-winning New York City-based editor launching and redesigning urban, style-driven magazines, Erinn Morgan left her downtown Manhattan digs after September 11th, 2001, in search of a less encumbered, freelance lifestyle. A life-changing, two-year-long trek around the country in a motorhome eventually landed her in Durango, Colo., which she now calls home. Her writing has appeared in numerous— More about this author →
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