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Mellen Jay

@mellen.jay

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Education & Alpine Outreach @doneksnowboards
ᴄᴀsɪ 4 ❅ ɪɴᴛᴇʀsᴋɪ² ❅ ᴊsʙᴀ 2
Alpine #itsJustSnowboarding
❅
Ltd 🗓 🇯🇵@snowsenpai.tw 🇨🇱@carvingtheandes

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A trip of MANY firsts 🇨🇱🏂

First time snowboarding in the middle of our summer.
First time learning from some of the snowboarding legends I’ve followed on YouTube.
First time snowboarding on an active volcano. 🌋

And somehow, that was only part of the trip.

We kicked things off with @carvingtheandes , learning from @ryan_knapton and @mellen.jay, hanging out with the hardboot crew @slippery___slopes and @dredman523 , and even scoring one mini bluebird pow day.

Then @the_snow_sensei took us on a little tour around Chile.

Valle Nevado is where things started to feel a little surreal — sharing a run with @cherrycarves and seeing his legendary spiral carve in person… then casually spotting Shaun White and his filmer from the chairlift. 😮

Then south to Pucón, where we snowboarded AND snowmobiled up an active volcano overlooking the lake.

Did we time the snow perfectly? Absolutely not. 😂 We somehow landed right between two storms.

But this trip ended up being way more about the people, the experiences, and how inspired I came home feeling.

One for the books. Until next time, Chile 🇨🇱❤️

#snowboarding #carving #freeride #chile #powder

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The powder photo formula 📸❄️

Sun behind you, spray as much as you can, and let the backlight turn it into a little smoke cloud 😌

All photo credit to @mellen.jay. She was holding two Insta360s getting these shots! 📸 Thank you!

#snowboarding #Chile #powder #snowphotography #insta360 #elcolorado #powdershots #powday #bluebirdpowday #bluebirdday #southamerica #NANEND #PassionNeverStops #nanendskisuit
#southernhemisphere #shredding #snowboard #sidewaylife

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So many good turns in Chile.

Powder, carving, and a whole lot of days I’d happily do again.

Hardboot Carving — It’s Just Snowboarding.

#doneksnowboards #snowboardcarving #carving #carveitup #itsjustsnowboarding

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Five days of carving camp, a lot of experimenting, and a much longer list of things I want to keep working on.

Huge thank you to @ryan_knapton and @mellen.jay for the coaching, demos, and all the little cues that made things click. Your riding inspired me so much.

#carving #snowboarding #chile #elcolorado #shredding

Position
One of the biggest reminders: getting low starts with position, not just reaching for the snow.

On toeside, knee before hand. On heelside, pocket before hand. An open position helps create the space to actually get there.

📸: @ryan_knapton

#snowboarding #carving #chile #shredding #snowboard

Timing + Vision
Your body reacts after your brain, so the thought to change edges has to happen earlier than you expect.

Once you’re established on edge in the current turn, start looking ahead toward the next turn.

Thinking ahead helped me change edges more across the fall line instead of waiting until I was already late.

📸: @ryan_knapton

#snowboarding #snowboard #shreducation #carvingtips #burtonsnowboards

Butter Tricks + Switch
We also worked on nose rolls from carve to carve and how to keep them flowing.

Going from heel edge to switch heel edge lowers the chance of catching an edge and makes it easier to flow naturally back into S-turns.

Which also means… more switch carving practice for me. 😅

📸: @ryan_knapton

#snowboarding #carving #snowboard #butter #snowboardlife

Safety
Look uphill in between turns.

When you’re carving across the run, your line takes up a lot more space than a normal turn. Know what’s coming before you commit.

The goal is to keep carving for a long time — not get taken out because you forgot to check uphill. 😅

📸: @ryan_knapton

#snowboarding #chile #carving #andes #shred

Gear and Accessories

I got to demo the Martin RKT Mint — thank you Mellen for letting me borrow it!

At first, I could barely feel my heel edge because I wasn’t used to the extra width. Once I adjusted, I could really feel the benefit: less heel drag, more room for higher edge angles, and a ton of edge grip on heelside.

Ryan also showed us a few support tools, including shin guards and straps that can make certain heelside positi

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Fun, fun, fun and dropping to the beat. 🌞

Sean and Mellen syncing turns again in Chile.

Alpine — It’s Just Snowboarding.

#doneksnowboards #snowboardcarving #carveitup #carving #itsjustsnowboarding

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A peek into the Carving The Andes community!!
#alpinesnowboarding #snowboarding #skiing #doneksnowboards #hardboots

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First day ever in hardboots on a carving board! Thank you @mellen.jay for an AMAZING day of instruction and riding. After all…it’s just snowboarding:)
🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

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Sunshine on 9.

Good snow, good turns, great friends.

#doneksnowboards #donek #snowboardcarving #carveitup #alpinesnowboard

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Super fun day off with gang at El Colorado!

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Day two of camp in Chile. Flat light, good riding, and a lot of learning happening on the mountain.

Here are a few of my favorite shots of the coaches and organizers from today.

#doneksnowboards #donek #snowboardcarving #carveitup #carving

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Join us this August!!! Check out carvingtheandes.com

@carvingtheandes
@dredman523
@mellen.jay
@lars.justaride
@ryan_knapton
@doneksnowboards

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Don't wait for winter to start improving.
Join us in the Andes and spend your summer riding world-class terrain with expert coaching focused on helping you progress faster. Whether you're looking to sharpen your carving, build confidence in steeper terrain, or elevate your overall riding, our coaching team will help you reach your goals.
Arrive at the start of the North American season stronger, more confident, and already ahead of the curve.
Limited spots available.
📍 Chilean Andes 🏂 World-class coaching ⛰️ Incredible terrain 📈 Real progression
Apply now through the link in bio.
#CarvingTheAndes #Snowboarding #SnowboardCamp #Progression #AndesMountains ChileSnowboarding SummerSnowboarding RideToProgress SnowboardLife WinterTraining :::

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