Introducing Liu Jiayu: China’s Snowboarding Trailblazer
Are you curious about the snowscene in China? Well it’s booming. Snowsports are extremely popular with Chinese females in particular but it hasn’t always been the case. Just one generation ago snowboarding was an unknown sport on mainland China, until it was introduced into the Olympic Games.
Who is Jiayu?
If you haven’t heard of Liu Jiayu, she is China’s female snowboarding sensation and an absolutely gorgeous human being inside and out. Liu is her family name and her first name, Jiayu is pronounced ‘Jai- you’. In 2003, at age eleven Chinese officials scouted around to create the first Chinese snowboarding team and Jiayu’s father took her to try out to see what it was all about. As part of this first group of Chinese kids learning to snowboard, their coaches were inexperienced so they traveled to Japan to see what the sport entailed. Returning to China, the coaches tested out these snowboarding techniques on Jiayu and this first local team. “In Western countries snowboarding was a fun family sport by 2003 but in China the only sports Chinese athletes were involved with are Olympic sports and sport is all about winning gold medals. It took the introduction of snowboarding into the Olympics, social media and more worldwide awareness to bring athletes into this exciting world of snowboarding”, says Jiayu.
“I love being in the mountains, out in the fresh air, the snow feels good under my feet and on my face, it’s where I feel happy”.
Jiayu took well to snowboarding and took out out the World Cup in Halfpipe in 2019 as well as achieving Silver in the halfpipe event in 2022 Beijing Olympics. Snowboarding has taken Jiayu to Canada and USA and Japan and Jiayu credits her family for giving her this very unconventional Chinese lifestyle. “My parents are very humble people, my father always says – I believe in you, you’re the best. They’re very positive people, very helpful with good energy”.
Challenges
It hasn’t been a smooth ride for Jiayu, for 20+years she threw herself into halfpipe training with all that entailed, international competition, multiple injuries including repeated shoulder dislocations. “My life never gets boring because every day is a new challenge, I hurt myself so many times from head to toe and I’ve had three big shoulder surgeries”. She is grateful for the career pathway snowboarding has afforded her, she’s been able to study technology at Beijing Sports University and is now undertaking a PhD at Harbin Institute of Technology.
Buoyed along by her love of the sport, the energy of it and support from her family, Jiayu’s snowboarding career has taken a few twists and turns, including experiencing depression during the 2022 global lockdowns, which she had to seek professional help for. She credits her coach, Ben Bright for getting her through, training by her side each day in lockdown and encouraging her.
Snowboard Culture in China
Jiayu is thrilled to see the snowboarding and skiing lifestyle become increasingly popular in China. Her favourite snow resort is Secret Garden, a convenient 50 minute fast train ride from Beijing. According to Jiayu, it’s easy to spend the working week in Beijing then enjoy a weekend snowboarding in the mountains and this kind of mountain life is becoming increasingly enticing to Beijing residents.
You may be surprised to learn that mountain culture leans towards 80-90% snowboarders to 10-20% skiers in China. “Snowboarding is a fashion and a lifestyle and it’s really incredible to see. You will see lots of snowboarding brands and fancy gear in Chinese snow resorts, it’s considered a very healthy sport to do”. According to Jiayu, more women are into snowboarding than men and attributes the phenomena to women’s conscientiousness and motivation to learn – an interesting thought!” .
Sponsors, Athletes and Snowboarding Life
Something fun that happened over Christmas was a fusion of the world’s largest ice and snow festival in Harbin, China and a cool snowboarding brand activation by one of Jiayu’s sponsors, The North Face. Creating a winter wonderland, dubbed ‘Urban Ride’. visitors (Chinese locals and international) were treated to incredible snowboarding tricks and jumps off inflatable oversized The North Face items in addition to the multi-million dollar light displays on ice sculptures. Urban Ride fitted right in with ice bars, dog sledding and snowmobiling.
Jiayu is grateful for Burton’s support and says Donna Burton senses the power of women in China and has been incredibly supportive of her as the first ever female brand ambassador in China. “She has never given up on me through my injuries and my ups and downs and articulates the vital role sponsors play, “they help my training and encourage me, which helps me to better position after injury.
What’s next?
This winter, while she nurses a back injury, waiting to resume competition, she looks back on these past 20+ and appreciates what an opportunity and an honour it’s been to lead the way for Chinese snow athletes, including as a torch bearer at the recent Asian Games. One of her favourite things to do is ride powder, which she does in Niseko and Whistler and Colorado as often as possible. This love of powder has helped her maintain perspective on her future as an athlete and her life ahead. “It doesn’t matter what is going on in your life, your health, depression, your marriage…when you snowboard you cannot think about anything else while doing it or you will fall over. You want to keep challenging yourself with the next flip or jump, you can beat your fears and never get bored. Powder is nature’s gift, take it, appreciate it and enjoy it. One day I will finish my professional career but I know that I can snowboard forever”, Jiayu enthuses happily.
Fave resorts?
Jiayu’s favourite resorts are Whistler in Canada and Laax in Switzerland but she loves New Zealand for the non-stop activity even in the middle of wintertime. “I can go hiking, climbing, kayaking, fishing and mountain biking, not just one sport when I stay in Wanaka and practice halfpipe in Cardrona”.
On the competition side, Jiayu has the bordercross event set in her sights and we wish her luck for her road to the 2026 Olympics. She is an inspiration to the younger generation of newcomers, mentoring younger athletes and helping them with their mindset that you don’t have to go snowboarding, it’s a choice and you have to focus on why you compete. “They just need to enjoy what they do and grab the opportunity that is in front of them. My story is not a rich kid story. I just put effort and hard work in to get me where I am today. I can take care of my family and if I can do it, you can do it too”
Check out Jiayu’s backcountry riding in Burton’s My Turn on Youtube.
