I am Kaitlyn Farrington 100% FUN! (Olympic Gold Medalist) AmA

Hello, how are you? Just dropping by to let you snow that if you are board we could go on a date.

So, what time are you going to pick me up?

What goes on behind the scenes at the Athletes village that us normal folks don't get to see?

Lots of crying. And sad athletes.

Great job grabbing the gold, the women's competition was intense; lots of fun to watch. Were the conditions at Sochi really that bad, or was that just played up by the media because Shaun White was having trouble?

The conditions were really tough because the weather was so warm but everyone had to deal with the same thing

How stoked were you to have a run named after you at SV?

It is awesome because now I get to ride Kaitlyn's Bowl whenever I want. And what an honor to have a run named after yourself.

Hey Kaitlyn, congrats on Olympic gold! What music gets you pumped the most prior to a snowboarding run?

I love Ghostland Observatory, give me that beat. That always gets me pumped up!

Hi Kaitlyn! A bunch of questions for you:

• what's your favourite trick?
• what's the highest you've gone out of the pipe?
• your run is way more tech than other girls but not as smooth or as high as the guys - is that something you plan on working on this year? It'd be kick ass to see you improve in those areas :-)
• you seem 4:20 friendly - are you?
• thongs or boyshorts?
• do you normally go on reddit?
• craziest thing that's happened to you since the gold medal?
• would you rather have pigeon legs or lobster claws?
• would you rather fight 1000 duck sized horses or 1 horse sized duck?
• who are all your sponsors?
• tell us a joke :-)

Say "silk" fives times fast. And then spell "silk". And what do cows drink?

My sponsors are Monster Energy, GNU, Giro, The North Face, Sprint, Sun Valley, The House, and Cheez-Its.

One horse-sized duck.

Where at in Idaho (or the northwest) is your favorite place to board?

My dad just moved up north and so far I've been to Bogus Basin, Brundage, and Tamarack, but would like to eventually go to Sun Valley and up north by Cour d'Alene.

Sun Valley is by far my favorite place to go.

What got you interested in snowboarding ?

I skied since i was 3 and my sister started to snowboard so of course I wanted to be like her and switched!

Hi Kaitlyn! What other sports do you love apart from snowboarding?

i AM big swimmer! also I love to golf and surf!

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Yes. To pay for events we would load a cow into the trailer and take it to the cattle sale. On Wednesdays.

How did you go from growing up on a cattle ranch to being interested in snow boarding? Also, congrats!

Well my parent are ski bums so I grew up going into the mountains every weekend..

What's you fav resort in the US? Any favs abroad?

Tignes in France, when abroad. If it snows. Sun VAlley and Brighton are my favorites in the US.

Having grown up in Idaho, but now living in Utah, which do you prefer for snowboarding? Utah claims to have the best snow on earth, but I'm interested to hear your take.

I love riding in Utah because they get that champagne powder, if it snows. But Sun Valley will always be my favorite place to ride.

Congratulations on winning Gold! A few questions some may sound a little stupid please bear with me lol. 1.) Have you met other Olympic Heros? 2. Is Shaun White awesome? 3. How heavy is your medal?

I met Michelle Kwan who was one of my Olympic heroes when I was a kid. I'm still waiting to meet Michael Phelps.

My medal is probably 4 pounds?

Where is your favorite place to snowboard?

I love snowboarding in Sun VAlley, ID because there are steep runs, great cat track jumps, and because it's my home mountain.

favorite burrito spot in SLC?

I don't know what the name of it is, but it's down from Big Cottonwood Canyon. Go straight at the 7Eleven, and it's colorful. Lots of blues and greens and other things. And there is an old car parked outside that doesn't run. I think it's yellow. That's the one.

LONESTAR!!!!!!!!!

Was there anything before your run that you do to make the butterfly's go away? if so what was it in Sochi?

Well, before my run, I watched a video that the community of Sun Valley made for me and it almost brought me to tears. But then I had to remember that I had to drop in for my Olympic run. So that helped me forget about the butterflies.

I really like skiing but I'm terrible at snowboarding. Would you mind being my instructor?

I don't have time to teach. But you can chase me down a run.

What's your favorite type of terrain while snowboarding? Obviously you are incredible in the park but do you also enjoy backcountry powder?

Yes I love powder. I went to Argentina this year for a powder trip, unfortunately it was spring conditions. So now I'm on a powder hounding mission.

Any stories from visiting the White House? Who do you like riding with best?

Yeah I did the worm through the White House. And heckled the President.

And my favorite person to ride with is Maddy Schaffrick. We have a ton of fun.

Have you ever ridden out East? like in New Hampshire or Vermont?

Yes, we call it the Ice Coast. I'm sure you haven't heard that before.

What would you do if you were 100ft tall for a day?

I would live my Clifford the big rred dog fantasy!

How was David Letterman?

It was really intimidating at first, but after I sat down and started chatting it was smooth. Dave was super nice and we planned to go snowboarding on Baldy in Sun Valley sometime.

What's the best Ski resort you've been to outside the US, and why is it great?

The Cathedral outside of Bariloche, Argentina. The terrain is awesome and there is a lot of great hike-to accessed areas.

Hey Kailtyn ! First off I wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS !! You may remember me we met thru Wren. Anyways glad to see you're killing it. I'm from Brooklyn I hope you have a great time this weekend !

Do you still board out in Utah a lot ?

Hey! Thanks for saying hi! Yes I live in Utah so I'm out there all the time.

Hi Kaitlyn! Big fan and wishing to run into you one day if you're riding in the Colorado area. Have you learned any new tricks for the upcoming Dew Tour?

Can't say that I've learned any new tricks. I haven't had time recently. But I'm going to Colorado in December and plan on spending the month there. So maybe I'll see you on the slopes.

What do you listen to during your runs?

I listen to upbeat music that will make me dance. Because I'm a GREAT dancer.

Any advice for someone like me who wants to go snowboarding but their country's climate makes it impossible to do so?

Sandboarding, maybe? I don't know what to tell you. Just find some snow. Or do a snow dance.

Hi. Love your work. Favorite thing to drink?

My favorite thing to drink is Moscow Mules in copper cups... and also pink lemonade!

What are your other interests that you might move on to once you leave the pro circuit?

How much do you love GNU Gear?

I am HOPING that I'm never gonna have to stop snowboarding professionally.

GNU was my first sponsor and the only snowboards I'll ever ride.

Hi Kaitlyn, congratulations on the gold medal and your future ones as well. I was wondering if I wanted to get into snowboarding the best way to go about it?

Just get out there and find some snow. That's the first step.

Oh hey look I'm actually awake for an AMA.

Are you any good at other board sports like skating or surfing? Do the skills translate at all?

I try skateboarding. I suck. But I went to Woodward to learn. I used to call "surfing", "drowning," but now I don't drown as often. Yes I think it translates, just gives you the feel of having a board under your feet.

Are you in Brooklyn right now for Dew Tour? Do you have a favorite spot in BK?

Yes, I am in Brooklyn for the Dew Tour. It's taking place at the House of Vans in Greenpoint this weekend. Don't have a favorite spot but am open to suggestions.

What would you be doing now if you hadn't discovered your talent back then?

I'd still be working in a toy store probably. I'd like to think that I'd be a swimmer, too.

What's your favorite sport other than snowboarding??

12-ounce curls. Also boating on lakes.

Hey Kaitlyn. I didn't watch too much of the winter Olympics, but did actually watch the event you won. The thing that amazed me was how friendly you girls were at the finish towards each other. Even when someone did a better run and knocked a virtual 1st/2nd/3rd down, the girls would hug and congratulate each other. Why do you think your sport is so friendly towards competitors? Are you girls really that happy for each other, and how is that possible if you are competing at the highest stage? Thanks for replying!

We're all good friends, we travel together for 6+ months of the year. We've all created great friendships. And of course you want to see your friends do well.

You really think Utah has a chance over Mich this weekend? Cause I got news for you...

UTAH is gonna kick some ass. I'll be at the game front row.

How do I get you to go on a date with me?

Call me, maybe.

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my experience as great! the accommodations were not as bad as they made it seem!