Sponsors/Support if any: none

What makes you passionate about skiing?
I have been told that I never stop smiling, but when you mix powder
and some epic days into the mix, I get slightly preoccupied and very
excited that the smile may never leave my face. This is why I love
skiing. I found something in life that won't let me frown. As if
having fun isn't the main cornerstone of why everyone loves skiing, a
main reason that I am passionate about skiing is that it is an
all-encompassing sport. To be a skier you must sacrifice, you must
work hard, and above all, you must be willing to test your limits and
understand the relationship between blood, earth, and sky. It is a
celebration of nature and community. Skiing is the megaphone of life
for me and I like that it is a tool for communication. Skiing is its
own language and I am passionate about becoming fluent in it. When I
am skiing there are no doubts in my mind about what my purpose in life
is. If I deprive myself from skiing or from accepting the importance
that it has in my life, all other aspects of my life consequently
suffer. It is a passion that can be difficult to compromise in our
society. I am fully engaged in fulfilling this goal and doing what I
must to continue skiing endless winters and progressing with the
incredible people that one can meet through mountain living.

What are your aspirations in skiing?
To have as much fun as possible. That said, I want to win an IFSA
tour and gain opportunities to pursue big-scale ski-mountaineering
projects. I think women are really stepping up and I want to be there
at the forefront. I aspire to do as many ski-mountaineering projects
as possible during my lifetime. I love teaching about and sharing the
positive energy that the mountains give all of us. Chances are if you
are reading this, you are a skier. As a civilization, we stand at an
important decision point for the environmental justice of what we are
doing. As a Biglines.com ambassador and as a skier I want to take a
more proactive role in the preservation of our mountains and educating
people on land use rights, regulations, and consequences. Global
warming is also an important and "inconvenient" issue at hand that I
would like to use networking and the skiing community to spread the
word about what steps we can take as skiers to curb such an awful
phenomenon.

Who are your current role models or who inspires you?
It seems like everyday I meet another person who is doing something I
could never dream of, not necessarily skiing included. All the women
that I meet when I am skiing make me feel very inspired. I think my
current role model, and one of my whole life however, is my older
brother Joey Smallwood. His diplomacy as an intellectual mountain
warrior and his positive energy never fail to inspire those around
him. I think I would feel this way even if he was not my brother. He
is my mentor and my ski trainer, always pushing me to go bigger. I
must also mention here that Lynsey Dyer is a pretty awesome person
too. Not only does she not "ski like a girl" but she's using her two
passions of art and adventure to make a difference in women's skiing.
The late Teddy Knape of Theory 3 media is always a significant
inspiration reminding me to go for my dreams.

What is your greatest personal achievement in the mountains? (Competition/Line/Trip)
February 2005, the New Mexico Extreme Freeride Championships: During
the finals I started skiing a line I hadn't inspected yet. Three turns
in and I realized I was in the wrong chute that had nothing exciting
at the bottom of it. I sidestepped up 10 feet to make it through the
'gnar' and over to this sweet knob that ended up being the largest
cliff for the women's comp. It felt good to represent for New Mexico
and know that I didn't give up, regardless of podium status. After
the lines had all been skied and people were partying in the bar, I
was shocked and surprised to hear my name called during the awards
ceremony for a the inaugural "Spirit Award." Jim Jack said that he had
never seen someone get so stoked about stomping a cliff! It was one of
the happiest moments of my life to be recognized for just being stoked
by some of the best skiers in the world.

How have you dedicated your life to the mountains and adventure?
Skiing is more than you and the mountain, skiing is about community.
I have dedicated myself daily to getting kids stoked on skiing for the
past 4 years. As the president of Lewis & Clark College's ski and
snowboard club I have to get about 400 kids pumped to go to the
mountain when they are all caught up with school work and they are
grumpy or stressed out. Basically I decided that since I was at
college for four years, it was up to me to decide my continuous
involvement in skiing as a major part of my life and hopefully be able
to spread that passion to other people before they sign a contract
that says "no skiing" for the next however long. I also helped with
the initial formation of SnowDayz, a non-profit organization that
helps under-privileged youth learn how to snowboard and enjoy a
mountain lifestyle.
I am currently pursuing a degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures
(graduating May 2007) so that I may eventually continue my adventures
and education in France and South America as a mountaineering guide.
One of my life goals is to set up a network of multi-lingual schools
that specialize in outdoor education. It is important that language
be preserved and celebrated and that we work towards being a more
global population of shredders.

Why have you dedicated your life to mountain pursuits?
"We cannot lower the mountain, therefore we must elevate ourselves."
Mountain life just makes more sense. Clean air, strength, discipline,
respect, energy. I grew up skiing in the Sangre de Cristo (Blood of
Christ) mountains of New Mexico where being a true all-mountain skier
is synonymous with honor. Mountains are the path, I acknowledged that
long ago. So to answer the question, ask the mountains. They chose me.
I can't ignore a mountain. I yearn to see from the top of all of
them. I love them. Mountain adventures for me are the best and most
invigorating avenues to enjoy life. Everyone enjoys mountains in the
same language.

What are some things the mountains have taught you that have proven valuable in the real world?
Respect and patience. You must respect the mountain, and even still
the mountain may not respect you or how much love and time you have
invested in a skiing a line or mentally preparing yourself for it.
Patience is the second side of the coin. I find that often times why I
feel frustration is not just because I lack patience, but because I am
not respecting the lesson at hand. Mountains have also taught me to
trust myself and believe in myself. It's a give and take
relationship. You must acknowledge all of these things so that the
mountain may see that you are truly a warrior of the snow!

How will the scholarship enable you to further pursue your skiing aspirations?
Whew!? Where do I start? First and foremost, I would have a new helmet
which would do wonders for my domepiece. More importantly (?!), this
scholarship would enable me to travel to several IFSA World Tour
competitions this year and gain more important competition
experiences. The scholarship would enable me to dedicate more time to
filming and shooting photos. The networking that this would open up
would also be a great opportunity to get the word out about the
important influence that freeskiers have on the environment and how we
can play a more fulfilling role in a meaningful political time.

How can you be a Biglines.com ambassador?
Biglines.com is my favorite online interactive ski community. I think
that I would be able to increase the knowledge and contributions to
Biglines.com by promoting the website and explaining the need to
simultaneously strengthen skiing communities. I myself have posted
meaningful information on Biglines.com, stories of adventures all
around the Rockies. As a leader of a prominent student group, I
always make sure and spread the word about online resources and
Biglines.com lends itself easily to the type of skiing that many kids
want to get involved withójust pure skiing and good energy.
I would be very excited to work for Biglines.com in translating
documents from fellow foreign freeskiers as well so that we can be
more globally connected. It is remarkably RAD to be able to have a
forum that can respect the fact that everyone has something to say.

Comments- As a student that's on a four-year plan I know it can seem like that
wouldn't be pure dedication, but I appreciate balance in my life and
how well-rounded I can be. I really appreciate that as an influential
organization in the skiing industry you are taking the time to
appreciate women's freeskiing and the progressive path that it is
taking. Thanks for creating this scholarship! Biglines for
biglines.com coming your way. CIAO!
"Amul Bayi" (Never give up in Wolof)

Check out the other girls in the running for this year's Freeride Scholarship.

What is the Biglines Freeride Scholarship? Check it out