SNOWBOARDER
ERIK LEON
PORTLAND, OREGON
 

Erik was raised a long way from the mountains in the desert hills of Riverside, California and spent most of his childhood outdoors, riding BMX at the local skate park. This all changed at age 11, when a family member invited him up to Big Bear for a day of snowboarding. The former skate park fanatic instantly found his calling. He was hooked and eventually moved north to Lake Tahoe where he was introduced to backcountry riding. The rest is history. After filming notable video parts for movies like Reckless Abandon, he made his own movie El Sueno, that focused on his Mexican-American roots and how they influence his life as a professional snowboarder.   

More recently, Erik has been focusing on his side project, CORE (Community Outreach Riding Equipment), where he partners with his sponsors to create signature products that are more affordable and sustainable. CORE also hosts events to raise money for non-profits that introduce underrepresented groups to outdoor sports.  

Erik now lives in Portland, Oregon where he surfs, fly fishes and snowboards for most of the year. Erik’s mission is to bring awareness to marginalized communities and lower barriers so they can break into the outdoor sports.