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Eleven Minutes With Alexa Loo, Olympic Snowboarding Veteran

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Alexa Loo is a veteran local snowboarder who will be competing against the world’s best in the 2010 Olympics held here on her own mountain (how sweet is that?). Just a few weeks ago, she won a bronze medal in the Parallel Giant Slalom at Copper Mountain, Colorado’s Race to the Cup, so we’re stoked for her chances this winter. Do us even prouder, Alexa. Freakin’ giv’er.

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Scout Q&A

The thing that you eat that is bad for you that you will never stop eating: Beef jerky.

Default drink: Beer.

Drink you’ll never have again: Rum and coke.

Best thing about the B.C. in the Winter: Skiing/snowboarding in fresh snow.

Best thing about the BC in the Summer: Patios after golfing or mountain biking.

Best hotel room, ever: Mandarin Oriental in Munich.

Top two mountains in the world: Whistler, Blackcomb.

Best post ride indulgence:
Ice cream while sitting in a hot bath.

Book you’re reading:
Bhagavad Gita. I am intrigued by the Hindu religion/philosophy.

Last place traveled: Soelden, Austria. Or do you mean a vacation travel spot? In that case it is NYC…love it there!

Biggest fear: Being hungry and alone.

Pre-competition superstitions: None.

If you could rename yourself: I wouldn’t, although I probably will change my last name when I get married.

Your ancestry: Dad is Chinese and Mom is French and English. Mixed race kids are the cutest (that is not just my opinion!!).

Under what circumstances would you join the army:
If the uniform were pink. No, seriously, if Canada went to war, then I would consider signing up.

Your paternal grandfather’s personal story: He came to Canada from China around 1908 or so as an apprentice in order to avoid the head tax. When he arrived in Vancouver he took an English name: Charlie. He had a Chinese/Canadian restaurant in Flin Flon, Manitoba and then he moved on to a corner store in Vancouver. My grandfather had a stroke when I was 4 and couldn’t really speak. I was not able to speak with him very well or get to know him. He died when I was 8.

What are you proud of: My work ethic that was instrumental in helping me become an Olympian.

The thing that makes you the angriest:
When people who cannot fight for themselves are taken advantage of or mistreated, particularly children.

The view from your favourite window: Grouse Mountain with snow on it.

Favourite ice cream flavour: Chocolate.

Most beautiful body of water:
Strait of Georgia.

Talent you wish you possessed: I would love to be able to sing Opera.

The trend you wish you never followed, but did: Overalls.

Musical instrument you long to master: Cello.

If you couldn’t snowboard which would you pick up first, a skateboard, skis, or a surfboard? Skis.

Who were you mentors in Snowboarding? Mark Fawcett, Jasey-Jay Anderson.

The game you’re best at: Marco Polo, or pretty much any game played in the pool against my snowboard teammates.

Mac or PC: Don’t care, but I have a Mac currently.

The number of fist fights you’ve been in:
0.

The scariest situation you’ve ever been in: First on scene at a fatal bus crash.

Local person you admire most: Tamara Taggart.

The thing you’re most ashamed of: Being jealous.

Best concert experience ever: Il Trovatore at the Met in NYC last year.

Your first board: Gnu Antigravity.

Describe your tattoos: A thunderbird with a wave coming over it and the sun coming up in the background. I swam and rowed for UBC in and on the water at the crack of dawn.

The dish you’re proud of: Roast lamb.

The thing that makes you the most nervous: People who don’t believe that we should be teaching our kids competition or physical education in school, especially if those people are teachers [helping the students] to prepare for the world after grade school.

Town you were born in: Vancouver.

Old television shows you can tolerate re-runs of: MASH and Little Mosque on the Prairie.

First memory: Playing with play-doh in the kitchen.

What are you listening to as you answer these questions? My stomach growl.

Album that first made you love music: INXS, Kick.

Default junk food: Granola bars.

The career path you considered but never followed: Hotel management. I love hotels!

Two things you miss most about home when you’re on the road: Quiet. My own room.

Two websites you visit every day: Hotmail. Facebook.

The first three things you do every morning: Wash face, brush teeth, eat breakfast.

The thing you’re addicted to: Lip balm. Vaseline Intensive Care.

Biggest hope: World Peace – or at least for kids to grow up playing sports and loving life.

Luckiest moment of your life: When Mark Fawcett agreed to coach the National team.

Favourite book as a child: Encyclopedia Brown.

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This was the 65th interview of what will eventually amount to 500 profiles of people who have made life in BC that much more interesting. At the rate we’re going it’ll take three years, at which time we’ll probably just start shooting for 1,000.

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OTHER COOL PEOPLE