Synopses & Reviews
Not so long ago, in a galaxy not too far away...
How does a pipsqueak outcast with unnaturally blond hair, a Godzilla fetish, and the nickname "Toddler" grow up to be a world champion, Olympic competitor, and action sports icon? The truth is even weirder than you might think.
Growing up as an only child in a small town in Massachusetts, all Todd Richards wanted to do was play with his Star Wars toys in the woods behind his house -- and, oh, be a ninja. When he started high school, he transferred his obsessive tendencies to a new hobby that was sweeping the nation: skateboarding. But fighting off the Massachusetts weather and tangling with his parents over skateboarding and its ripped-jeans, bleached-hair image made him one depressed kid during the winter of 1987.
That's when a friend introduced him to snowboarding and revealed to him a whole new world. Before he knew it, he was a sponsored pro, but he still had a lot to learn. Fortunately -- or unfortunately, depending on who you ask -- Todd found himself in the company of some of snowboarding's most influential pioneers and most notorious wild men. A second childhood with a bunch of free-spirited snowboarders and former skate punks as an extended family taught him many things: from how a g-stringed Italian can broker a peace deal to why you should never wear novelty underwear if you are planning to knock yourself senseless on the mountain.
As Todd's career and skills advanced, he found himself no longer in the shadows of legendary snowboarders, but at the forefront of a new wave of snowboarding fanaticism that was sweeping the nation. He spearheaded the movement that pushed snowboarding from a derelict sport to the forefront of the Olympic games and into the American mainstream. Through stories of his wild experiences on tour, blow-by-blow details of his most famous victories (and most crushing defeats), and more than one hundred photos, Todd relates the story of his life, the history of his sport, and what it's like to be one of its biggest stars.
Synopsis
- Todd is featured in three videogames: Coolboarders 2001, ESPN's Winter X Games Snowboarding, and Transworld Snowboarding.- Todd has his own video, Todd Richards' Trick Tips: Park and Pipe Basics, and has been featured in the top snowboarding videos, The Resistance and Destroyer. He made his acting debut in the Touchstone Pictures feature film, Out Cold.- Top action sports companies sponsor Todd: Rossignol, Quiksilver, DC Shoes, Nixon, Clive, Pro-Tec Helmets, and Premier Snowskates.
Synopsis
One of the most charismatic, popular and talented snowboarders in the world, Todd Richards, tells the story of his life as a skateboarder–turned–world–class–snowboarder, and of the sport that in less than 10 years has gone from underground to the forefront of the Olympics. In the late 1980s, snowboarders were seen by skiers as skate–punks and 'knuckle–draggers' but in just a few years the sport rapidly gained popularity in ski areas and resorts. By 1994 snowboarding was an exhibition sport at the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer; since then it has become one of the most popular sports in the Olympics. Todd Richards was there through it all and, as he tells his story, he shares the history of his sport.
Todd Richards is one of the biggest names in pro snowboarding. Now his image is on PlayStation games, plastic toys and countless magazines. He's won world championships and X Games medals. Known for his wit, work ethic, and front side 900, Todd has helped bring snowboarding out of obscurity and into the limelight. The sport continues to gain momentum through growing media coverage, and no professional embodies the image and attitude of snowboarding better than Todd Richards.
About the Author
Todd Richards continues to compete in and win the world's most prestigious snowboarding competitions and is currently producing his second trick-tips video. He makes frequent television appearances but is avoiding a commentator job for as long as possible -- at least until he lands a major role in a future Star Wars movie. He lives with his wife and son in Encinitas, California, and Breckenridge, Colorado.
Eric Blehm is the former editor of Transworld SNOWboarding, author of Agents of Change: The Story of DC Shoes and Its Athletes, and coauthor of P3: Pipes, Parks, and Powder. The Last Season was a Book Sense bestseller and a Barnes & Noble Discover selection. He lives in southern California with his wife and son.
Exclusive Essay
Read an exclusive essay by Eric Blehm