Jake Black to compete at international games in Spain

Snowboarder, CMC student among 2,000 at WWUG By Kate Lapides

Jake Black, a sustainability studies student at Colorado Mountain College, is competing in the Winter World University Games in Granada, Spain, Feb. 4-14, 2015. Photo: Kate Lapides.
Jake Black, a sustainability studies student at Colorado Mountain College, is competing in the Winter World University Games in Granada, Spain, Feb. 4-14, 2015. You can follow the Games on Twitter @WUGUSA. Photo: Kate Lapides

Snowboarding and sustainability: Jake Black has weaved the two together seamlessly throughout his college years, successfully balancing a career as a professional snowboarder while studying for a bachelor’s degree at Colorado Mountain College.

Black has an opportunity to compete specifically as a college student this February when he competes in the 27th Winter World University Games in Granada, Spain. The International University Sports Federation, known as the FISU, produces this international collegiate festival to promote the perseverance, integrity, cooperation, fair play and fraternity inherent in university sports. More than 2,000 athletes from over 50 different countries are expected to attend the games, and the event is expected to be broadcasted worldwide by more than 100 television channels.

Though Black’s not new to competing against an international field –– he has competed amongst 50 to 100 male competitors in the Dew Tour and the Grand Prix Tour, among other high-profile winter sports events –– the opportunity to compete as a college student is a novel experience for the homegrown Breckenridge local.

“It’s cool to see the community of people who are going to school and also competing in this level of event,” said Black. “I’m unsure of what’s going to happen, to an extent. It’s one of those experiences that I’m just trying take in stride and just enjoy it as it comes. “

Four different events compose the snowboarding portion of the Winter World University Games: halfpipe, parallel giant slalom, snowboard (boardercross) and big air/slopestyle. Black will be competing in boardercross and possibly slopestyle events; coaches are still determining the final U.S. representation at each event.

For Black, whose cumulative GPA is currently 3.799 and who will graduate this spring with his bachelor’s degree in sustainability studies, these games may mark a final high note as he makes his move from competitor to a future career as a coach – and a writer and photographer. Though he still competes professionally, he has begun transitioning into the role of coach over the past several years, guiding budding snowboard stars on Team Summit, the very team on which he grew up and honed his own skills.

“I still enjoy contests, but I’ve begun having more fun helping everyone else out than I was doing it myself,” said Black.

Black also hopes to continue to weave his passion for creative work into his professional future. A freelance writer who pens articles about sustainability and snowboarding for “Snowboard Magazine,” “Snowboard Colorado Magazine” and other publications, Black is also a serious photographer who lugs a Toyo 4 x 5 large-format camera into the backcountry and then produces his prints in a traditional darkroom. He also has a keen interest and eye for journalistically capturing the snowboarding lifestyle he loves, beyond the more predictable high-energy action shots.

“When there’s good snow, sometimes it’s really hard to bring out the camera. I’m so impatient when I get there,” said Black, describing the challenge of photographing an active winter sport in the deep backcountry while lugging along heavy camera gear. “I’m like ‘OK, I’m dropping in. I can’t wait to set up and compose this!’ But I do want to intertwine them. I do want to get my photography and snowboarding to work together.”

Black also hopes to continue to weave sustainability into his future, whether his professional work leans more towards the coaching or creative realm.

“Sustainability is really important to me,” he said. “I grew up in the mountains, in Breckenridge. Being in them all the time and seeing firsthand the impact of what’s happening out there –– not just environmentally but also socially and economically –– it just made sense to me to study it, learn more, and see what I can do to make things better.”

Also participating in the games from Colorado Mountain College are four other athletes. Skier Graham Black (no relation to Jake) is an Idahoan who attends the college’s campus in Steamboat Springs. Alexis Keeney, who’s competing in ski slopestyle and ski halfpipe, is pursuing an associate degree in chemistry at CMC in Dillon. Brooke Potter, who’s competing in slopestyle, is attending CMC in Breckenridge and online, working toward an associate degree in environmental studies and a bachelor’s degree in sustainability studies. Colorado Mountain College student Courtney Cox will be competing in slopestyle and boardercross. Colorado Mountain College alpine coach Terry Leonard will help to coach the American skiers for the third time.