Top 5 Most Influential Parts of All-Time With Maggie Leon

There’s a type of A-grade riding that can redefine one’s outlook on creativity. Maggie Leon’s east coast style reflects that influence to a T.

Top 5 Most Influential Parts of All-Time With Maggie Leon

There’s a type of A-grade riding that can redefine one’s outlook on creativity. Maggie Leon’s east coast style reflects that influence to a T.

July 03, 2023
Words By Maggie Leon Top 5
Lay Back in BUrlington. | Photo: Matthew Pellatt

"Maggie is as east coast as they come. Born and raised in Connecticut, with weekend trips to Killington Resort before moving there shortly after. East coast conditions are never easy, but they are known to foster creativity. This stands true for Maggie even more-so than the rest. Her style is so distinguishable and her bag of tricks is so deep—it’s clear she had a wide variety of influences growing up. I cannot think of a more perfect list to embody who Maggie is, what her snowboarding is all about, and show where that insanely unique bag of tricks of hers comes from."

— IV Stuart

Mike Ravelson - Keep the Change's Holy Smokes and Roll Call (2012 & 2013)

I was really torn between which part resonated harder with me and simply could not decide—Holy Smokes opener or Alicia Keys' "Fallin’". Considering how hard Mike’s riding has impacted my love and appreciation for street snowboarding, he definitely deserves 2 slots on this list. 

Holy Smokes was probably one of the first videos where I started taking a mental note of “famous” spots. I loved seeing how uniquely he rode these zones—wallies, laybacks, re-directs, quick, cutty lines, a new approach. 

Roll Call just hits different. I really enjoyed how his technical and unique trick and spot selection was paired with a dramatic and smooth R&B style song. Mike’s unconventional riding style challenges the norms of what is acceptable in the street snowboard world. I love it.

Jess Kimura - Capita's Defenders of Awesome (2011)

When this movie first dropped, I didn’t own it on DVD or have it on iTunes; but luckily, it was being played at Darkside Killington on repeat. I ended up purchasing it a few years later—right around the time when I had filmed my first couple of street clips. I broke my humerus pretty badly at the beginning of the season, and was questioning if street riding was something I actually wanted to continue doing. Joey sent that clip to Transworld and they used it for the Monday Mallet series. I was stoked, I think?

Anyway, I remember watching this part over, and over, and over again. Watching Jess get absolutely worked and continue to get back up and try the gnarliest shit possible was so influential. 

Tommy Gesme - Videograss's Videogracias (2015)

This one needs to be included. It’s too good. One thing that still confuses me is why the spot at 2:26 exists?? It looks like the rail may have been welded back together after it was fed through the fence? Crazy.

Oh! Shoutout @tommygesmespartinvideogracias

Johnny O'Connor - Keep the Change's Roll Call (2013)

This part was just insane. Technical/incomprehensible tricks, big gaps, consequential spots, everything about it was crazy. This was definitely meant to be an ender part. I’ve always been a huge fan of Johnny (and Holy Smokes is one of my favorite movies of all time). His clips are always really fucked up, literally everything he films is A-grade, plus, he’s from the east coast.