Backcountry Baddie: Melissa Riitano on Pushing Her Boundaries, Trying New Things, and Staying Present

Melissa Riitano, at first glance, appears to be a kindhearted angel girl who speaks softly and cares about her friends - and that's true. But beyond the feminine sweetness is a resilient woman who has faced adversity and not let it harden her edges. She's a woman who stays busy, stays creative, tries new things, and knows what she wants. And I feel lucky to have her as a friend, not only because I like snowboarding behind her due to the fact that she's goofy and so am I, but also because if I keep my voice low and my ears open, there's a lot I could learn from Melissa.

Melissa, hey girl! First off, please explain for us what it has been like transitioning from a street rider to a backcountry baddie.

I’m still workin on the baddie part, I feel like I’m still trying and failing so much! It’s been so much fun to give it my all in a whole new arena of snowboarding. It’s been a humbling journey, to say the least; I found that hitting a jump gives me the same feeling as hitting a rail in the streets, but riding a line or riding something steep is a whole other level.

I can imagine. Where do you feel the differences mostly?

Sometimes, you get just one or two tries to get a clip, which is an adjustment. I’ve had a few long battles in the streets that have lasted hours; you don’t always get that option out there. The effort feels greater in some ways to get a shot in the backcountry. You need the gear, avalanche and first aid knowledge, a crew that knows that same knowledge, knowing how to read and navigate the terrain safely, and the list can go on. Not getting kicked out of a spot is a nice change of pace though haha. Now I worry about other sledders tearing up the landing.

Where are the similarities?

I almost find more similarities than differences; you still need to look at any feature creatively to ride down it or do a trick on it. Whatever you are doing is still scary, especially the first try.

Does it feel like they both use the same parts of your brain and body?

No matter what you’re body is getting worked. If you add sledding into the mix, that’s a whole-body workout. For me, I use more of my brain in the backcountry. When we get to a zone to film and we are 20 miles out, there are other things you need to consider. If someone gets injured, who has what emergency gear, and where is it located? How will you get out if an injury happens? Are the snow conditions safe? Can we mitigate the avalanche problem at hand? There is still so much thought that goes into filming street, but the risks and consequences are different.

Yeah, that totally makes sense. Well said. Why did you make that transition anyway?

In a nutshell, I followed my heart. I was in a strange headspace on the last street trip I was on a couple of years ago. I was almost crying at every spot I went to or couldn’t get myself to do much of anything. Which had never happened before. My body felt like it was rejecting everything I was doing, which was a depressing feeling. I thought I had just fallen out of love with snowboarding, and my only option was to quit; looking back, that was dramatic haha. But Amanda Hankison invited me out to Whistler to come snowmobiling with her and Parker Duke. Never been on a sled before or in that kind of terrain. I was instantly hooked. I worked a ton of freelance jobs in the summer, bought a truck and a sled, and never looked back.

Beast. Do you have a preference between the two? And if so, why?

Watching, I don’t have a preference at all. I love seeing everybody do what they love to do. But now I do love the backcountry more. I think being in nature is one of the reasons for me. It’s more peaceful than being in a city and hitting street.

How has the process of learning to snowmobile been?

Omg it’s been everything! Fun, frustrating, empowering, scary, so many emotions. At first, I would tip over just going off the trail. There would be times I would try to go right, and the sled would be like no bitch, we goin left. And so many stucks, but it’s part of it. I’m truthfully obsessed with it now. Throttle therapy is real.

Any tips for people wanting to learn how to snowmobile?

Go out with someone who knows some fundamentals of how to move the sled. It’s more of a finesse than force. Then, find some friends who have “a let’s go get stuck attitude.” That is the only way you’re going to learn. Just do your best and commit to the stucks; it’s not so bad… most of the time. Don’t try to be a hero and ride above your head. Try your best of course but don’t feel like you have to just be good, it takes time, and these machines will fuck you up if you don’t respect them.

On top of snowboarding, you always have your hands in a lot of different things job-wise and creatively, which I've always respected about you. Can you explain to me your motivations to do all of these things, and why you choose the things you choose?

I’ve always loved to do anything in the creative world. All the work I get to do within each of these companies feeds a part of my soul. Before I chose snowboarding as a career path, I wanted to go to college for photography and writing. My goal was to work for National Geographic and tell stories from people across the world. Save A Brain is another one close to my heart. I’ve always wanted to help people and make a difference. I feel like we really get to fulfill that. Curiosity, a need to create, and love are big motivators for doing so much of what I do. Life is such an incredible journey. I want to experience as many parts as I can.

Beautiful. Now in your personal life, as your friend, you seem to have been focusing more on your spirituality and personal development. Can you touch on that process a little bit?

This journey started when I was 22 and had a season-ending injury. I was forced to spend a lot of time alone and realized I really didn’t like the person I was and wanted to change. I started practicing mindfulness and gratitude, reading books, and dove into a yoga practice. I’ve been on that path since then. In the last couple of years, I’ve been really building on it all further. I took a self-development course last fall. I’ve been meeting more with Reiki and energy healers, and leaning into the darker parts of myself. I think I go back to curiosity; I truly want to know myself and really truly love myself for who I am, not just for what I can do. I could feel the effects of doing all this work this winter especially. I felt like I was learning so much so fast snowboarding and excelling, but I didn’t feel this underlying heaviness as much. I’m not saying it’s all good and life is just peachy, I have PLENTY of bad days. But I feel like I am getting to a place where I accept myself for all that I am and all that I am not.

How do you prioritize all of these things?

For me, it's like a life of counterbalance rather than a life of balance. I prioritize the present. There are times when I’m on a snowboard trip I’ll give all of my focus there, then when I’m relaxing I’ll give all my focus there. But when it comes to time with loved ones, I try my best to always give that energy, even when I’m traveling.

And what can we expect to see from Melissa Riitano in the future?

This winter, I’ve been filming a little mini project of my process of getting into the backcountry. I’ve been spending more of my time failing this year but that's all part of it. As far as the future goes, I feel like that’s a mystery even to me haha. I know I want to push myself further in snowboarding, maybe the Natural Selections, who knows. Maybe in the pages of Nat Geo, maybe my own cooking show. Five years ago I never could have imagined my life today. Looking forward to it all unfolding.

We are too.