Ambassador Spotlight: Meet Jonnie

Living his BAÏSTLife.

We are continuing to highlight our BAÏSTLife Crew, made up of several talented athletes who push our brand to the limit and always live their BAÏSTLife. We recently featured Matthew Vankka, and now we are highlighting Jonnie Merrill, a powder enthusiast from the Wyoming/Idaho border (or as some like to call it, Wydaho). He started snowboarding at a young age before he became a skier. He learned how to do backflips and 360s on a snowboard well before owning his first pair of skis. Jonnie's ski career gained momentum during his college years in Salt Lake City (go Utes!). Today, Jonnie is focused on pushing his skiing to learn new tricks, go bigger, and travel to new locations in search of pow. Want to know more? Read on to get a peek into Jonnie's life:

How long have you been skiing/riding? How did you get started skiing/boarding?

My dad started me on skis at about 4 years old. When I was about 8 I begged my dad to buy me a snowboard. Reluctantly, he agreed and I ended up loving it! While snowboarding, I developed all of my first tricks and grew an appreciation for the mountain. I switched back to skiing when I was about 14 years old, and had a fun time translating my style from snowboarding to skiing. I've been primarily skiing ever since, but still love ripping soft snow on a board.

How many days do you currently spend skiing each year?

As many as possible!

What does your perfect ski day look like? Who’s with you? Where are you?

The perfect ski day includes waking up to new snow, stable conditions and blue skies (the ultimate trifecta). Accessing the backcountry via snowmobile is the preferred method. It is important to have a couple good buds out there with you to share the good times! My favorite zones can be found in British Columbia, Utah and Wyoming.

How do you start each day? What does your morning routine look like?

Coffee, shower, stretch.

What do you do in the off-season to stay in shape?

Summer is the easiest time to naturally stay active! I like to: mountain bike, skate, cliff jump, surf, hike, and do pretty much anything outdoors or in the water.

Do you have any wellness tips for people who want to ski on your level?

Stretch often and find a good group of homies to ski with! Having friends to push one another on the mountain is the best way to progress.

What is your home mountain and what are your favorite parts about it?

I grew up skiing at Grand Targhee, which provided amazing stomping grounds! Tons of pow, wind drifts and cliffs created a unique playground to develop my skiing style. I still ride the ghee every year when I travel home to spend time with the fam. Nowadays, my home mountains are Alta and Snowbird. These two mountains provide the sickest skiing and culture that the Wasatch mountains have to offer!

You are headed out to the hill: What's in your pack? Tell us your 5 must-haves.

Avy gear, first aid kit, camera, snacks, party favors (safety first).

What made you decide to try/use/work with BAÏST?

I was impressed with the overall quality of the products! Anything you could ever need in a glove, BAÏST has you covered.

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Our BAÏSTLife Crew is comprised of avid skiers and boarders who are always looking for the next best challenge on the hill and the newest product to conquer the elements.

Want to know who else is living their BAÏSTLife?

Get to Know the Crew