Farmington native becomes first African American snowboarder sponsored by ski resort

FARMINGTON, Mich. – A young man from Farmington is making waves in the world of snowboarding as one of the fastest rising stars in the industry.

When It comes down to the world of snowboarding, you rarely see any men of color on the slopes. But that’s not case when it comes down to Flyin Brian.

“For me, it’s kinda just life, and I know that I am where I am today ‘cause of how much work I’ve been putting in and I know that I’m going to be keeping the motivation and drive going forward and the drive will take me far,” Brian said.

Brian has already made a name for himself becoming the first ever African American snowboarder with a milestone of its kind.

“I am the first and only only African American snowboarder to be sponsored by a ski resort, which is Copper Mountain in Colorado and I’m so blessed,” Brian said.

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Brian’s other sponsors include the snowboarding powerhouse Burton. But he has his eyes set on entirely different goal altogether.

“Right now I’m currently paving my way to the U.S. team,” Brian said.

Even though the 2022 Winter Olympics may be out the question, The 2026 series seems to be a major possibility. For now he’s just happy with being an inspiration to other young men black men who may be interested in extreme sport.

“It’s a huge step in the right direction for people of color and I think it also lets people of color know that it’s OK to go snowboarding and it’s not just a white sport. People with a little bit of melanin can get out there on the mountain too,” Brian said.

If you want to support Brian’s dream you can click here.

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