Standing at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, JJ Tomlinson could be confused for an NFL tight end, but the U.S. snowboardcross team up-and-comer enjoys nothing more than shooting hot out of the gates.
“I definitely say that strength in boardercross is a key component,” he said. “Height isn’t a bad thing, either.”
The 19-year-old U.S. Snowboard SBX team member is the youngest member on the team the closest in age is 25.
He grew up in scenic Newport, R.I., but traveled to Eastern resorts on a frequent basis. At age 3, he hopped on his very first snowboard and things took off from there. He learned how to snowboard at resorts such as Stratton Mountain in Vermont and Waterville Valley in New Hampshire. He joined his first competitive racing programs at the age of 6.
Tomlinson moved to Park City five years ago and fell in love with the resorts. He attended the Winter Sports School, something he credits for much of his success.
What made him transition from a youngster enjoying winter recreation to an aspiring professional snowboard athlete was simple for Tomlinson.
“It was always my dream to do it professionally and to get that good,” he said. “It hasn’t really switched. I still really enjoy snowboarding. It still is fun to me; it’s something that I’ve always wanted to be good at.”
Being a snowboardcross athlete is different from most professional winter sports. There’s no running clock, just a few racers bunched close to one another hoping to be the first to cross the finish line.
“Boardercross is a combination of every type of snowboarding,” Tomlinson said. “It’s a completely different thing. It’s not judged, it’s just racing.
“My whole life I’ve been racing, raced motocross, BMX, I think that I’m very comfortable being close to people when it comes to racing. It definitely fuels the fire more.”
Tomlinson has opened a few eyes on the SBX circuit. Along with being the youngest member of the U.S. team, he will be competing at the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix stop at Canyons resort in mid-February. It’s the tour’s second of three stops and will be one of Canyons’ first major international racing event. He recently qualified for the final 32 (30th overall) in Telluride, Colo., at the SBX World Cup.
“I’m excited to race in Park City,” he said. “I’m looking forward to be able to sleep in my own home. I’m excited to show people what boardercross really is, to be able to race against my friends. It should be fun.
“It’ll be cool to have my friends come out to see what I can do.”
The oldest of seven children, he has six younger sisters and singles out his 8-year-old sister Lyla as one who could eventually follow in his footsteps.
“She’s just hungry,” he said. “Just completely little out of control. No fear.”
When he’s not shooting down the mountain, Tomlinson enjoys skateboarding, surfing, snowmobiling and sledding. This past summer, he raced Volkswagen TDI cars in circuit cups around the country.
At 19, Tomlinson knows what his short-term and long-term goals are.
“This season, I’d love to find myself at a podium at the bigger events like X Games or the World Cup,” he said. “Mainly, I just want to improve and progress with help of the coaches.
“At the end of my career, I’d like to have a gold medal at the Olympics in my bag. That’s my plan.”