First comes crawling, then a few baby steps and then shredding it on the slopes. Or at least it is for 14-month-old Sloan Henderson.
Just weeks after Sloan learned how to walk, parents Katie Henderson, 29, and Zachary Henderson, 30, of North Salt Lake, Utah, took her to Park City Mountain Resort where she effortlessly balanced on the snowboard and went down the small slope without any assistance. A few people at the resort couldn't believe a baby was hitting the slopes.
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“We were just so proud of her. We were just so impressed that she could ride,” Katie told ABC News. “I’m just jealous because I don't pick up sports as quickly."
Both of Sloan’s parents play a variety of sports, such as wakeboarding and surfing, so it is no surprise that Sloan has a natural talent. Katie explained how her husband has “always had good balance” on a board, but Sloan’s joy of being outside comes “from the both of us,” she said.
While Katie just wanted her daughter to “get outdoors and have fun and not be stuck behind an iPad or TV,” she did not expect a simple ride down the slope would get worldwide attention. The video has been seen as far away as Hong Kong and Norway.
At first she posted the video on Facebook, but the quality was so poor that she uploaded it to YouTube where “it turned into something crazy. It’s kind of surreal,” Katie said. “It was just supposed to be for our family and friends."
She also posted other videos of Sloan zooming around the carpet in her home, being pulled by her father, and sliding down the snow in her backyard.
Katie said that the family will post new videos as Sloan learns new skills, such as going over bumps and learning how to turn. While Sloan is still far from being an Olympic star, Katie said she and her husband would completely support her.
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