Snow bother for high-flying shannon!

Jul 2 2009 by Paul Behan, Paisley Daily Express

FREESTYLE snowboarding sensation Shannon Robertson is riding high after she competed in an adult ladies competition at Bellahouston and finished in a highly creditable third place.

The 14-year-old, who attends Trinity High School in Renfrew, took to the dry slope and was up against two professional boarders who were several years older than the talented teenager.

But Shannon, who combines her academic studies by attending the Young Carers Centre in Paisley’s Silk Street, proved she was more than a match in the older age group category and wowed the judges with her terrific boarding skills.

And her proud mother Mary, who young Shannon helps to care for, reckons her daughter is good enough to one day be a queen of the snowboarding slopes.

She said: “Shannon has only been snowboarding since November but she absolutely loves it and she’s hoping to maybe take it up professionally because she gets so much enjoyment from it.

“She took part in a competition at the dry slope in Bellahouston but, because there’s not a lot of girls who do snowboarding at her age, there was no-one in the kids group.

“But she went into the Ladies section and there were five of them in total – and two of them were professionals!

“Shannon finished third in what was a hard competition. She did really well and I’m very proud of her.

“She’s keen on snowboarding big-time and wants to make a real go of it and wants to get more advanced at it and move up a level.

“But the problem is there are not a lot of competitions she can take part in for girls of her age.

“Hopefully she can maybe get some sponsorship down the line that can help her to progress to the next level.”

Shannon’s recent exploits on the boards resulted in a broken arm but thankfully her plaster is off and she’s back to doing what she loves best.

Mary added: “She had a wee fall recently and Shannon’s been a bit down but that’s her stookie off and now she wears a wrist brace.”

Shannon is not the only talented snowboarder in the Robertson family as her younger brother Jacob is also making a name for himself in the sport too.

Earlier this month, Express Sports revealed how Jacob, 11, kept his cool to continue his rapid rise in the sport by winning a title during the latest event in the For Boarders By Boarders Tour 2009.

St James’s Primary pupil Jacob turned on the style and managed to win a Rookie of the Night award when the event was staged in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.

And in a further boost, the young boarder, who took up the sport less than a year ago at Xscape at Braehead, also managed to secure some sponsorship from two local businesses in his bid for stardom.

Any other big-hearted businesses or organisations who might be able to offer sponsorship to Jacob or Shannon should get in touch.

To register any interest in sponsoring both kids, call Express Sports on 0141 847 8634 and we’ll pass on your details.