Photos by Patrick Dodge
Patti Zhou is all about fun and jokes and, oh yeah, snowboarding. At age 11, Patti is one of the best snowboarders in the world. But if you ask her to share the secret to her success, she’ll tell you, “Just play—have some fun!” That’s truly the path she has taken.
Patti was born in Beijing and first stepped on a snowboard when she was two years old. At age five, on a trip to Japan, she really started to ride and showed a natural love and talent for the sport. She says, “I started snowboarding and it was so fun, I just fell in love with it. I fell in love with the mountains.”
She kept riding and improving, and at age seven she won two gold medals at the 2019 USASA National Championships, competing against the best kids in the country. After that her family, including her little sister, Yukki, moved to Colorado, where she’s been able to ride every jump, rail, and halfpipe at Copper Mountain. All that snowboarding paid off last winter at the 2023 Dew Tour snowboard contest when she earned second place in halfpipe among the top riders in the world.
Her winning run included big spins like a switch backside 900, but she also stood out for going fast, which means she can blast out of the pipe! Patti says, “I love going fast, like Formula 1. I’m a spaceship going to the moon.” Patti’s sparkly personality and confidence made her a fan favorite at the contest, where family and friends were dubbed the ‘Patti Party’ and she basically took over the announcer’s job of sharing jokes with the audience.
In addition to snowboarding, Patti also has a passion for travel. “I’m 11 and have already been to Japan, New Zealand, the States, and next I go to Europe.” When she’s not riding, Patti rips it up at the skatepark or throws huge airs on her surfboard. She hopes one day to compete on the Surfing World Tour.
“I love to snowboard, and now I’m here and I’m really grateful,” she says. Patti looks forward to competing at the Dew Tour again this winter, and her other big goal for the season is to compete at the X Games.