The Broadside

Southern snowboarders are changing the sport

By Anisa Khalifa,

Charlie Shelton-Ormond, Josh Sullivan, Jerad Walker

Published February 5, 2026 at 5:30 AM EST

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Professional snowboarder Zeb Powell soars above the slopes in Beech Mountain, North Carolina.

Other places might have bigger mountains and better powder, but the icy slopes of western North Carolina are currently home to one of the most vibrant snowboarding scenes in the country. And it's produced perhaps the single most creative rider in the world. But is it all just a fluke?

Featuring:

Josh Sullivan, social media producer for WUNC News
Michelle Bruton, action sports and Olympics writer for forbes.com

Cover image: Luke Berger

The Broadside

Anisa Khalifa

Anisa Khalifa is an award-winning podcast producer and host at WUNC. She grew up in a public radio household, and fell in love with podcasts shortly before her friends convinced her to start one with them about Korean dramas. Since joining WUNC in 2021, Anisa has produced Me and My Muslim Friends, CREEP, Tested and Dating While Gray, and is the host of WUNC's weekly podcast The Broadside.

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Charlie Shelton-Ormond

Charlie Shelton-Ormond is a podcast producer for WUNC.

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Josh Sullivan

Josh Sullivan is a social media producer with WUNC’s digital news team.

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Jerad Walker

Jerad Walker is WUNC’s editor of narrative audio and podcasts. He joined the station in 2022 after nearly a decade at Oregon Public Broadcasting.

See stories by Jerad Walker