Growing up in Jackson, Wyo. and ditching her skis in favor of a snowboard in the fifth grade, Lynn Neil is a pioneer in a lot of ways – and not just because she became a professional snowboarder from a state more known for its national parks (Yellowstone ring a bell?) than its snowboarding scene.

Balancing competitions with school, Neil attended Weber State starting in 2004, founding the university’s snowboard club at the same time. Though she has since turned the reins of the club over to successors, Neil and her longtime boyfriend and coach are now actively involved in The Wasatch Project, a nonprofit group that helps up-and-coming snowboarders realize their dreams and potential in the sport.

With a string of wins on the Revolution Tour in her career and a pair of podium finishes on the Burton Am series in 2009, Neil closed out the 2009-10 Winter Dew Tour ranked seventh in the year-end rankings, proving that she can make an impact both on the am and the pro circuits.