With injury woes in the rearview mirror, Juliette Pelchat is free to pursue her lofty aspirations, and this past weekend in Tahoe, Calif. was another feather in her cap.
Pelchat and her younger sister, Amalia, took part in the Uninvited Invitational on April 15 at Boreal Mountain. They joined 60 of Earth's most talented athletes dropping into what was billed as the biggest women-specific snowboard competition to date.
The elder Pelchat did not leave empty-handed, earning the "One to Watch Out For" award and $1,000 of a $40,000 prize purse.
"Thank you, [The Uninvited] and Jess Kimura for making this special event happen!" Pelchat said on her Instagram account after the event. "I am so honoured to be able to shred with all these insane and well-respected rippers! I look up to all of you.
"Hyped to be doing this event alongside my sister, who is also so freakin' stylish. Thank you to Jess and team, and here’s to many more. Also so hyped to win the 'One to Watch Out For' award! Made my season!"
Behind the contest and the greater "Uninvited" movement is Squamish native Kimura, a veteran athlete who cut her teeth in slopestyle, halfpipe and boardercross before transitioning into the film and urban snowboarding industry. She released her career-defining movie, The Uninvited, in 2018 as a way to showcase relatively unknown female up-and-comers in her sport. Two sequels followed in 2020 and 2021, paving the way for last weekend's festivities at Boreal Mountain.
Lauren Derminio emerged on top, winning $12,000. The American bested a diverse international field, which included contenders from Norway, Austria, Finland, Japan, Spain, Denmark, Estonia, the Netherlands and of course, Canadians like the Pelchat sisters.
Finnish teenager Telma Särkipaju placed second and Egan Wint of the United States ended up third.
