Meet Tahoe’s Youngest Pro Snowboarder – 5-Year-Old Leland the Falcon
When Chuck Vogt, founder of Tahoe Longboards, took 2-year-old Leland to the slopes with a tiny snowboard for the first time, he was excited to share his passion with his young son. Little did he know, Leland would quickly become the shredder in the family.
Right off the bat, Leland was a natural, riding down the snowy slopes with a confidence usually seen in longtime riders. In fact, his first ride was so impressive, he was featured on Good Morning America at the ripe age of 2.
Since then, Leland has rode frequently with his dad, learning how to shred the slopes of his home mountain Squaw Valley. In the recent year, Leland has progressed to hitting boxes and jumps in the terrain park, gaining him sponsorships from ShredDog Gear, Bern Helmets and Hawaiian Springs Water.
“We just love snowboarding,” said Chuck on the Talking NorCal podcast. “Whether it goes somewhere for him or not, he’s going to have a lifelong passion chasing that snow like I did.”
Today, Leland goes by his fitting nickname – The Falcon – and can typically be seen shredding the slopes of Squaw in his bright orange suit. We sat down with Leland and his dad Chuck to discuss being a professional snowboard at the age of 5, Chuck starting Tahoe Longboards and the culture behind the skate and snowboard scene in Northern California. Watch the full interview:
If you want to keep up on the progression of Leland, check out his popular Instagram page @lelandthefalcon. Here’s some of his highlights:
Keep shredding, Leland!
