Shredding the West Coast since she was 15 years old makes Desiree Melancon prone to a flashy scene, but the only bling she'll proudly bust out is the bright yellow truck her dad gave her. As a rider, she's motivated more than ever to cover new ground with confidence and courage. As an artist she draws her inspiration from fantasy stories and music. Her surreal artwork reflects the brain of a young innovative female snowboarder who will push women's snowboarding in a new, positive direction with determinism and individuality. Desiree is an inspirational addition to the Les Ettes athlete team and fits perfectly the mix of different but strong female personalities.

Ten questions with Desiree

What's the difference between riding in Europe versus North America?
It's the same as everywhere else - they had a park, we snowboarded in the park, there were kids that were really good and people hanging out. I wish we could have ventured around, so next time I want to do something else than ride every day.

What's a memorable story about visiting the Alps?
My friend and I somehow ended up in downtown Munich and were lost for about six hours. We roamed around with no idea of what we were doing. We didn't even know where to go or how to get there, so we just sat there on a curb trying to call people. We were carrying board bags around and everything.

What's the scene like in your hometown Riverside?
My parents are pretty much the only thing in my hometown that represents me. It's called Riverside but there's no river, and it's like a huge suburb with nothing to do. The place to go is the Tyler Mall where everyone has shopping buddies but no one really has friends.

What's something the industry is good at making for men but not for women?
Some companies still don't make good girl snowboards. It's personal preference, but my ideal board would be a 152 or 153 twin tip soft board, regular camber and none of the fancy equalizer stuff. It has to be a bit wider with kind of sharp edges.

What would you bring back to riding and what would you leave behind?
One of the main things that I miss was ditching school to go snowboarding and the random I friends I'd make when I was younger. The friends I met snowboarding became my best friends. I'd never want wide stances to come back. When I was younger I had the widest stance and it was crazy. It would hurt my knees, but my boyfriend at the time said I needed to have a wide stance so I said okay. I think a regular stance is pretty key.

You like to draw, what are some things you'd add or subtract from board graphics?
I feel like graphics on boards should be simpler. I have an idea of what I like on a board, like some weird drawing of a naked girl in neutral colors. But to put something on a board everyone has to like it, and that's hard to make happen.

What's something you can draw that never gets old?
I usually try to make up stuff. I like to put birds on top of women's heads and draw the girls naked. Weird fantasy scenes are always fun, and when it turns out sweet I get really excited. Right now I'm trying to collect enough to have an art show.

What's your inspiration for drawing, and what's your canvas?
I read a lot of fantasy novels and I listen to music. The Beatles, Cat Stevens and Pink Floyd tap into the craziness parts of my brain. When I make paintings I usually go to a thrift store buy wood pieces, sand them down completely and then draw on them.

What are some ways you plan to push yourself this season?
I definitely feel like I want to get out of the U.S. and ride powder somewhere. My snowboarding has changed from wanting to only hit rails to wanting to go fast. I learned a lot with filming and have my head on a little better, and this year I can produce a part that I'm really excited about.

A girl asks for advice on making her sponsor me video. What are some tips?
Have some clips of riding random things you find. Parks are good but all that matters is how you snowboard. Make whatever the hell you want and hopefully someone likes it. And if someone doesn't, you can tell them to screw off because you like it. When I made mine it was all summer camp footage. I convinced people to record me. On the plane ride home I edited it to the worst emo-electronic song ever, and I'm pretty sure half of the tricks I don't land. I'm super embarrassed about it, but it worked.