She may be just 16 years old, but there's no getting past Ty Walker's impact on women's slopestyle. A rising talent since she was seven, Walker already has an impressive list of accolades. In 2011, the young gun took first place in slopestyle at USASA Nationals in the Open Class Division and won the 2011 Roxy Powder Jam at Mammoth Mountain, CA. Other honors include winning the Burton European Open Junior Jam for three consecutive years (2009-11). In 2012 Walker took a step back from competing and hit the snow and gym hard to train up for a potential spot with the Sochi Olympics.

Walker may have turned 16 years old in 2013, but she held the torch for the U.S. women at the FIS World Snowboarding Championship, taking the best U.S. female finish in fifth. She also jumped up six spots on the World Snowboard Tour ranking. That’s not too bad for the pint-sized slopestyle princess!

TY SAYS
I am happy with my season this year. I wasn’t focusing on results. I was doing what I had to do to put myself in the best position for next year.

FIRST TRACKS
Ty was raised in a family that liked to spend time on skis. The Walkers would travel every other weekend from their Long Island, NY home to Vermont in order to spend time on snow. It wasn't long after she first saw snowboarding that Walker got the bug. After receiving her first snowboard, she has never looked back.

OFF THE SNOW
When she's not riding, Walker is a straight-A student who likes hanging out with her friends, playing field hockey and jumping on her trampoline.