Ellery Manning's Generational Shift
First published in Issue 23.4
You can trace a generational shift in snowboarding through Ellery Manning. Born and raised in Truckee, CA, her roots in the Sierra Nevada run deep and reflect a freeride foundation that's in her DNA. At 18, Ellery is part of a new wave of riders raised with access, mentorship and confidence to navigate the backcountry from the start.
Ellery Manning stoked for year two of Research and Development at Whitewater Resort, BC. She came out of nowhere to win the inaugural 2024 event, propelling her into the spotlight and the 2025 Natural Selection Tour. Photo: Andrew Miller
"I don't remember my first time seeing a snowboard," says Ellery, who skied until she was five. "My sister was on the snowboard team, my dad snowboards, my mom snowboards… and I thought, ‘I'm definitely not skiing anymore.’" As a kid, Ellery spent her weekends lapping Alpine Meadows with her parents, Tim and Kim, and sister, Bryn, alongside the Jones family—Jeremy, Tiffany, Mia and Cass. “It was kind of just us and them,” Ellery says of the Joneses.
Indeed, Ellery grew up amongst Tahoe snowboard royalty but didn’t realize it then. Those early days in Tahoe shaped her perception of the mountains and instilled a respect for their power and possibility. Ellery refers to Jeremy Jones simply as “Jer.” He’s been an important mentor, passing down knowledge on how to navigate the backcountry safely and the importance of understanding snowpack. Her dad, filmmaker and former pro rider Tim Manning, worked with Standard Films on the iconic TB Series and later filmed for Burton, among other brands. “I didn't have that much appreciation for the movies when I was younger,” Ellery says. “I thought they were cool, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized these are OG films. Filming with him now, I get to learn how a filmer works with athletes, but it’s just my dad, so it’s chill."
Laid back and en route to a 2nd place finish at Sugar Bowl, CA's 2025 Silver Belt Classic. Photo: Jake Pollock
Ellery flexing at the 2024 Research and Development contest. Photo: Andrew Miller
Ellery honed her board control by keeping up with fast skier friends through Sierra cement. “We got good at riding chop. I would ride with the skiers a lot, and they don't wait for you, so you have to go, go, go,” she says. She competed early on and excelled at giant slalom in high school, becoming the California State Champion two years in a row, and had success at local freeride events. But by her junior year, she was searching for the next path. With college on the horizon, Ellery considered attending San Diego State University, where snowboarding would just be something she did for fun when she could. "Then I did RnD, and that was a sign that I should keep doing it," she says.
The first Research & Development (RnD) in February 2024, a women’s-focused freeride event created by Robin Van Gyn, became a turning point for Ellery. She got a last-minute invite to Whitewater Ski Resort in Nelson, BC, after another rider got hurt. Still a senior in high school, Ellery wasn’t sure she could swing the cost or logistics “to just send it to Canada” at the time. That’s when family friend Danny Davis stepped in. Tim was in Alaska filming with Danny for a Warren Miller project when Robin called to let him know that Ellery had the wildcard spot at RnD. Danny said, “Wait, she’s going to RnD? I’m buying her a ticket. I wish somebody would have given me that support when I was her age. It would have gone a long way.”
"He was like, ‘I think it's really important you go and take this opportunity,’" Ellery says. "So he bought my ticket to go, which was insane."
She won the event.
Ellery on the podium at the 2024 Research & Development Contest. With her is her dad, legendary Tahoe-based filmer Tim Manning. Photo: Andrew Miller
"I wasn’t really thinking I was going to place," Ellery says. "Everyone else had some really sick runs and I was just happy with what I put down. Robin was stoked, and that was enough for me. I felt like I’d already done what I came there to do, even before awards or anything. I ended up winning and was really shocked. In that moment, I thought, ‘I totally can pursue this.’ A lot changed for me. I was bouncing between Utah and San Diego [for college] at that point, and this just made things clear."
Ellery’s win at RnD led to a highly coveted Natural Selection Tour invite, and ongoing mentorship from Robin. "Robin was like, ‘I'm not just going to send you into NST,’" Ellery says. "We're going to go step by step and figure this out.”
The two rode at Whitewater Ski Resort every day leading up to Natural Selection 2025. Robin mentored Ellery on how the competition rounds work and connected her with John Coleman, Ph.D., a wellness and high-performance sports psychology coach with Arc’teryx.
"NST's much more serious, and public, and bigger,” explains Robin. “There is a shift from learning and using the RnD experience to a more serious platform. It's definitely a little heavier, and there’s little bit more pressure. I wanted to keep it really light and work on strategy and play to Ellery’s strengths.”
Estelle Pensiero, Ellery’s good friend and fellow competitor, also earned a spot in NST via RnD. She brought a calm and lighthearted presence to arguably the biggest event in snowboarding. "We're the underdogs, so who cares if we tomahawk down the whole thing,” Estelle said. “No one expects big things of us.”
Even then, Ellery’s mind still played tricks on her before the event. "I think I was just placebo-ing myself. I thought, my boots felt weird, I can't ride this board. I was really tripping out hard. I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous in my life," Ellery says.
"When I did my first run, I was shaking the whole way down,” she adds. “I feel like I just blacked out. I didn’t even think about what I was doing; I just went. And then I got to the bottom and I was like, okay, did my first run, now I can lock in.”
A pensive moment during scout day at the 2025 Natural Selection Tour, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, BC. Photo: Colin Wiseman / Natural Selection Tour
Her second run was all instinct. She dropped in on feel and managed exposure. "That run felt so good. I was so stoked," she says. "Then I was sitting in first and Elena [Hight] was dropping after me and laid down the sickest run I’ve ever seen in real life.”
Ellery’s second run score run would have beaten most of the other competitors in the field, but going head-to-head with Elena and losing was part of the learning curve.
“I feel like I ripped the band-aid off,” Ellery reflects. “I was nervous for the comp, and to hang with all the pros, and to be in Revelstoke for the first time. I think if I did it again, I would be more focused on the comp instead of worrying about everything else.”
Ellery is proving herself alongside a growing crew of ripping riders like Estelle, Mia Jones, Billy and Juliette Pelchat, all younger women who found backcountry riding early, with a strong backbone of well-established and admired snowboard families. Together, they’re part of a generational shift in women’s freeriding, one where backcountry pursuits have always been a part of the program and a viable career path.
When you're raised by snowboard royalty, a proper backside air comes naturally. Baldface Lodge, BC. Photo: Aaron Blatt
“Riding with Ellery this season was amazing,” explains Estelle. “We have this dynamic of pushing each other, without being too competitive, that really helps us both progress. I don’t know of anyone else in snowboarding who’s on such a similar path to me as Ellery. Although we were always competing against each other, a win for her somehow feels like a win for me.”
Ellery is also juggling school at the University of Utah, where she’s majoring in business, and hopes to work in the snowboard industry after her pro career. "I’m obsessed with snowboarding. I just don't want to work, go to bed, go to work, go to bed, go to work. I cannot do that," she says. "I need to have that freedom."
She’s finding a rhythm with school, riding, learning new tricks and preparing for what’s next, including a short film with Arc’teryx, and a potential crew project with Mia, Estelle, Billy and Juliette.
Throughout it all, at just 18 years old, Ellery’s realizing that she’s always been a student of snowboarding. "It’s just taught me resilience," she says. "There are ups and downs, and that's just how it goes."