Coach Heath Van Aken calls the Belmont, Vt., native crazy in the pipe and marks her as one to watch in the next few years leading up to the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. Hannah's fearlessness in the pipe means big air and huge tricks, consistently making her a crowd favorite. And if her moves look familiar, don't look past the older talent in the Teter family. Older brothers Abe and Elijah are both professional snowboarders as well. Elijah continues to gather speed at the same rate as his little sister - he also won the 2002 Junior Worlds and placed second at the 2003 Grand Prix Series in Breckenridge.
Q1: Congrats on your win this weekend Hannah. How did you feel going into the competition?
HANNAH TETER: I wasn't feeling good in the morning at all. I was pretty sore too. I took some Motrin and it started to kick in before my run. It's fun though because this event is less stressful than most. I just drop in and ride. My buddies were here from Vail so it was fun to have them cheering for me. I like to do my own thing - I hear the crowd and just go with it. The crowd was great and the music was blaring, plus all these girls are riding so well and going bigger so it just makes you want to ride better. And it's awesome to be able to share the podium and celebrate with Elijah. I'm so proud of the way he rode.
Q2: Now that you've won two Chevy Grand Prix titles - in Park City and Breckenridge - you have a shot at winning the Chevy truck, even though you just turn 16 at the end of January. How is driving going for you?
HANNAH TETER: I'm a pretty good driver - I'm in Driver's Ed right now. My teacher doesn't think I'm too good though!
Q3: Any accidents?
HANNAH TETER: Once I pulled out of a grocery store right when a car was coming. I stopped and reversed and the car swerved around me at around 35 miles per hour. It was scary because my whole family was in the car yelling at the same time. I just hate driving my dad's van, because it always feels like it's going to fall over. I want a stick shift. I'm not very good at that yet though. I've just about killed my mom's car a couple of times grinding the gears. I suck on hills too and fall back a lot.
Q4: Maybe in a car, but not on the pipe. Do you feel more comfortable low in the pipe or going high?
HANNAH TETER: Definitely when I'm high. I feel closer to God and the sky! I'm just starting to go upside down too - flips and stuff. I like to go big though. People say I have my brother Abe's style.
Q5: Did your brothers motivate you to start riding the pipe?
HANNAH TETER: My brother Abe was the first one who starting snowboarding. He built his own jumps and half pipe. He got really good so I wanted to give it a try. Abe's the best and the oldest. His personality is so cool - he's kick ass. I mean, a lot of snowboarders are cool, but not that cool! He'll get 20 feet out of the pipe. I don't know if I'd be able to get that high. Elijah's an awesome rider too.
Q6: Do your brothers tease you at all? Are they protective?
HANNAH TETER: Sometimes they try to pull practical jokes, like they'll tell me to go out to the front of the car to look at something and they they'll just start honking the horn and laugh at my surprise. I'm gullible like that. But I don't know about protective. They'd probably just kick some boy's butt behind my back! No, they'd probably just tell me what's up.
Q7: What about your parents? Are they riders?
HANNAH TETER: It's fun to watch them go down on boards. They can carve the half pipe too! We have to wait for my mom sometimes, but she's actually pretty good.
Q8: Do you play any other sports?
HANNAH TETER: I also skateboard, play soccer, wakeboard, kneeboard. I pick things up pretty fast. Sometimes I'll go out double kneeboarding with my friends and we'll wrestle, trying to knock each other off into the water. Everyone just bashes into each other on the boards. And my next thing is to try surfing.
Q9: Have you always been athletic? Did snowboarding just come naturally to you?
HANNAH TETER: No! I used to be the little runt in the lesson group and everyone had to wait for me. I was in third grade at the time - not the youngest, just the worst. I fell a lot too! I started out in these little dinky competitions and got so nervous.
Q10: What's next for you? Are you ready for all of the attention that goes along with being a professional snowboarder?
HANNAH TETER: My goal is to make it on lots of podiums this year. The Olympics are huge and it would be great to be there in the future. I also really want to win the Chevy truck. I turn 16 on Jan. 27 so it would be a good birthday present. But it's funny - everyone tells me not to turn into a rock star and "don't forget me." I hope I don't ever change - only for the good. Ask me in a year and see if I've changed!