Ambassador Profile: Manny Archuleta

Heavily inspired by his love of snowboarding, Belong Ambassador Manny Archuleta (aka Manny the Cat aka Manimal) firmly believes that to follow your passion means to follow your heart.

Name:  Manuel Archuleta aka Manny the Cat aka Manimal

Instagram: @everywhereiglo_aka_manimal

Born: Alamosa, Colorado

When I first started my sport:  I started snowboarding when I was 8 years old. I realized I wanted to snowboard professionally when I saw Antti Autti do the first 1080 in a pipe. I had no way of knowing that snowboarding would eventually end up saving my life and also have a huge impact on me!

Superhero: My favorite superhero is definitely Spiderman. I've always had a profound love for the outdoors and all creatures that dwell in it!  

My favorite place in the world: I’m a snowboarder through and through, so my favorite place in the world is the drop in the ramp of a park jump that’s 40 foot or bigger. I love the feeling of flight when I hit the jumps. It’s where I feel most at home and alive.

My perfect day: My perfect day would consist of the three most important priorities in my life: My family, my snowboard, and my music. Any day with the three of these are the best of days.

My greatest accomplishment: Raising my daughter.

Top 5 spots: The snowboarder in me is compelled to instantly name my top five favorite snowboard mountains, but I can also think of a few places that are near and dear to my heart.

Favorite spots in general:

• Lincoln Creek, Colorado
• Independence Pass, Colorado
• Unaweep Canyon, Colorado

Top mountain spots:

• Steamboat, Colorado
• Copper Mountain, Colorado
• Taos, New Mexico
• Mammoth Mountain, California
• Breckinridge, Colorado

What do I think it means to follow your passion and find where I belong: I truly believe in order to follow your passion you have to follow your heart. I have always wanted to be a pro snowboarder since I can remember, so being able to focus on my goal all while caring for the life of others has truly allowed me to appreciate what passion is all about.