Congratulations, Shay!

My online colleague-in-blogging, Shannon Johnson, author of Shayboarder.com, has been hitting her stride and making a name for herself. What I didn’t know is just how popular she has become.

The other day ESPN.com ran a story, “Chez Shayboarder,” about Shannon and her site. I don’t remember when I first came across Shayboarder–that site started in August 2007, I started this blog in October, 2004–but I’ve appreciated Shannon’s work for several reasons.

First, her writing doesn’t sound like it comes from a high-school dropout. Perhaps that’s one reason it has less of the snowboarding dialect than the typical snowboarding site. (On the other hand, she does use the word “haters” as a synonym for “critics.” Is that a generational artifact?)

Second, we’re both minorities within snowboarding. She’s a woman; I’m a man who has passed his 40th birthday. I can relate to someone being out of the mainstream of the sport.

Third, she knows her stuff, and she’s approachable. I’ve asked for her opinion on gear, and she’s been kind enough to give me her opinion.

A lot of other people have found reasons to like Shayboarder. For one thing, it has had over 800,000 page views in its two years of existence. The Grays on Trays blog, in its nearly 5 years of existence, has received … a lot less.

Perhaps it’s Shannon’s product knowledge. Or more importantly, her attitude. “‘The site is popular because it’s for average riders, whether they ride 10 or 50 days a year,’ explains Shay.” She adds “I think many snowboarders today go online looking for something to relate to.”

Makes sense to me.