Richie Johnston

Name: Richie Johnston

Age: 24

After completing a BSc. Geography major at Canterbury University and growing up on a farm, Richie decided that office work wasn’t for him. In 2004 he worked for a local engineering firm in Wanaka and trained at Treble Cone on the weekends.

While being trained by the Rookies he was referred to work in Colorado for Keystone Mountain. The excellent snow conditions and living in a ski resort only fueled his passion to ride and teach. He soon discovered that the terrain park would become addictive and every chance to jib was relished.

On returning to NZ he worked for Coronet Peak and the Remarkables in Queenstown furthering his experience in the industry. Richie quickly progressed through the SBINZ system to gain Trainer’s Accreditation within 3 years and by the age of 24. He started working for the Rookie Academy in 2006.

When not training Rookies in New Zealand and the States, he makes the most of the outdoors as much as possible. Traveling, photography, DH and X-country Mountain biking, kayaking and even wakeboarding during the winter months (sometimes while snowing) keep him stoked. Richie is looking forward to pushing the boundaries of his and others riding while keeping the days as fun as possible!