Coming up in Alberta, first in Grand Prairie and then Calgary, Kennedi started riding in the streets with the SRD crew soon after she graduated high school. Her part SRD’s 2017 video, Twist, was when she really started turning heads. The year after, she landed opener in The Uninvited, a part that earned her Rookie of the Year and communicated to the greater snowboarding community what Calgary already knew: Pay attention to Kennedi Deck.

Since then, Kennedi’s momentum has consistently increased. On her board, she is creative and considered, pushing things further with each passing winter. In 2020, she filmed for Evergreen, her first movie with the Vans crew, and amidst a stacked roster, Kennedi snagged the opening segment. Off her board, she is a compassionate and outspoken leader in snowboarding when it comes to equity and inclusivity. She shared her story in Torment’s first-ever Pride Week and then co- founded Seen Snowboarding with the friends who also participated in the Torment initiative. On Instagram at @seensnowboarding and in person at snowboarding meet-ups in all different regions, Seen is group with the motto “all are welcome” that is dedicated to providing a space for queer snowboarders.

So it’s incredibly deserved that this season, Kennedi has added another accolade to her steadily rising star: her first pro model snowboard boot with Vans, part of a signature collection that also includes an off-hill boot and a skate shoe. Getting the call that she would have signature footwear was “so wild,” Kennedi says. “Something you dream of, for sure.”

Kennedi’s boot is the Hi-Standard OG, the best-selling Vans boot, ever. “It’s been the boot I’ve been riding for a handful of years now,” says Kennedi. “My favorite thing is how good they fit right out of the box. It’s nice to not have to worry about breaking them in like some other stiffer boots.”

The off-hill boot is the Standard Mid Snow MTE, a lower- profile, mid-rise boot made for everyday winter wear and protection from the elements. “I am supper excited about the MTE because they usually are a lot taller,” Kennedi explains. “These are more mid-height boots, so they will be a lot more practical for everyday life.”

And finally, Kennedi has her own Era, an archetypal Vans style, perfect for skating and cruising around town. The collection has you covered for every day.

Kennedi is also an artist. She paints, she does mosaic, and she recently learned rug hooking with her partner Mikaela. When it comes to making art, Mikaela plays a big part in Kennedi’s creativity. “We currently share a studio space, so we are always making stuff together or bouncing ideas off each other. She has been my biggest inspiration lately, for sure.”

With Kennedi’s interest in artistic self-expression, it’s no surprise that her Vans collection looks sharp. “My inspo was actually from an old, beat-up pair of Era shoes I found on Instagram,” she explains. “They were pretty much the exact same as the shoes I have in my collection—the off-white and two-tone blues. I like that it had a sort of vintage look to it, but was still really classically ‘Vans.’ Blue is also my favorite color so that made it easy, ha.”

But even more than the look of each piece of footwear, Kennedi’s collection takes things a big step forward. Her High Standard OG is the first-ever boot of its kind to be available in both men’s and women’s sizing, ensuring that anyone can pick up a pair to ride. “Plain and simple, I think it is very important to break down the gender binary in snowboarding,” says Kennedi. “Creating products that are inclusive for anyone seems like a first step. Hopefully in the future with Vans and other companies, we can continue to push for more inclusive products, teams, language, award categories, and everything.”

And that is a yet another testament to what Kennedi brings to snowboarding. Not only is she shaping the status quo through her riding, but she is affecting the culture with her voice, her actions, and her drive to make the industry more welcoming and accessible for everyone. For Kennedi, it’s all connected, and her new collection with Vans is testimony to that.