Hanson Meng ’27 Qualifies for the Hong Kong National Snowboard Team

In his first year at Gould, Hanson Meng ’27, a snowboarder from Hong Kong, qualified for the Hong Kong National Snowboard Team at trials in Tignes, France, with support from Snowboard Program Director Dustin Holzweiss ’02. Hanson will open up his season at the FIS Australia New Zealand Cup (ANC) this August. The following is a reflection on his season and what brought him to Gould Academy.

“I have been snowboarding since I was six, an unlikely path for someone growing up in Hong Kong, where you have to travel a long way to find snow. What began as a hobby became a goal of racing at the national level, and in 2024, I finished second in my category at the Chinese national snowboarding race.

Holding a full academic merit scholarship at my school in Hong Kong meant a great deal to me, so I held myself to a high academic standard and put my studies first. The trade-off was that I left myself little time for serious training.

I realised I wanted to pursue snowboarding and academics side by side. That is what led me to find Gould, whose competitive snowsports programme is built to make that possible.

- Hanson Meng ’27, Hong Kong National Snowboard Team

At Gould, I could finally train properly, and I went for the Hong Kong team.

I sent a cold email in August 2025 to introduce myself, then spent October and November working through the logistics, with a great deal of help from Gould Coach Dustin Holzweiss, who guided me through communicating with the Hong Kong team. In December, I sent a riding video for consideration and was invited to trials. In April, I travelled to Tignes, France. My luggage was delayed for a full week, and I had equipment and gear to sort out right before I competed, but I still passed the trials.

This August, I will open my race season at Mt Hotham on the FIS Australia New Zealand Cup (ANC) circuit, with more events to follow. Every time I am on the start line I represent both Hong Kong and Gould, and it feels like only the beginning.”