One season he's taking gold at the National Championships Men's Slopestyle at Copper Mountain, the next season he's the youngest competitor in the X-Games Snowboard Street Style, and the next he's standing at the center of the podium surrounded by a roaring Boston crowd with thousands watching.
That's LJ Henriquez for you, one of the champions of the Red Bull Heavy Metal Boston 2026, along side his co-champion Telma Särkipaju. We had the opportunity to tap in with LJ after his win to talk about his skyrocketing career and to get some of his thoughts.
Over the past few seasons, LJ's rise has felt undeniable. Contest podiums, standout clips, riding around the globe, and a growing presence alongside the TDI crew have pushed his name far beyond underground circles. Yet his perspective remains humble and grounded.
Boardslide Mag: Over the last few seasons, your visibility has exploded. Do you personally feel a shift from “up-and-coming” boarder to recognized rider winning huge contests like the Red Bull Heavy Metal: Boston 2026?
LJ Henriquez: I wouldn’t really say I’m recognized yet and have made it. There is still some things I need to do, so I would say I’m still up and coming but it definitely feels insane to have won a comp like Heavy Metal. It is almost a dream of mine.
That humility is part of what makes LJ's ascent so compelling. While the snowboard world may already view Heavy Metal as a breakthrough moment, he treats it as motivation rather than validation.
Winning runs are often remembered for scores or highlights, but riders themselves remember the tricks that clicked perfectly in the chaos of competition.
Boardslide Mag: Now looking back at Heavy Metal, what was your personal favorite make?
LJ Henriquez: My personal favorite make probably has to be my gap 50-50 on the ledge or the board slide pretzel on the DFD. I can’t decide, but definitely would have to be one of those.
These runs show cased LJ's technical consistency: controlled entries, clean executions, and confident makes on features where hesitation usually leads to slams.
Boston’s Heavy Metal crowd became part of the spectacle itself. Spectators climbing structures and trees just to catch a glimpse of the action. For some riders, that pressure can be overwhelming. For LJ, it amplified his performance.
Boardslide Mag: The Boston crowds were climbing poles and trees just to watch. Did that add pressure knowing how many eyes were on every attempt?
LJ Henriquez: The crowd doesn’t really affect me with pressure. If anything it just adds a stoke factor to the comp and makes everything way more hype.
That connection between rider and audience transformed this contest into something closer to a live street session, making Heavy Metal what it is today.
Despite the competitive format, Heavy Metal thrives on camaraderie. Henriquez drew inspiration from watching fellow riders push boundaries throughout the event.
Boardslide Mag: Heavy Metal always looks like a session more than a contest. Which rider had you hyped up the most?
LJ Henriquez: The rider that had me the most hyped at the comp probably had to be Nick Fox. We were in different heats so I got to watch his riding, and just seeing his tricks would get me turned up.
Moments like these highlight how progression often comes from shared support rather than rivalry.
With recognition comes expectation from fans, sponsors, and the industry itself. LJ views that attention as fuel rather than pressure.
Boardslide Mag: As your name grows, do expectations motivate you or does it at times feel heavier?
LJ Henriquez: At the end of the day I still got to do what I got do, so if anything it is motivating. I always wanna reach for best.
It’s a mindset that explains his rapid success: focus on improvement, not perception.
Beyond contest wins, Henriquez’s involvement with the TDI crew has helped broaden snowboarding’s reach as a whole, inspiring younger riders and new demographics entering the culture.
Boardslide Mag: Years from now, what do you hope riders say your influence on snowboarding was? You and the TDI crew are already inspiring not only the next generation, but introducing snowboarding to entirely new demographics. That is quite the achievement already.
LJ Henriquez: In 10 years I hope that I could just have a positive impact on snowboarding and drive people to push themselves past their own limits and expectations. To be the best person that they can be.
His answer speaks less about trophies and more about legacy and impact. That's the pathway to becoming a legend.
Every rising career is built on unseen support systems, and Henriquez is quick to acknowledge his.
Boardslide Mag: Aside from your own personal grind, who has helped push you the most?
LJ Henriquez: Some of the people who have helped push me the most have to be my mom and my dad and Lu for sure.
Behind every highlight clip and podium lies years of encouragement and belief from those closest to him.
LJ's win in Boston wasn’t an isolated moment. An ever growing list of victories and an expanding catalog of gas clips have steadily built his reputation as one of snowboarding’s most exciting riders in our opinion.
And he isn’t slowing down.
Boardslide Mag: We’ve loved watching your rise within snowboarding over the last few years. From multiple Slopestyle golds, and even winning our Bombs Away: Ruby Hill along the way. What can the people expect to see next from you?
LJ Henriquez: I don’t really know what people can expect from me. I hope I can keep grinding, winning, and getting better at snowboarding. But I have been getting some street clips this winter so people can expect to see some of those this upcoming fall.
We'll be impatiently waiting for LJ to make appearances in some street projects dropping fall 2026.
Winning Heavy Metal Boston 2026 may mark a defining chapter, but Henriquez clearly sees it as one step in a much longer journey. His combination of humility, technical mastery, and genuine stoke reflects a rider still driven by progression rather than status.
If his trajectory so far is any indication, the snowboard world isn’t watching his peak. It’s watching the beginning of something much bigger.
But as LJ Henriquez himself would put it, he’s still "up-and-coming". YEAH FUCKING RIGHT! He's a legend in the making. Good shit, LJ. Keep going big dawg. We're rooting for you.
