In this episode of The Gnar Stool, we sat down with Desiree Melancon, a pro snowboarder, artist, grad student, and mental health advocate whose impact on the action sports world goes far beyond the mountain.

Desiree shares her personal journey from growing up in Riverside, California to becoming a driving force for mental health awareness in the outdoor community. She opens up about her own experiences with mental health, including surviving a suicide attempt and losing close friends, and how those moments led her to start STAY (Somebody’s Thinking About You), a nonprofit aimed at breaking the stigma around mental health and suicide.

We dig into the work STAY is doing through custom prevention trainings, art nights, and community events that create connection and space for healing. Desiree also speaks to the role creativity plays in h ...