ALL-MOUNTAIN SKIER

Q. What are some things you like to do on skis?

A. My favorite thing to do on skis is backcountry skiing. I like to do the work it takes to get out into some untracked and unfamiliar terrain. You can find alot of space out there and alot of peace. You have a little more appreciation for the mountains when you hike up em. On top of that, it's free!

Q. What do you think it takes to win a freeskiing contest?

A. Focus. You need to first understand the criteria, it's not always about the most impressive move, but more the whole run. Stick to what YOU can do, greasing your whole run is where it's at. Conditioning is also important. These are not groomed runs and the jumps are not easy to get to. In short, this aint the park and unconventional STYLES don't apply, so pull up your pants.

Q. How does winning a WORLD TOUR EVENT help the rest of your skiing?

A. It has made me an arrogant @%&hole. But seriously, competitions alone make you a better skier because with each contest you push to new limits. After a contest, I find my nerves to be much more calm when standing on top of a thirty footer.

Q. What is the sketchiest situation you have been in on skis?

A. Pre dawn hiking on Easter 2005 my party made a poor travel decision and ended up being hit with a 200 ft. long, 70 ft. wide, and 4 ft. deep slab. This might sound cool, but everything is out of your control when you are hit by an avalanche and they've been known to kill people.

Q. What are your plans for the future?

A. Save money, ski in contests, do photo work, and work on two films.

Q. How did you get involved in the freeskiing comps?

A. I competed in moguls for six years because freeskiing comps didn't exist. In 1998, Snowbird hosted the first U.S Freeskiing Nationals. When this kind of contest was created, I found the niche I had been looking for all of my life.

Q. Who are the skiers that influenced you?

A. Stump's old crew, Seth Morrison (the original big air hucker who actually tries to stomp his landings. He's better than all of today's "followers"), Rick Greener, Erik Roner, and Carlo Travarelli (the king of style).

Q. Who are your sponsors?

A. Predatorwear (founder Mark Kendrick and I grew up skiing moguls together in the early 90's and Mark has supported me endlessley, countless times, and that is what makes the best sponsor), Smith Optics (I've been on the team for eleven years, thanks Smith!!), Snowbird(since 2002), Alta(since 2003), Altabird.com(check out my page on athlete profiles www.altabird.com).

Final Words- All you young skiers out there, just be yourself. Don't let others tell you whats cool. Skiing is about life, not attitude. Peace.