You dreamed of becoming a professional athlete as a kid—what does it feel like to have achieved that goal? How does the reality compare to the childhood dream?

It feels pretty cool, but I’m no big shot. The core of that dream was being able to snowboard every day, and that is pretty much how I get to live all winter. I feel extremely lucky to get paid to do what I love and have the opportunity to travel the world. It’s not the big bucks, but even if I had some other career, I would probably spend all my money on traveling and snowboarding anyway.

Freeride competitions are intense. What is your mental preparation like before dropping into a gnarly line?

I try to get hyped up. I ride my best when I am excited, so I work on channeling the energy of all my favorite lines from the past. At the end of the day, though, it's just snowboarding. I always make sure to remind myself how lucky I am to have the opportunity to drop in, no matter what happens.

Growing up with skiers, what drew you to snowboarding and how has being the "only snowboarder" influenced your style or approach to the mountain?

I definitely look at lines differently. I like to carve down the mountain, go fast, and get into steep, technical terrain. I'll take first tracks on a straight line over a fresh kicker any day. A lot of people tell me that I ride kind of like a skier in big mountain terrain. That isn't on purpose, it’s just a product of following my older brother’s tracks all my life. 

If you had a completely free Saturday, would you prioritize snowboarding or watching football?

Hahaha I would never skip a pow day to watch football. But I will definitely kick back and watch the night game.