Bryan Bowles is hoping for some "big air" in Colorado next month.
The 13-year-old Halfmoon Bay snowboarder is one of four young extreme athletes who will represent the province at the Sports Illustrated Snow Search finals in Keystone, Colo.
The competition will see athletes from around North America competing in a U.S. televised three-day event Feb. 10 to 13. From that competition, 25 will be chosen to make up the Sports Illustrated Snow Team.
Bryan, who competes with the Whistler Valley Snowboard Club, was chosen for the Colorado event at the first all-mountain competition at Whistler-Blackcomb on Jan. 2.
The athletes went head-to-head in five events during the day, such as Big Mountain Simulations, Slopestyle, Snowcross and the Big Air finale. The field was narrowed to 14 competitors before the Big Air finale, which took place at night.
Bryan said it was pretty cool to compete in front of so many people.
"The crowd was roaring and cheering us all on," Bryan said. "The other three competitors chosen were all skiers. I was the only boarder, so that's pretty exciting. When they called my name and told me I was going to Colorado, I couldn't believe it."
Bryan will be working hard in the next few weeks training for the competition in Colorado. He feels confident about his chances.
"I went to their website and saw a video of last year's event, so I know what to expect," he said. "It's going to be a lot of fun, and I think I can do really well."
Bryan had a successful 2004 in which he competed in nine events and picked up more than $2,000 in prizes. He's also landed sponsorship for the Colorado event as a Flow rep is providing him with new gear.
Bryan has been boarding with the Whistler club for the past two years. He was turned on to the sport through his dad, Jim, an avid skier, and by a Christmas gift of ski lessons from his aunt a few years ago.
"He started with the lessons at Seymour and I wanted him to ski, but he went to the dark side right away," said Jim. "He's gotten some great coaching from the Whistler Club. We head up there every second weekend to train. They want him up there more, but with work and other commitments, it makes things difficult. It's been a good experience for us and it's great to see Bryan doing so well."
