Courtesy of Alex Browne

This half-pipe, wholehearted snowboarder recently had his dreams come true when he won second place at a World Cup event in Stoneham; earning him a spot in this February’s Olympic Games. But before Jeff Batchelor could hop on the plane to Vancouver, the Cowgirls decided to talk with him about where it all started. And how after so many nasty falls, he’s always managed to get right back up again.

Pony: When you started snowboarding, at what point did you decide you wanted to do this professionally?

Batchelor: It all started with my Nintendo 64, when I purchased the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics game. My inspiration came from the sick half-pipe event in the game.  From then on I was pretty much in the half-pipe all the time with my friends trying to go bigger and land more difficult tricks.

Pony: So what video games do you play now?

Batchelor: I’m a big fan of Rock Band, I actually put it in my snowboard bag to bring to Stoneham with me.

Pony: Would Stoneham be your favourite place to board in Canada?

Batchelor: When I’m home, I like to go up to Collingwood and ride at Blue Mountain.  Although the pipe at Stoneham is one of my favourites for sure, and I think the best in Canada.

Courtesy of E. Graham

Pony: When you’re not on the hill, what do you like to do in your spare time?

Batchelor: The usual stuff like going up to my cottage, hanging out with friends, playing Rock Band, skateboarding, wake surfing and sailing. Anything that will give me a thrill.

Pony: What workout routines do you prefer? Got any tips for us?

Batchelor: When I’m not training in the pipe, I spend time working out on the trampoline.  It’s a great workout and helps me practice tricks. Hmm as for tips, I guess it’s all about a balance in your workouts and having a goal to work towards.

Courtesy of Jeff Batchelor.com

Pony: Do you have a preference with the brand of snowboard you use? Are there different styles of boards?

Batchelor: Right now, I ride Burton. There are tons of different styles based on the type of snowboarding you’re doing.  You want different characteristics in your board if you’re riding half-pipes versus hitting rails.

Pony: Or just heading down the hill haha. Are there other sports you’ll be watching during the Olympics?

Batchelor: Nah, snowboarding is the only one that interests me right now.

Pony: Touché. So after a nasty fall, what makes you want to get back on the board and do it again?

Batchelor: Falling is all part of doing an extreme sport and taking risks to get to the next level. It  happens and everyone falls at one time or another – I mostly try to brush it off and just focus on my next run.

Courtesy of Jeff Batchelor.com

Check out Jeff and our other Canadian athletes February 12th-28th at the Vancouver Olympic Games.

XoXo
– The Cowgirls