Spencer Shaw

Home: Connecticut (summers) and Vermont (winters)

Age: 13

Years snowboarding: 7

Sponsors: O’Neill, Swix, Stratton Mountain

Favourite trick: 720: “You have to go really fast in the pipe, and you get to go really high.”

Pro role models: Danny Davis: “He’s a little short because he used to do gymnastics, and he’s such a good snowboarder — he can do all these flips in the pipe.”

Ideal terrain: Halfpipe and slopestyle “because I like hitting jumps and rails”.

Off-snow fun: Soccer, four-wheeling, wakeboarding, surfing

Cool instructor: After starting out on skis, competing at age 5, Spencer was taught how to ride by U.S. Olympic medalist Lindsey Jacobellis — and his dad: “They just taught me, and I liked it and started entering competitions.”

What is the best way to kill time on a chairlift? “Listen to your iPod. When I [ride with my iPod] I only put one earplug in so I can hear what’s going on and not run into anybody.”

What is the most difficult trick you’ve landed? “My scariest trick is a 9. I’m just learning it, and it’s really scary because you have to go really fast and if you don’t make it, you can catch your edge in the pipe — and you don’t wanna do that.”

What is your goal in snowboarding? To compete in the X Games and Olympics

Where is the coolest place snowboarding has brought you? “We went to Whistler one year for a competition. The mountain is so big.”

What is your greatest accomplishment in snowboarding? The United States of America Snowboard Association champion finished second at the Junior Jam in 2005 U.S. Open

What advice would you give to kids with pro snowboarder aspirations? “Start riding and not sit at home watching TV.”