//Elsv// Tell us a little bit about yourself? Where did you grow up and when did you realize pro snowboarding was for you?
//Dylan// What’s up, my name is Dylan Thompson. I grew up in Hood River, Oregon, right near Mt. Hood. I grew up riding Mt. Hood Meadows Resort, and all around the Northwest. Rad place to grow up snow boarding, skateboarding and doing all that fun stuff. Pretty much for me, um I realized I wanted to be a pro snow boarder towards the end of my high school years. And so after I graduated high school, I moved out to Salt Lake City, Utah, and I started going to the community college down there. And pretty much was snow boarding everyday. So ended up skipping school a lot. My grades weren’t the best. But it worked out real good, cause I met a lot of people down there that I ended up filming with getting sponsored by and so pretty much me moving down there is what led me to getting hooked up and turning snow boarding into an actual career.
//Elsv// Was snow boarding your only extracurricular activity you did growing up?
//Dylan// Actually, as a kid, I played ice hockey for a long time. That was my first passion for a long time, probably ‘til I was 7th or 8th grade. And then some of my team mates got me into skateboarding, and we would be always skateboarding to games or whatever. Skateboarding around the parking lot. And that led me pretty much into skateboarding. And around that same time I got into snow boarding. Actually, snow boarded before that, but never took it to seriously. I would go up and cruise, but once I got into skateboarding, I started trying tricks and watch videos, know who the pros were, stuff like that, got more involved with it.
//Elsv// Do you think it’s important for snow boarders to be good skaters, to progress?
//Dylan// I think it’s possible to be just a snow boarder, but I think it helps to skateboard because it’s like really similar tricks. I think practicing skateboarding helps your snow boarding because it gives you a creative mind set as far as looking at hitting things. I think that’s why people who skate have a more open mind to how they ride their snow board in the city and in the mountain.
//Elsv// How does music culture inspire your progression?
//Dylan// I listen to all types of music, but hip hop is more influential in my style of riding. The clothes and the way I do tricks. I get inspiration from the music, stuff like that, just try like to put that into my riding as much as I can.
//Elsv// Do you have a different deal with your sponsors when it comes down to responsibilities?
//Dylan// My sponsors are all on the same page with me in terms of what I do for them. I don’t do a lot of contegraphssts. I do a couple of rail contests per year, but my #1 focus during the winter is to travel and shoot videos and photos, and stuff like that. Which is where my passion is at. Since I was a kid, I loved watching snow boarding and skateboarding videos. I always looked up to that and wanted to be part of that. I never really cared who won the contest. So pretty much travelling and stuff like that. My sponsors look for me to get a good video part, coverage in a magazine, or on the web, cause I don’t do too many contests or have the greatest contest results.
//Elsv// What new videos are coming up?
//Dylan// I spent the whole winter filming “Finger on the Trigger” Familia 2 video. It should be coming out any day now. We just started a couple premieres, and we are about to go show it down the road right now.
//Elsv// Where did you guys go for the filming?
//Dylan// This year, we went to Japan, East Stonia, which is bewtween Finland and Russia. Went to Montreal, Canada and Chicago, and all aroundthe West Coast. Some stuff up in Oregon and a lot in Utah. That’s where I’m based out of in the winter time.
//Elsv// Back country and park?
//Dylan// Mostly urban this year. I got kinda hurt towards the end of the season, so I didn’t end up getting out into the back countryas I would have liked. Which is one of my main goals this coming season. Do more of that. This year was mostly urban stuff.
//Elsv// Who are your current sponsors?
//Dylan// I ride for Technine Snow Boards, Neff, ThirtyTwo, Etnies, Electric, Monster, Da Kine, and Mt Hood 26 Boardshop.
//Elsv// Last shoots?
//Dylan// Thanks to all my sponsors and all who have helped me get to this point in snowboarding.
