I have known Jeremy since the beginning of high school. This kid has improved so much from the time I met him until now but it does'nt surprise me at all. I can honestly say he is one of the hardest working riders in snowboarding and when he wants to learn something, he won't stop riding until he does.

I am stoked to see the gaining support from sponsors because he deserves every bit of it, Louie Vito

Name: Jeremy Thompson

Sponsors: Flow,

Level Age: 19

High School: Stratton Mountain School, class of 06

Hometown: Upstate New York

Home Mountain: Hunter Mountain New York

Current Residence: Utah I first spied Jeremy at the ICER Air in SF this past fall. He made the finals amidst a heavy crew. Saw him again at Breckenridge and he barely missed the pipe finals. Then again Danny Davis, Louie Vito and Chad Otterstrom missed the finals too so f-it. Not one to be deterred Jeremy fucking ripped apart the Paul Mitchell Expression Session that very night. This kid rips and may represent some part of the future of snowboarding so I decided to ask him some questions. We sat down and ate at Rasta Pasta; here is what he said coming up in the snowboard world

Jeremy jibs it up at Donner Pass near Tahoe. Photo by Ryan Hughes

SR: How is riding Hunter?

JT: Their terrain park isn't that good and it's always super busy but there are powder days there that are probably the best I have ever had. The mountain is so steep; you can find good cliffs and tree lines. You can stay on a trail and never get stuck because it is so steep, unlike the mountains in southern Vermont. Out here (west) they are pretty flat, surprisingly. I want to have another good powder day out there again, sometime soon

SR: Who did you go to school with at Stratton?

JT: Our graduating class was pretty cool; Danny Davis, Louie Vito, Nick Russell..there were so many good riders in our class. Then like Michael Goldschmidt, Tyler Emund, Ross Powers…they all graduated before me

SR: How do you go from being a kid that snowboards in New York to Stratton Mountain Academy to being on the verge of being a full on pro snowboarder?

JT: The school definitely provides all the resources to get to where you want to be. How you take advantage the opportunities and utilize them the most, you know? After that you are on your own. Whether you go with contests or try to film all year. It depends on how dedicated you are.

SR: It seems like east coast guys hit the contest circuit hard?

JT: Some of the east coast people do travel to get to the better terrain. Thats where the contest thing comes in with people from the east coast, I think.

SR: A lot of the new guard from the east coast seems really motivated. Do you think the crappy mountains and more challenging conditions are motivating?

JT: Yea it kind of pushes you. Once you get out to the west coast you realize how good it is and you may appreciate it a lot more. In that sense yea. You dont look at crappy conditions and say I dont wanna ride that, you make the best out of what you have.

SR: You moving out west?

JT: Yea, Salt Lake City, been out here the whole season.

SR: Park City has a sick park; every time I go there its like Aaron Bitner, MFM, Stevie Bell and so on cruising around

JT: Yea, they are always there. Park City has their riders and they are repping pretty hard. They do a good job building their stuff. Last year was not as good because they moved all their parks around. I think this year, they will dial it in. There will be a lot more of those guys riding there

SR: Your parents?

JT: They are down with what I am doing; they support me the whole way. As long as I am doing what I want to do.

SR: I have seen you do big air and pipe; do you do rails and stuff too?

JT: I like to ride everything. I am actually going to Russia next week for a rail contest.

SR: Who pays for that?

JT: The contest is paying some riders to come out?

SR: Sweet, how did you hook that up?

JT: Andrew, the team manager from Flow, has the contacts and he has been trying hard to get me any event he can for the exposure, so thanks to him

SR: How was it in the ICER air, going up against big names like Andreas Wiig and Travis Rice?

JT: That was fun! I have never hit a scaffolding jump like that. To see like Travis do a double rodeo 10 in person was pretty phenomenal. It was completely motivating; I had to step it up. Andreas too, going for double corked 10s as well.

SR: Andreas would have made it but the snow was too soft in the LZ at the at the Icer Air. If it was here (Breckenridge) Andreas would have made it

JT: Yea, for sure

SR: What do you want to get out of snowboarding?

JT: Just compete and film, hopefully get a video part in the next few years with some big companies. If it supports me financially, I can stay healthy and I can keep doing it; thats all I really want out of it. Keep it fun.

SR: What about school, how do you go to school and snowboard, how many snowboarders have gone to college?

JT: Not many its pretty rare. Its so time consuming to do schoolwork and ride all day and all night. I feel like its necessary to get 4 years or at least an associates degree done

SR: Yea, well if you are making good money like Danny Kass or something I guess you dont need school

JT: If it works out right from the start then yea but if you are not making a good income off it right off the bat then I think going to school is pretty necessary

SR: Does it hurt your riding?

JT: The only time was when I was in New Zealand and I could not stay as long as I wanted, I missed a few opportunities. Other than thats if you just do fall semesters. If you are cool with your professors, they help you out. I actually just took all my finals. Right now with finals time is the toughest. I let all my teachers know ahead of time. I took all my finals in one day and got back out here, I am pretty psyched about it.

SR: Influences?

JT: Danny Davis for sure, he has one of the best styles, Scotty (Lago) for sure. Kevin (Pearce), Mason and all those guys. Then like Travis is amazing, he is one of my favorite riders, Gigi Ruff. Other than that I like riding with my friends all day; Nick Rusell, Sebastion, pushing each other

SR: What do your hometown friends do now?

JT: I dont see them as much as I used to. I help them out with snowboard stuff when I can; they get pumped on that so thats cool. They are going to college for the most part, becoming mechanics; others are just living up in Burlington

SR: Not going to Russia? JT: (laughs) No!

A lot of style in this Indy Air for a 19 year old - Breckenridge, CO

frontside spin in Breckenridge while Mason Aguirre drops in

900 over the Bay Bridge in San Francisco

In the Giants locker room