How have you seen the sport change in the last five years?
When I first started out it seemed like the more exposure you got yourself tangled into and the bigger your airs were, the higher your scores. The way it seems to be going now, the more aesthetically pleasing your run is, that's going to determine your score. You still need to get into these exposed areas where your line score will be bumped up but I see the judges rewarding a prettier style of skiing than they use to.

Which do you like better?
I tend to ski more aesthetic lines versus something more mind-blowing and scary, so it suits me as an athlete. It also does the sport a lot of good because it shows that [these lines] are all calculated, that this isn't just extreme and dangerous. You don't have to be a crazy person that wants to go really fast and really big all the time. If you love to freeski and you have a mind for it, you can theoretically do well on this tour.

You used to compete in big air, halfpipe, and slopestyle events. Do you still ski in the park?
I would, but I ski at Snowbird, so there's no park. I go over to Brighton or Solitude every once in a while and hit the booters. I miss halfpipe the most. If I could get to Park City easier, I'd still ride pipe at least one day a week. So, yeah, I don't shy away from the park.

You're involved with Panda Poles, a new bamboo ski pole manufacturer. What's your role there?
I'm one of the founders. I'm the team manager, as well as an athlete. It's been a project for about four years, finding the bamboo, developing our new 'reduce snag and drag' baskets. Last January, we launched the company. People have really been grabbing on to it -- they're interested in the aesthetic of the old-style ski pole and also interested in ways to make skiing a more ecologically sustainable sport. We can't really make a 'green' ski right now, and I don't know if we'll ever be able to with all the epoxies. But poles seemed to be a good compromise.