A true Albertan through and through, Dustin Craven tried his hand at the Whistler lifestyle for a season before returning to Banff to pursue his snowboarding career. At just 20 years-old, he's managed to carve a niche for himself as an outspoken and often off-center jump and rail destroyer. While many may call him an asshole, I prefer the label "eccentric", and no matter what you think of him, the guy can snowboard. Taking some time out of filming (and what I like to call lifestyle snowboarding) to try and earn a spot on the Canadian Olympic halfpipe team, Dustin has been back in the u-ditch consistently for the first time in years and doesn't seem to have missed a beat. Since he was rehabbing an ankle injury, I was able to catch up with him to discuss the Olympic selection process, halfpipe accessibility in Canada, and what it was going to take to get to Vancouver in 2010.

You are currently out for a few weeks with a cracked bone in your ankle. What are your plans?

Well, currently I am trying to track down an X-Box and I'm also looking to possibly head down to Louisiana to enjoy some barbeque.

[laughs] Of course you are...So walk me through this a little bit. By being one of the top two Canadians at the first Grand Prix stop this year, you secured a spot to compete at the World Champs in Hoengeong, South Korea a month ago.

Yeah, Brad Martin and I got two of the spots to go to the FIS World Championships in Korea by being the top two Canadian finishers at the Grand Prix in Copper. The way the selection process works for the Olympics meant that if a Canadian had won in Korea, then they got one of the Olympic spots. [Jeff] Batchelor just missed with his silver medal, which kind of sucked that he didn't make it right then and there. Otherwise, I think, you need two top five place finishes from any of the World Cups, and you need a top 30 at some point as well, so if you got two top fives then obviously that works. And, uhm, I think it comes down to a selection committee, too.

So if I were to go out and get two top fives, then I have an Olympic spot?

Well, it also comes down to their discretion as to whether they want you on the team or not. I think if you won the event at Cypress [which Shaun White won] you also got an Olympic spot. So I think how it sits right now, it's probably Justin Lamoureux sitting the prettiest.

Is it safe to say that, seeing as you've started competing in halfpipe events for the first time in years, that you're making a run at snagging one of those Olympic spots?

Yeah, I am sitting in the top four right now and my plan is to go... I hope. I just have to wait and see if I can get the points. There are a few more contests at the beginning of next season that count. We'll just have to wait and see, you know?

And what are some of the challenges you face while trying to make the team?

Probably just learning better tricks... I mean you have to have 10's and all that kind of crap. That's kind of the biggest challenge right now. Those American kids are just so good.

There is certainly a lack of halfpipes in Canada at the moment. This is obviously diminishing the halfpipe-specific riders in Canada. Has this been a problem for you as well?

No, not really for me. C.O.P. in Calgary is really close, so I can go and ride pipe there. But it's true: there definitely aren't as many kids riding pipe as there are in the States. I mean, there are 10 guys down there that could all final and are really good halfpipe'rs, so it's definitely a whole different story with Canadian kids.

Dustin at the Canadian Open at COP.

With gold and silver finishes in the pipe the last two Olympics - plus a complete sweep in 2002 - the U.S. obviously has a program that works. What do you think the key difference is between them and Canada?

It's just more accessible. I mean, it seems every single resort has a great park in the States. The jumps are awesome and the pipes are so good. It's just always good wherever you go down there. They also have a couple of the sports schools dedicated to snowboarding. The Mountain School in Vermont allows riders to go to school while riding a great pipe and getting top-notch coaching. I think pretty much all the Burton kids went to that school, and they come out as such good snowboarders. They also finish up school so they don't have to worry about it. It's definitely harder in Canada if you want to take snowboarding that seriously. You have to skip some school and try to figure it out somehow and make it happen. It just seems a lot easier down there [in the States].

Besides the on-hill hurdles, is anything off the hill standing in the way of the Olympics for you?

Well, it eventually all comes down to the selection committee's discretion, so you have to behave yourself and you always have to be on top of your game, you know? You have to have a positive attitude, and staying positive when you're not snowboarding is kind of hard.

Do you have any summer plans to get strong, or go down south to find some pipes, or anything?

I will probably try to head south for sure, but I don't know what the deal is anymore with Snow Park in New Zealand. The pipe hasn't been very good the past couple years, but if they have a decent halfpipe I will probably fly over there to do that World Cup stop, or just ride a lot of pipe and try to get better at it. [laughs]

Does the CSF have any summer programs to help the Olympic hopefuls get prepped for next year?

They obviously do a dry-land camp where you can go with the coaches and work on the trampolines, and get a gym pass to just get stronger and become a better athlete. But besides heading to New Zealand, there aren't really any options for Canadian Snowboarders to get better at riding halfpipe this summer.

As a professional snowboarder in Canada, who also wants to film, how difficult is it to make time to ride in these pipe contests?

Well, for me it's really tough because I am on the other side of snowboarding. The backcountry and rails and stuff like that... I have to go and film video parts and that kind of stuff. So this year I wasn't able to film with anyone and I went to a bunch of pipe contests. I would like to see a system like they have in the States where three contests at the beginning of next season will dictate three of the Olympic spots. It would really help me to maintain my natural snowboard career. Not really anyone else looking to get a spot on the Olympic team really has that other side of snowboarding like I do. It's just tough because halfpipe riding isn't what pays the bills for me at the moment. I mean, obviously if I make the Olympic team it's all worth it, but right now it is just a huge investment.

Well, good luck my friend. Is there anything else you would like to add?

Nope, not really. I think that's the whole cigar.

I think you are mixing metaphors...

Probably... Later!

Dustin Craven proudly rides for: Capita Snowboards, Oakley, Red Bull, Union, Rude Boys, and Lifetime.

-----------------------
Related:
Billabong Ante Up 2009 Results + Video (Dustin, 1st place)
Dustin Craven, 50-50 (photo)