I live in Devon about 10 minutes at the most from the beach. The actual part where I live has quite a variety of reefs and points and beaches so when I’m at home I surf whenever there’s waves, which for the last month and a half has been five or six days a week.

I probably skated more this year than I have in 10 or 15 years just because I’m looking after the [UK] Quiksilver and DC skate team. I’ve been on three or four tours and a couple of trips as well so my skateboarding has actually improved this year.

I think you can always tell someone who’s a surfer or who has their roots on a surfboard, not with their particular style but at how they look at a mountain, hitting banks, and in turns more than anything. And in skateboarding there’s that freestyle element as well. It gives you an eye for transitions, particularly natural transitions and it’s definitely influenced my snowboarding.

To get on the podium is pretty exhilarating for a UK snowboarder and that sort of spurred me on a little bit. I thought why not have a crack at it? I’m not getting any younger. I thought before I turn 40 I should give it a go. That’s why I’m here.

I’d like to win one to be perfectly honest and on the right day if I get the right line I think I can win, so that’s my motivation. And also I want to get to Verbier. Every freerider’s dream is to ride that mountain in perfect conditions so that’s my motivation behind it.

I think my strength is probably experience. You know I’ve been around for a helluva long time and done a lot of time in the mountains.

As far as competitions go my weakness may be the ability to save my energy for the contest day. After 23 years of snowboarding I’m still like a grommet on a powder day. I remember last year in Chamonix there were a few days before [the Nissan Freeride de Chamonix] where the snow was so good I just wore myself out. If the snow’s good, I gotta go. I didn’t really save myself for the day the contest came round. It was the same in Russia. It’s such a good spot you just want to snowboard and I can’t resist.

Y’know I’m 39, I’ve got a stretching routine to keep myself supple and in good shape but I prefer to train by doing fun stuff. I’ve been surfing all the time, skateboarding and kitesurfing – pumping transitions is really good for those leg muscles. I’m not really good at training regimes but I’ll get to Chamonix and I’ll do some hiking and get some altitude fitness and make sure my legs are good and strong and take it from there. I’m very competitive and I want to do well but at the same time I really want to enjoy it. It’s got to be fun … to a certain extent.

It’s a funny old thing, the British snowboard scene. The problem obviously is that being a country based around snowdomes and dry slopes, it’s all jib focused so freeriding or big mountains snowboarding isn’t really even on the radar. I feel like a vert skater in the 1990s when vert skating was completely dead and everybody was street skating. I feel like a bit of a dinosaur amongst all these kids. But to be honest I don’t really care. I’m doing what I’m doing, y’know, holding the torch.

I’d like to think I’m pretty fluid, smooth, and I like to try and bring plenty of freestyle elements to my riding. My favourite terrain is technical pillow lines where you have really nice, tight turns. Basically good flow.

I’ve been very lucky in my snowboarding career to have sponsors that have supported me for a very, very, very long time and that’s obviously partly luck and obviously partly being good at the business side and doing the right thing.

Family. Love. Snowboarding is important but not that important. I think living the life the way you want to, not the way other people want you to. And being humble and compassionate. I think that’s important.

God I love snowboarding. I live for those powder days. Same as in surfing, I live for those good surf days. That’s basically what I’m all about. I love being in the mountains. I love being out there. I love snowboarding. To me there’s nothing better.