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When Easton Gilman is talking snowboarding you have to remind yourself that he’s only 10-years-old.

He participated last month in Keystone, Colorado, in a national meet, and arranged to get there early so he could run the snowboarding course; using the spare day to customize his snowboard routines and plot where in his run he needed to perform certain maneuvers.

He knew he’d need to acclimate to altitude and mountain conditions--both a big change from midwestern terrain.

Easton said he committed his Keystone routine to memory but then had to make a last minute substitution when he noticed the judges weren’t stationed where he had planned to perform a certain trick on his way down-hill.

Easton has worked to perfect his snowboarding the same way--very methodically.

He mastered a single turn, worked to a double and now does the 10-80 which is three turns in the air and a cork 540, which has something to do with being airborne sideways to the hill.

At Keystone he was competing against 12 and 13-year-olds, whose extra years of experience can be an eternity in youth sports.

But, Easton takes it all in stride, joking that he oughtta be good; after all he has been snowboarding half his life.

Easton’s mother Kathi recalled that the first time Easton took to the hill on a snowboard he was about 5. He kept at it all day. He was very determined, she said.

That original old blue board has been inherited by a younger sister, and Easton has graduated to an option mini-Kevin Sansalone board.

This winter marked Easton’s second season on Wild Mountain’s snowboarding “D Team” which competes at places like Wild, Afton, Spirit Mountain and Trollhaugen.

Kathi Gilman said snowboarding seemed like a good winter activity for Easton because he had already taken some gymnastics and trampoline lessons, which he enjoyed. But the family wasn’t ready to commit to the intensive schedule required of competitive gymnastics.

The snowboarding circuit was more reasonable timewise; plus it fulfills Easton’s need to soar, spin and flip.

It was at a Wild Mountain qualifying meet that Easton made the cut to participate in the Sports Illustrated Kids Next X Snow Search nationals.

According to event organizers, 157 “snow riders” were chosen from 70 freeride events held at ski areas across the United States.

Other snow riders in the national Keystone meet came from Vermont, Michigan and of course-- Colorado. There were only two other participants from Minnesota listed on the Next X competition press releases.

Easton travelled to Keystone accompanied by his mom, as the event sponsored the competitor and one companion.

All four days in Keystone Easton and his mom were kept pretty busy.

She describes Keystone as a “family friendly” place to go, where your gear and clothing don’t need to be the latest and greatest.

Sports Illustrated promoters also had a full schedule of extras like games, and a big air show and fireworks. Easton also ran into some of the snowboarding professionals he’d gotten acquainted with at midwest circuit events, so he felt pretty comfortable he said.

NBC Sports aired the finals from the Keystone competition March 5. The broadcast featured the top 25 finalists. When his competition ended Easton was in the top 50.

The competition included moguls, freestyle, slopestyle, halfpipe and big mountain. Along with their on-snow performance participants were also judged on attitude, personality and sportsmanship.

Easton’s looking forward to competing and qualifying next winter, and lots of winters after that.

The season for the snowboarding circuit in this region ended two weekends ago and Easton took top place in his age group at the Afton Alps final meet.

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