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Height: 5-10
Weight: 172
Birthday: March 12, 1970
Birthplace: Whitefish, MT
Hometown: Whitefish
Home Mountain: Big Mountain

Ex-ski racer Steve Persons has found his niche in the World Cup snowboarding world...and it's riding around gates.

Persons made it to the '96 World Championships but fought a back problem all last season, which limited him to just one podium visit after such a sterling 1995 campaign (after three victories and a pair of seconds). However, he started an offseason regimen of stretching, strength workouts and icing to reduce or eliminate the pain.

Comment: "I need to gain weight, not get fat, just get bulkier. These days snowboarding is getting like skiing where the guys that are going fast are big."

Start-up: Growing up with his stepbrother, Olympic DH champion Tommy Moe, Persons understandably spent a lot of time skiing and racing. However, he tried snowboarding in the mid-Eighties and, after splitting time between riding and skiing, he became an instructor at Big Mountain, then decided to concentrate fulltime on riding.

Now, he trains and free-rides with teammates Manuel Mendoza and Tom Lyman.

And he lists Bill Enos as one of his prime inspirations. "I have a list of names of people who have helped me along the way," Persons said, "but I'd have to say Billy Enos influences me the most because he has been at it for so many years. He's just looking for the win and he keeps at it."

Coachsez: "Steve's worked hard to fix the problem with his back. If he stays healthy, he'll be a contender. He's improved in parallel [slalom] and we know how good he can be in slalom and GS." - Peter Foley

Summer fun: In keeping with being a river rafting guide at Montana's Glacier National Park, he enjoys hiking and kayaking. Also likes to mountainbike.

Streep in the deep: While guiding in Summer '94, he and his raft(s) were pulled off the Middle Fork of the Flathead River several times for filming of "The River Wild" with Meryl Streep. "I'd try to time it so we'd get pulled off; they'd give us milk and cookies while we waited and watched. She did a good job; I was impressed."

Reading: Persons breaks out the books when he's traveling, often a mix of mysteries or possibly horror tales.

Tunes: Reggae, grunge, a little rap. "It depends on my mood."

Other sports: Played soccer in high school; also enjoys following college football (favorites: Montana Grizzlies, Washington Huskies) and Green Bay in the NFL