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Height: 5-9
Weight: 180
Birthday: Feb. 10, 1979
Birthplace: Bennington, VT

Is Ross Powers old enough to be a world champion? At 16 years old, he blackjacked the field last January to win the first FIS World Snowboard Championships halfpipe title. He led a 1-2-3 sweep for American riders.

Then he turned 17 and went on to become the World Cup halfpipe champion for the 1995-96 season. He rose all the way from second place in '95. So, '97 promises to be an interesting season for the talented teen, who lost some training time during the fall because of an ankle problem.

He's produced three straight seasons of steadily improving results. In 1994, he won a pair of J-III (13-14 years old) national championships in addition to the national halfpipe title. A year later, Powers won one World Cup 'pipe contest and was second overall.

This winter, with everyone getting in line for the Olympics through the inaugural U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix, Powers - who had some ankle problems in the fall - is looking to establish himself as one of the top riders in the merging FIS-ISF snowboarding world.

Comment: "Everyone is just getting better and better. I rode well at times but I didn't ride well all year ... I wait for the snow to come and then I get to go ride, and by spring I'm all burned out and I wait for the same thing to happen the next year."

Start-up: Mom worked at Bromley, one of the nation's oldest ski areas and an outstanding family ski hill in southern Vermont, so Powers was a recreational skier - until the third grade when he saw some lift attendants using snowboards. He was hooked and when no one was looking, the attendants would let the 'board-toting Powers slip into line, ride up and grab a run or two.

Schooling: He's a student at Stratton Mountain School.

Family: Younger brother Trevor is an alpine racer, Mom still works at Bromley.

Fun things: Mountain biking, motocross and swimming plus occasional hiking and camping trips with the Boy Scouts.

Biggest difference(s) between riding in the East and the West: Western powder snow. "The halfpipes are pretty much the same in most places - none are as hard as Stratton - but we don't get much powder in the East."

Jinx?: Despite his World Cup success, Powers has had a tough time in the last two years at the national championships (after winning the '94 title); he broke his 'board last season.

Delightful dozen: In two years on the FIS Grundig tour, Powers has been on the podium 12 times, including his gold medal at the World Championships.