BIOGRAPHY
California boy Jayson Hale likes to think and finish big, and fittingly took his first World Cup podium during the '05 World Championships with a bronze medal. A speed junkie with a passion for snowboarding, Hale believes snowboardcross is the pure combination of all riding disciplines. "It's like setting gates through a slopestyle park and running it at full speed with five guys next to you," says Hale. Injuries have continually set him back dating all the way back to 2006, but officially slingshot back into the world elite with a bronze medal at the 2012 X Games.

JAYSON SAYS
I was stoked with last season I feel like I was riding well. I was happy at how things were going and working the kinks. Third at X Games was awesome. I had a good number of top ten finishes and I am hyped on that. Next year I am going to try and make it into the final round a little bit more often. Hopefully this will be the year.

FIRST TRACKS
At four years old, Hale credits his blond mullet and urge to huck his skis off natural kickers for giving him the snowboarding bug. The skis died on a family ski trip to Boreal and he found himself sitting in the lodge bumming with a bowl of soup when cousin Nye offered up his 162. He straight-lined the bunny hill with his mini ski boots strapped into the enormous board and said good-bye to skis. The next summer, Mom and Dad hooked him up with a Burton Air 126, and U.S. Snowboarding wasn't far behind.

OFF THE SNOW
It doesn’t take much to make him happy. Hale loves to chill on the lake and fish with his pooch.