Kevin Pearce rides again. Photo by Adam Moran, Transworld Snowboarding.

One day in 1987, a child was born. His name was Kevin Pearce, and he would go on to become one of the world’s fiercest halfpipe competitors.

Kevin grew up in middle Vermont, cutting his teeth in the growing array of superpipes in the Green Mountain State. By 2009, he found himself one of the best halfpipe riders in the world, widely believed to be the only rider who could give Shaun White a meaningful challenge at the 2010 Olympics.

Disaster struck on New Year’s Eve of 2009, though, when Pearce struck his head while training in a halfpipe. He suffered severe head trauma. It was doubtful if Kevin would ever ride a board again.

After nearly two years of intensive rehabilitation and against odds, Kevin Pearce rode a snowboard again this week.

“I used to take this for granted,” said Kevin as he rode a chairlift alongside a terrain park at Breckenridge in Colorado, about to make his first run since the accident. “Now it’s just nice to be up here.”

Surrounded by a small army of boarders, Kevin looked cool and comfortable on his first run back, even throwing a backside 180 and ollying off rollers.

Ride Vermont salutes you, Kevin. Keep riding, no matter what.

~Luke

Photo by Adam Moran, Transworld Snowboarding