Making the US pro team is no small feat, it takes passion, hard work, dedication, willingness to push the limits, stick with it and devote everything you have to pursuing snowboarding at its highest level! Lucas Foster has done all of that and more! While snowboarding is obviously his passion, he has also made a career out of it and continues to push himself on and off the board! Constantly analyzing the field to determining what he has to do to succeed, as well training off the hill and treating his body the best he can to perform at his optimal skills and it shows!
Lucas Foster has been a long time Monster Army Athlete, and we are so excited to see what joining the US Pro Halfpipe team will do for his career! And on that note, we sat down with him to discuss this new opportunity and what it means for him!
-So let’s start with a little bit about your season, any big results, new tricks, or accomplishments?
Lucas: Some of the moments that stand out most was getting 2nd at copper rev tour, it was a heavy field and I landed a run I was working on for a while and won the overall rev tour title. Getting 6th at the Aspen Grand Prix was awesome too, I landed back to back 12s for the first time on my last run and it was a great start for the Olympic qualifying process. Overall I was just happy to have a consistent season and come out of it healthy and ready for the next!
-What about the pro team, that seems like a pretty big deal, what’s it mean to you?
Lucas: Making that team was huge for me since I had been on the rookie team for a few years and either needed to make the pro team sooner than later or never at all. And not coming from a traditional contest kid or halfpipe background, it’s really special to have made it.
-Has it been a goal of yours? Or when did it feel like a possibility?
Lucas: Yeah it was a huge goal. It was a long shot for me too. I always knew I could get to this point, but just wasn’t sure if I’d be able to pull through soon enough, you know? Things became much more realistic at end of last season/this past fall when I started to get some new big tricks, contend with the pros in contests and when my world ranking went up a lot after a few good results.
-What’s it really mean, support, training, status?
Lucas: The biggest change will just be getting more funding from the team, the pro team definitely gets taken care of so I’m stoked on that. Aside from that, there isn’t a huge difference between the rookie and pro teams, I’ll still be with the same coaches I was working with, traveling with the same crew and all that. But I definitely feel more solidified now being on the Pro team.
-So what’s this mean for the Olympics, do you feel like you have a good shot?
Lucas: Being put on the pro team won’t change anything with how we qualify but it does make me feel more confident I’ll have the recourses and support to get the results I need to make it. The Aspen Grand Prix was our first qualifier and I did well there, I was the 3rd American behind Shaun white and Chase Blackwell, so I’m in a good position for now. We still have a few qualifiers left but I definitely think I have a good chance to make that team if I keep doing what I’ve been doing. I’ll do everything I can to make it that’s for sure!
-What would going to the Olympics mean for you?
Lucas: It’d mean a lot to me, I think it’s a sick opportunity I can’t pass up. The Olympics are not everything to me, but I do see it as part of my journey to doing all that I’ve wanted to in life. I think it’ll be a stepping stone to even better things down the road.
-Anything else you want to say? Thank you’s, upcoming plans or goals?
Lucas: Thanks to monster for helping me get to this point, all the people in telluride that have had my back, the us team, my family and friends. Let’s get it next season!
Congrats again! And you know we’re all rooting you on man!!!
