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SPORTSRECREATIONSNOWBOARDING24TuesdayDecember92014YellowknifesnowboarderpreparesforWorldCupByDALICARMICHAELInanefforttoreachnewheightsinhispro-fessionalsnowboardingcareerYellowknifeathleteAndrewMatthewshasspentthelastseveralmonthscarvingupsomeworld-re-nownedAustrianresorts.Whilethatmightsoundlikeadreamvaca-tionforsometimeonthehillforMatthewsmeansheisontheclocktrainingandcon-ditioninghisskillsinordertopreparefortheupcominghigh-calibreinternationalfreestylecompetitionsoftheseason.FirstupforMatthewsistheBigAirWorldCupinIstanbulTurkeyonDec.20wherethe26year-oldishopingtobumpuphiscircuitscoresinordertosolidifyhisplaceinthetheU.S.andEuropeanOpeneventsinthenewyear.IjustcheckedoutthevenueitskindoflikeatrackandeldorafootballstadiumoutdoorsMatthewssaid.Theyregoingtomakeahugemanmadejumpinthemiddleofthatandwellgodownandhavetwotriestodoourbesttrick.Wellbejudgedonthedifcultyofourtricksandhowwellwedothem.Itshouldbeanamazingopportunity.Therampscanbeashighas30feettallwithgapsbetween50to70feetlongbetweenthetakeoffandlandingpoints.Thecompetitionmightbeintimidatingbutevenmoresoisthecostittakestotravelandenterthesecompetitions.IdogethighperformancefundingfromtheNorthalreadybutitsnotenoughtocoverthecrazyexpensesthatIhavetoincurforcom-petitivesnowboardingMatthewssaid.InordertosupplementwhatthefundingdoesntcoverMatthewshasteamedupwithMakeAChampaglobalcrowdsourcingfundraiserspecicallydedicatedtowardsathletes.Asofpublicationtimehehadraised9160ofhis11000goal.MatthewswhomovedtoCalgaryadecadeagotopursuehiscareerasaprofessionalathletesaideventhoughhetravelsallovertheworldtotrainandcompetemostofhissupportcomesfromhisbaseintheNorth.IstayintouchwithalotofpeoplebackhomeMatthewssaid.Iwouldsaybetween80and90percentofmysupportcomesfromtheNorth.ItsamazingtheNortherncom-munityissosupportiveoffellowNorthern-ers.Itsjustsocoolthattheyrallybehindpeopleandallowthemtohaveamazingop-portunitieslikethis.Matthewsrecordshowstheirfaithiswellplaced.Inhisdecade-longcareerhehasrep-resentedCanadaandtheNWTinthreeWorldCupeventstheInternationalSkiFederationWorldSnowboardChampionshipsandmul-tipleFiveStarTickettoRideTTRevents.Heisevenlistedasoneofthetop20slope-styleridersinCanada.Allthisfromakidwhogothisstartbuild-ingdroprampswithhisfriendsontherela-tivelyatgeographyofYellowknifesome-timesborrowingsnowfromthelocalarenatodoso.ItsprettycoolthatIcankeepmyNorth-ernrootsandrepresenttheNorthwhenImdoingthisMatthewssaid.Imveryappre-ciativeofallthesupportIgetandImveryhumbled.PhotosFridaBerglundMatthewstrainsforthe2014-15seasonataresortinHintertuxAustria.OnDec.20YellowknifeathleteAndrewMatthewswillbecompetingintheBigAirWorldCupfree-stylesnowboardingeventinTurkey.