In a sportwhose participants have typically been pigeon-holed as drug-using high school dropouts, professional snowboarder Mitch Nelson of Bountiful has emerged as a different kind of athlete: a role model whose fans would actually do well to imitate.

Nelson, who began snowboarding at the tender age of 12 while the sport was still in its infancy, is one of the most well-known locals ever to strap on a pair of bindings. His unique line of work has taken him all over the world and made him a household name among enthusiasts.

"Like most kids, I always dreamed about going pro at something," said the Viewmont High alum. "It wasn't until I had been riding for a few years that I realized I could actually make a living doing this."

Gaining sufficient notoriety to make a living, however, isn't nearly as easy as the perpetually mellow Nelson might make it sound. The truth is that he practiced for nearly seven years before he got his first break: selling a short video parts to a small film company.

"I didn't go out looking for a sponsor," he says. "They found me."

After returning from a two-year LDS mission, Nelson quickly made a name for himself via snowboarding videos and magazine photo shoots. His defining moment, however, didn't come until late 2001, when Microsoft released a video game featuring Nelson riding at Brighton, his preferred local resort.

"Having someone put you in a game like that is really something," says Nelson. "I've never really played it, though."

Unlike most globe-trotting athletes, this sensational snowboarder has used his hard-earned notoriety to help as many people as humanly possible. An active member of the LDS Church, Nelson has used a combination of public speaking and what he calls "positive promotion" to become an active model for youths all over the state.

"It's important for kids to know that I'm LDS," he says. "You will never see a picture of me with a cigarette or a beer in my hand. Kids really pay attention to stuff like that."

Despite the fact that he is still on the near side of 30, Nelson has already spoken at countless LDS youth firesides and influenced more people than most others will in a lifetime. And for a laid-back family guy like Nelson, being in a position to help others is perhaps the job's biggest perk.

"I've had kids come up to me and thank me for being a good example," he says. "I've had kids tell me that they went on a mission because of me, and that really means a lot."

When he's not changing lives or at home raising his young family, Nelson can still be found on the slopes, pushing the envelope, trying new tricks and inspiring a new generation of adrenaline junkies to strap on a board and try their luck.

"We're all just trying to improve our videos, and we all want to be the first one to invent some new trick or something," Nelson says. "Stuff like that always gets the kids stoked."

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E-mail: tquinn@desnews.com