"Yo man, you were super close that time," Blaney yells as I slide to a stop at the bottom of the half pipe. "Just gotta stick the landing," he comments, nodding his head.
Sighing, I plop down on the snow to undo the bindings on my board. Blaney and I have been out on the halfpipe for the last couple of hours practicing tricks. Most recently, I just face-planted during an attempt at the Backside Triple Cork 1440 I've been trying to master for the last year.
In case you've been living under a rock for the last few years, I'm Chase Elliott, pro snowboarder. That guy over there is my best friend and riding buddy, Ryan Blaney. Blaney and I've been on the pro snowboard circuit since we both turned eighteen. Right now, we're regulars on the World Snowboard Halfpipe Tour. We spend our days competing and ripping up the halfpipe.
Blaney and I've been hanging out in Vail, Colorado for the last couple of weeks with a few friends, courtesy of our sponsor Monster Energy. Ever since we got here, I've been busting my ass to perfect some new tricks. The US Open Snowboarding Championships are coming up soon and I want to show off some new stuff. My hope is to finally beat Blaney. Last year, the dude edged me out of first place by one point when he landed a sick backside 540 rewind. If he wasn't my best bud, I'd absolutely hate him.
"You wanna grab a bite to eat?" Blaney asks as we gather up our boards and head towards the chalet. It's nearing noon and I'm absolutely starving. Spending hours up in the cold mountain air will do that to you. Especially when you've spent as much time eating snow as I have. Believe me, I have the cuts and bruises to prove it. Pro snowboarding isn't always as glamorous as it seems.
"I'd love to dude, but I have that interview for Sports Illustrated, remember?" I remind Blaney.
I'm silently cursing my PR rep, Taylor, for setting up this interview. They told her the plan was to do a feature on "the men of the snowboarding circuit". A lot of the guys got the request and have done it already. It's not something I would typically do but Taylor kept telling me that the "exposure to the masses" would be awesome for my star power. I rolled my eyes when I heard that. She's good at her job but oh-so dramatic.
"Yeah, good luck with that," Blaney comments as we drop our boards off. "Apparently the reporter, Shannon Smith is a real shark. Or that's the rumour about her at least."
Hearing that from Blaney draws my attention. He's typically one of the most chill guys I know. If he's saying something, that means it's legit.
"What about her?" I ask cautiously, raising an eyebrow.
Blaney pulls off his helmet and runs a hand through his hair. "Nothing much man, Bubba said she had a real bad attitude during his interview," he shakes his head and gives a quick grin, "but you know how he gets," Ryan finishes, shrugging his shoulders.
I know exactly what he means. Blaney's referring to the third amigo in our group of pro-rider friends Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. Bubba might be known for his flow on the mountain but he can be a real hot head when it comes to the media.
A knot starts to form in the pit of my stomach. I despise doing interviews. Don't get me wrong, I know how to hold my own-all the guys on the circuit do-but I hate having the spotlight on me. Some riders like the attention. Me? I'd rather fade into the background. Except for on the halfpipe. Out there, I want my tricks to be my statement. That probably has something to do with the fact that I grew up in the limelight but that's a story for another time.
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Blaney remarks, ever the optimist. I swear in the ten years I've known him, I don't think I've ever seen him upset, not even when he broke his leg in three places during a competition in Germany. He shrugged it off like it was nothing. Which is surprising enough in of itself since I swear he must be part cat, he always seems to land on his feet.
"Good luck bro. I'll catch up with you later," he says. We exchange a bro hug and with that he heads inside, leaving me standing all by myself.
Guess I need to man up and get this interview over with. I'm sure it will turn out totally fine.
*****
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Lady Luck (A Chase Elliott Fan Fiction)
Fanfiction*AU* Awful. That's the way pro snowboarder Chase Elliott is used to describing his luck. Bad falls, bad press, bad circumstances- he's had it all. After a particularly rough day, Chase thinks things can't get any worse. Turns out they can. But when...
