I didn't get to know Craig Beaulieu very well until two winters ago, when we both crossed the country to hit the various stops of the You Look Good Rider's Cup slopestyle series; him to compete and me to announce. Prior to that, Craig was another bro in the crowd; someone I knew well enough to say "hi" to and exchange small-talk with. I'd seen him ride here and there, but didn't know much about him, except that he was from Timmins, Ontario, of all places (which I always thought was pretty cool since I also hail from a small town in Northern Ontario).

After getting to hang with Craig for a few days at the first stop, and watch him ride and compete, I was just as impressed with his easy-does-it personality as I was with his cool and calculated approach to winning. Dude could seemingly pull technical switch spins out of his back pocket on a moment's notice, and get a stupid amount of amplitude on even the smallest jumps. And there was nothing jock-ish about how he went about his business; he handled himself like it was just another day of shredding with the homies, as opposed to a situation that could make or break his season financially.

It sounds corny as all hell, but Craig is simply one those guys you're stoked to know. He exudes good vibes at all times, and never acts like a conquering hero when he takes home a big cheque. At just 24 years old, he's already been riding for half his life and is firmly transplanted in the west, calling Birken, BC, home and shredding Whistler when he's not accumulating contest podiums. And this season he earned a spot with the Alterna film crew, logging days in front of the camera for a part in the upcoming Elektro video. In other words, the rider who you may wrongly assume to be a contest kid only is about to prove he's as diverse as they come.

Craig rides for Clyde snowboards, Von Zipper, Billabong, Mayday, Metal Mulisha, Beaver Wax, and Cocaine energy drinks. I recently caught up with him for a chat, and did my best to pry a few secrets out of him.

Is it just me, or do you seem to have the ability to win contests whenever you feel like it? Be honest...
Well, I do enjoy contests... I don't have the ability to win ‘em all, but I like entering them. It's just a mellowed-out environment for me, since every contest I enter, all of my friends are in the event with me. I practice bigger tricks throughout the year so when a contest comes along, I can throw out the biggest, most consistent run to take home the cash flow.

OK, I know I put you on the spot with that question, but you do have a knack for pulling through with big wins. Break down your contest results for me from the winter.
Wow. I only entered three contests this year... Most years I enter many more, all over the country and then some, but this year I kept it mellow with entering only three of the bigger contests so I didn't miss too much filming or whatever else needed to be done. But all in all, I got second place at the YLG Rider's Cup at Seymour; first place at the UB Crowned, and then first place at Grenade Games.

Which one did you least expect to win?
I didn't expect to win the UB Crowned... I showed up to the contest at the end of practice, qualified 10th out of 10 riders going into finals, then pulled it together to take home $10,000.

Not bad! Is it that much sweeter when you win the ones you don't think you'll win?
Oh, without a doubt... especially when you have no cash and you need to win.

Let's get into your head on this... What's your pre-contest ritual? Do you need things to happen a certain way on a contest day? For example, do you have lucky socks you wear, or do you listen to certain songs on your iPod?
I don't really have a ritual or anything crazy like that. I usually go have a beer somewhere to calm me down a tad, so I don't just hurl my A.D.D. body into the clouds.

We're not trying to stereotype you as a contest kid only, so let's talk about the rest of your winter... I know you filmed with Alterna this year, and from what I am hearing it went really well. How do you think you did?
I think I did alright. The winter is not over yet and I still have a certain trick I need to do this year. I will be on the glacier on my days off work at the golf course to hopefully ad it to the movie this year. The Alterna movie will be great this year, adding some new faces, and then also some faces we've been watching for years. Keep eyes peeled for Elektro!

What would you say was your best day of filming?
My best day of filming was in New Brunswick this winter with P-nut and Geoff Brown. We started somewhat late in the afternoon, but went until the early morning, sliding walls, and sliding them handrails. Props to the boys for showing us a great time...

You went to Aspen, right? They know how to do it right there...
Aspen was an amazing trip. The boys at Buttermilk couldn't have hooked it up any more than they did. I always love going there because I know we'll be treated like kings. The boys in the park were the greatest ever, with staying there late to make what we wanted and waiting until it was perfect before they went home.

So you'll be up on the glacier this summer? What about South America? I know you've spent some time down there in the past.
Yeah, when the glacier starts up again I will make a couple of appearances to chuck my meat, as they say. As for South America, I was actually thinking of going back, but I need to stay and actually enjoy a summer with my friends in the sun. Before I know it, all my friends I have known for years will have moved on while I was in Argentina snowboarding. I will go back next year, but I am going to buy a boat, and enjoy some rays! Yee-haw!

Craig and Beau Bishop shredding some dirt on Blackcomb:

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Related:
Grenade Games Finale (+ Video)
You Look Good Mt. Seymour Results
Private Alterna Shoot at Grouse (video)