21/07/10Adam Smith Retires from U.S. Snowboarding

Jul 21 |16:21

World Cup alpine snowboarding veteran Adam Smith announced his retirement with U.S. Snowboarding after the conclusion of the 2010 season. Smith ended his career in strong form with two top-10 World Cup finishes last season.

"Over the last 10 - 12 years, I've made some amazing friends on the road," said Smith. "But all the world travel, seeing new and exciting places and learning new cultures is probably the biggest thing I'm going to miss."

Growing up in Bend, Smith learned to enjoy winter sports at an early age, clicking into skis at two at Mt. Bachelor. Finding his passion, Adam switched over to riding at nine. For the past 20 years, he has turned his passion into an accomplished career.

"Being able to compete as one of the top guys in the country and around the world and competing against the best is exciting, fun and rewarding," said Smith. "It's just a good feeling to be part of something so great."

Smith's career is nothing shy of impressive, tallying four World Cup podiums, including a win in Landgraaf, Netherlands, a fourth at World Championships in Whistler, BC, and a U.S. Alpine Snowboarding Slalom Championship in 2003. In his final season, he posted consistent results ending a career filled of strength and stamina.

"One of the best moments I had was actually hanging out in Europe with the Team, when we were stuck in Italy. There was no snow, not a whole lot of training available and we were kind of stuck in a house for three or four weeks," explained Smith. "It was funny day to day, just hanging out with all the guys for so long and making the best of a bad situation."

Smith is currently working for Bend Research, a pharmaceutical research and development company. He plans on taking some personal time this winter to enjoy riding at Mt. Bachelor, while focusing on his "real job."

"I'm going to stay here, take a break, relax and enjoy a real winter of riding Mt. Bachelor back at home," said Smith. "I just bought a house, which is a huge a step and crazy. I'm going to just slow it down a bit, do the real job thing for awhile and see how that goes."