Team Members

Tom Velisek
SBX

Full name	Tom Velisek
Date of birth	January 15, 1981
Age (as of January 1, 2010)	28
Birthplace (Birth)	Nelson, BC
Hometown (Grew-up)	Vernon, BC
Residence (Currently reside)	Squamish, BC
Snowboard/Ski Club	Canada Snowboard
Current coach	Tim Milne, Marcel Mathieu, Rene Brunner
Training center	Squamish Athletic Club
Board Company you ride on	The Marcels
Stance on board	23 inches, +27in the front and +12 in the back
Boots company	Burton Drivers
Personal website	I really should have one of these but I am just so bad with technologies and wanting to be seen by the world.
Nickname	Stompin’ Tom
Sponsors	Nike, Giro, Rancho Vignola, Molson, Rona,
Years on National team	7
Language you speak	This one :-) English please...

RESULTS
>> FIS World Cup
>> FIS Nor-Am Cup
>> Olympic Winter Games
>> World Championships

Have any of your relatives played sport at a high level?

My brother Matt was on the BC team for SBX the last few years.

Why and how did you start snowboarding?

I started because my older brothers were doing it and they were super cool, and how I did it was with my amazing moms help.

What is your first memory of snowboarding?

Definitely my first run on Silver Star, making it to the chair and knocking down a slow sign by running into it, then when I was struggling to put it back up some hot shot snowboarder came by at high speed and sprayed me, stuck with me ever since and now I love to spray people with snow :-)

Why is snowboarding so much fun to you?

Because its fast big and technical, and the freedom you get on a board is like no other plus I love nature and it gets you right in the middle of it.

Who has had the most influence on your snowboarding career and why?

Hmmmmmm, well let’s say Drew Neilson cause we used to ride a bit at Silver Star and then I saw him take off and get all famous, so I guess I wanted to follow in his footsteps and do the same. But other than him, I would say it was Peter Line from the good old days who was soooo sick that it just made me wanna be a pro.

What is the most memorable moment you had in your career?

Winning a World Cup against Xavier DeLaRue and JC J, I will never forget that feeling and have been trying hard to get there ever since.

Do you currently support a charity of any kind?

No just the charity of keeping me alive, but if I won the lotto or something like that were I would have more than a few thousand in the bank, I would support the Salmon.

Do you do competitive sports other than snowboarding?

No, I have been thinking about DH bike racing but I am not that good and want to keep it real if you know what I mean :-)

Did you win any awards? If yes, which ones?

Too many to name, naaa, just kidding none for me.

What do you do in the summer?

Well let’s see… I train, fish, bike, surf, hike, swim, golf.

How would you describe your style of snowboarding?

Big fast and aggressive, like a bear cat or a liger.

Are you married? Any kids?

Yes to my beautiful wife Jessica, no kids yet we are waiting till she finishes nursing school and we have a secured income. 3 more years…

What was your first job?

Paper route.

What was your first car?

1981 VW Jetta 4 door grey. A beauty.What made it special was that I was 16 and I had a car that I bought all by myself. O the freedom.

What is your highest level of education?

High School, Vernon Secondary School

What’s on your Ipod right now?

About 8000 songs. Mostly old school punk rock, but just about anything else you could think of as well -- except for country music.

Favourite musical type?

Well old school punk rock of course, I was raised on it and it always brings me back to those good ol’ days.

What music do you listen on race or contest day?

Truly inspirational old school punk rock.

Favourite band of all time?

NOFX

Favourite movie of all time?

Super bad.

Favourite food/meal?

Sushi.

Favourite book/reading material of all time?

Fishing magazines.

Favourite World Cup region/location to compete?

Japan, for all its amazing untouched pow pow

Favourite travel/touristic destination?

Costa Rica.

Any superstitions?

Yeah for sure, the number 7 or anything else I feel is just weird :-)

Who’s your snowboarding hero/favourite snowboarder?

Peter Line, just way too much style for his own good back then. But now it seems as if Travic Rice is the new machine so I will give it up to him now.

Who’s your hero (actor, athlete, etc)?

Bruce Lee, dude is ripped...

Do you have any hobbies?

Yes, lots, like fishing and tying fly's, golfing and practicing golf, and building and flying radio controlled airplanes once I get older and richer :-)