When I'm on planes, I'd talk to people and I'd tell them I compete in the X Games. Some would know what it was, but maybe half didn't. But everyone knows about the Olympics. They're really like the X Games for the world!
I was always interested in skateboarding, BMX bike riding, flipping, gymnastics. Anything with tumbling, turning, twisting, and extreme sports.
I ended up winning a silver medal at the Summer X Games Adaptive Supercross seven months after my injury - on a leg that I built.
After snowboarding a fair bit in 2011 and 2012 to test equipment, I got pretty good at it, and some friends at Adaptive Action Sports talked me into competing at the exhibition event at the Winter X Games in the adaptive boardercross. I was able to step up my game pretty quick and compete. I took last place, but knew I could improve.
Never did I ever think I would be competing on a snowboard out here in X Games.
Having adaptive events televised in the X Games is huge. There are people out there who might want to do this but don't think they can. They can see us out here tearing it up. That's going to help people realize that if you want something bad enough, you can get there.
It was a no-brainer to get the Unified snowboarding race into X Games.
The booing and the drama help make the Olympics interesting, but at what cost? When will people finally get tired of it and start watching the X-Games or competitive tire rolling instead?
When I started snowboarding, I was looking for success to bring me identity. I still love to win, but at the same time, I don't need the X-Games to show me who I am.
More than I've wanted anything, I've wanted to do well at the X Games.
When I started competing at X Games, there was so much chaos that often me and my girlfriends would go into the trees and just take a moment.
I kind of grew up just watching Dew Tour and X-Games.
I never really wanted Big Air to be in the Olympics.
I've always been big into snowmobiles, four-wheelers, jet skis, all kinds of those X Games kind of things.
Since I won my first X Games, people are watching me when I walk down the street. But I think Estonians are quite shy. They're not coming up to you and taking pictures.
I grew up snowboarding in two of the best states for the sport: Colorado and Utah. The world-class ski mountains in these neighboring states were key factors that allowed me to represent our country in two Olympics and numerous X Games.
The mainstream thinks that every skateboarder aspires to be in the X Games.
The X Games have done night and day for snowboarding and action sports.
One of the great things about the X Games and the Olympics is being on the international stage. It gives you a cool opportunity to express, not only your personal style, but also your faith and what you believe in and your values.
