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Height: 5-9
Weight: 152
Birthday: June 25, 1975
Birthplace: Durango, CO
Hometown: Jackson, WY
School: Montana State

No, aspiring cinematographer Rob Kingwill didn't surprise himself by winning three World Cup events last season and a medal at the World Championships. He had the confidence and the talent, he said, but he'd been missing the opportunity.

This winter, Kingwill - who rebounded beautifully from a fall in each run of his first event at San Candido - won't be an unknown quantity. In fact, he'll be a marked man. No sweat. Just let him ride. "I don't want to be classified a 'Halfpipe specialist' or anything like that. I'm a free rider, thank you very much, and that's what I want to do."

Comment: "Last season was pretty good for a rookie who didn't know what was going on ... I didn't really surprise myself. I've been waiting in the wings, waiting for my chance. I've trained really hard in summer and felt I could be as good as those other guys."

Comment II: We don't do a ton of contests but I don't know if I could handle a lot. It's not like racing; you have to concentrate and work on it all day long, and with the judging, it takes some luck, too. I don't know if I could handle two contests every weekend all winter. It'd drive me crazy. This year the level of competition will be so much higher. You'll really have to be on top of things."

Start-up: A skier since seven ("I'd go out on these teeny, tiny ice hills behind our house in Durango"), he burned-out at 11 and switched to riding "when I saw someone snowboarding. Me and my friends rented 'boards and went out and had a blast. Jackson Hole's never opposed riding as long as we had a safety strap and didn't get out of control."

Coach quote: "I always expect good things from him. Rob works really hard ... He specializes in halfpipe but he's really good in SL, too." - Peter Foley

School: He's a senior at MSU, studying cinematography in the Honors Program - but he's put school on hold until after the '98 Olympics. "My goal was to get as far in school as I could before I had to concentrate fulltime on snowboarding."

Studies: He produced a documentary on the Snowboard Team last spring as an independent study project.

Goal II: He'd like to help plug Jackson Hole like Olympic DH champ Tommy Moe. "I'm looking at Tommy's job. Some day when I win my Olympic gold medal..."

Family: Dad Fred (Bridger-Teton National Forest info officer for U.S. Forest Service), Mom Elizabeth (psychotherapist), Sister Amy, 16, ferret Zuma plus a dog and three cats.

Ferret?: "In third grade I won an art contest for Wyoming school kids about endangered species, the blackfooted ferrets. I got to go to Meeteetse [Wyo.] to see them and I wanted a ferret since then." Zuma, who lives in a cage in the downstairs living room, arrived three years ago. (Thanks, Mom.)

How do you feel about Jell-O?: "Blue raspberry rules!" Jell-o with whipped cream rules, too. "And Jigglers are pretty much the best."

Free time: Skateboarding, mountainbiking and gymnastics. "I used to do backflips on a 'board but I quit because I landed on my head too much ... I took gymnastics this fall, though, to learn variations on backflips and I might do some this season."

Movies: Val Kilmer "is the most underrated actor ever."

TV: Enjoys "Dark Skies" and "The X-Files"

Favorite food: Shrimp, Thai food ("Almost anything but brussel sprouts. They're cute but disgusting.")

Reading: Enjoys fantasy tales. "I've got an infatuation with dragons."