For most good snowboarders, surviving a nonstop run on a double-black-diamond run, huge moguls and all, would be all the advanced degree needed. Mission accomplished.
For George Oakley, being one of the world's best isn't yet enough. There's more — bigger air, more twists and spins, smoother landings, more victories.
There's more ahead, and he knows it. It's why he spends more time hitting jumps, rails, fun boxes and tabletops on his snowboard than many people spend in the workplace in a week.
But then, for Oakley, it's not only a job but a love.
It's why, when asked just how many maneuvers he can do off flat-board takeoffs, he hesitated for a moment and said, "It's hard to say. There are so many variations . . . and I'm still learning. Right now you think everything that is physically possible is being done. But things are getting bigger these days . . . bigger jumps and rails, which means more freedom and even more possibilities."
Otherwise, even as a professional, he's still learning and improving.
Oakley, who grew up in Oregon and now lives in Salt Lake City, is a member of the Park City Mountain Resort's All-Star team. He is recognized as one of the very best snowboarders in Utah and is among the best in the world.
He was recently one of only 20 boarders invited to compete in the Olympics of slopeside snowboarding, the Winter X Games.
It was not, he said with a little chuckle, one of his better performances. "I blew it," he admitted. But there's always, in his case right now, next year. He recently broke his leg, which is one of the hazards of an extreme sport.
But simply making the X Games is an accomplishment. Failing to win is no less impressive than finishing out of the medals in the Olympics. He's there, and he's competing against the world's very best.
Oakley said he grew up in Oregon, moved to Colorado at 13, took up snowboarding and moved to Utah three years ago to be close to the best snow and training courses in the world.
For him, getting into the high-risk, high-excitement sport of extreme snowboarding seemed the thing to do.
"It's kind of a natural progression," he said by phone. "You learn to turn, then deal with terrain, then start with jumps, and you go on from there. I'm constantly learning. It gives me somewhere to go."
Sliding into a terrain park, skidding along a rail only inches wide, or skimming across a tabletop as fast as the board allows or flying 60 to 70 feet in the air became his "natural progression."
"If I just did things the same way every day, it would not be fun. I'm constantly being scared — sometimes with a good outcome, sometimes not."
Maneuvers started with simple jumps and slides, progressed to larger jumps and a quick 180-degree spin, then to 360-degree and eventually to 720-degree spins and even larger jumps.
He said he has no set routine when he competes. Every course is different. He reviews the course during practice, then figures out which tricks from his bag would best impress judges.
"Usually, when I do best, I know what I'm going to do for the whole run. You have to be flexible, though. If you go into one trick and under rotate, then you need a backup," he explained.
"In the X Games, you have to hit everything perfectly. The judges are quick to dock you for any little mistakes."
During the season, he said he shoots for practicing six to seven days a week when possible. Typically, based on snow conditions and how he's feeling physically, he's boarding five to six days.
His plans, now, are to heal, try to get back on the board for the last week of competition and then make his annual sojourn to Mount Hood in Oregon during the summer to train. Time allowing, he'll take a diversionary trip to Hawaii to surf, which is simply an extension of snowboarding.
Then he'll return next year with the Park City team and to the snowboard circuit and another shot at the X Games.
E-mail: grass@desnews.com