Travis Rice is a star. He may not have known that before he landed the backside rodeo at Snowboarder Magazine's Superpark back in 2001, or even before he won the Winter X Games Slopestyle event in 2002, but the maestro of snowboarding should know by now.

Since then, he has taken his craft to some of the most unforgiving terrains like British Columbia's Kootenay Mountains, Revelstoke and Goat Range, Darwin Range in Patagonia, and Tordrillo Range in Alaska for his newest film, The Art of Flight.

He is currently nominated for the People's Choice Award for National Geographic's 2012 Adventurers of the Year, seeking the best all-around snowboarder with the Red Bull Supernatural contest, and he will be the first real-world snowboarder to be a part of SSX, a snowboarding and skiing video game by EA Sports.

up! caught up with Rice between stops on his tour for The Art of Flight.

How is The Art of Flight different from your first film, That's It, That's All?

We had more foresight in making The Art of Flight. Our aim was to take our craft multiple steps forward. I thought we came up short in That’s It, That’s All when it came to showcasing the highest levels of riding. For years now, true freestyle freeriding has been the goal in the highest echelon of riding. Curt Morgan, Red Bull Media House and I believed that creating a much more complete film was possible. That’s It, That’s All was a great stepping stone and good on-the-job training toward what we wanted to do with The Art of Flight.

Who is the movie for?

We made this movie for everyone to enjoy--the hardcore guy or someone who has never picked up a snowboard before. That was the goal with this film and why there is so much story infused into it. We want someone who snowboards everyday to be able to relate, but also to share the feeling with someone who maybe can’t personally relate to the riding, but can relate to the feeling of adventure, freedom and even trying new things and failing.

What do you want people to get out of the movie?

The message is an inspirational one, for viewers to get outside. When you are outside, in your element, is when you learn the most about yourself. If more people were able to figure themselves out, we could raise the frequency of humanity. It’s more important than the tricks or pow slashes or anything gnarly to me. We’re trying to do something good for snowboarding as a whole. Maybe we can alter someone’s daily habits and get them outside more everyday.

How was Revelstoke and how is snowboarding in Canada different from other places?

Revelstoke has solid terrain and last year a stable, deep snowpack. It was so good there, we spent most of the spring there, not even going back up to Alaska.

How long did you scout locations for?

We spent over two years using everything from Google Earth and historical Weather Channel info to speaking with long-time locals and guides from around the world. In That’s It, That’s All, we went to places I knew we could get it done if the conditions were good. This time in making The Art of Flight, we rolled the dice, and went to places I’ve never been. In some cases we went to places no one had been snowboarding before. This time it was much riskier, but our goal with it was to tell a much more dynamic story.

How do you plan to set the bar even higher after this movie?

The next project that I have is a little different. It’s a snowboard contest like the world has never seen. The contest is called The Red Bull Supernatural. I’m helping to produce it as a platform where the best riders in the world can take on the most challenging, creative snowboard run ever created. It starts in early February and runs for a week at Baldface Lodge outside of Nelson, BC.

Where are you going next?

I’m heading on the European tour for The Art of Flight, then to the middle of the ocean. This winter, I’m going to ride out La Nina in Jackson, head up to Baldface in Nelson for The Red Bull Supernatural and start scouting locations for a new film project.

Tell me about being on Conan. Is that your first time on the show?

First time. Conan’s a good guy and a pro. He did his homework and pulls together a seamless show. It’s nice that we had the chance to get The Art of Flight out there and share the type of riding we do with lots of people who may be inspired to get out and ride this winter now.

Tell me a bit about how your gallery is doing.

Asymbol Gallery is touring a The Art of Flight specific collection with the U.S., Canadian and European screening tours for the movie. I curated a collection of 16 photos and pieces of art related to the making of the movie and we are bringing them on the road, fully framed, to fans. The exhibition is set up in the lobby of most theatres for fans to enjoy before and after the show. Around the holidays, Asymbol Gallery will be running some promotions around this collection. It is also the place to buy The Art of Flight book.

Talk to me about gear. You partner with Lib Tech for your board. Is that the best brand out there?

Lib Tech Travis Rice Pro Horsepower snowboard. Photo courtesy of Lib Tech

Mervin makes the best snowboards near Canada in the U.S.A.! The C2 Power Banana construction on my Lib Tech boards has incredible pop, stability and control through Magne-traction. Lib Tech is the innovator and builder of the best snowboards in the world. I have a regular and horsepower version of my pro-model, a split version of the horsepower model and of course the Banana Hammock for surfing around on the really deep days.

Will you go further into designing gear?

I’ve always been a huge fan of photography and art, which is why I started AsymbolGallery.com. It’s a platform to support these talented artists and photographers. Artist Mike Parillo works in house at Asymbol, so I’m able to see him create on a daily basis. In designing the Quiksilver product that I’d wear for The Art of Flight, I really wanted to build something special that stood out. We designed a top to bottom "Snow Ninja" line for riding stormy days and dipping out-of-bounds. It served double duty by also providing something for the Brain Farm [film production company] crew to wear in the field, which would make the camera guys less visible in the Cineflex shots from above. For the other part of the collection, we've made some bright, poppy looks so I can stand out on muted backdrops when shooting.

What do you personally look for in gear?

I look for gear that performs in the elements, on snow and then finish it off with artwork that I admire. In the places we go to film, your gear must not let you down. I work with Lib Tech’s developers and Quiksilver designers year round to build product that I can back and that helps me perform in the mountains.

Who is your hero?

Richard Branson’s ability to believe in his own vision and see it through amazes me. He works hard, but still really enjoys life. You have to have balance.

Years ago, people didn't think snowboarding would be where it is now. What do you think the sport will grow into?

The main difference is the mindset now. Snowboarding has evolved alongside the terrain that people have access to. The slopestyle courses are better, the halfpipes are much bigger and built to a much higher standard. All of it helps to progress the sport. Snowboarding is still a very young sport. I expect the questions to be asked again in another 10 years and to have again seen as much or more development in that time span.

Tell me a bit about the competition with other snowboarders? Is it pretty amicable or is it aggressive?

Very amicable. If you like to be outside and ride snow, we’re good with it.

Any personal goals?

Ride with friends, surf, sail and get outside.

You have a gallery, movies, an intense and successful career as an athlete. What's next?

My motivation is to try new things. I learn so much, even from failed endeavours. Everything tried is a life experience. Let’s face it, we’re human and if we learn from other’s mistakes, then we’d live in a very different world than we do. I guess it’s the school of trial and error. I try to figure out endeavours that I feel can be extremely rewarding, but when they aren’t, you still learn quite a bit.

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