The Tahoe World’s Sylas Wright caught up with professional snowboarder and Winter Dew Tour competitor Steve Fisher by phone at his Breckenridge, Colo., home Monday. Fisher, who recently captured first place in a U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix halfpipe event at Boreal, is set to compete in the third and final stop of the Winter Dew Tour at Northstar-at-Tahoe from Feb. 20-22.

TW: How often do you get out to ride in the Sierra?
SF: Typically once, maybe twice a year. It’s an area I don’t frequent as much as like.

TW: How do you like competing out here versus other venues in the U.S.?
SF: I like it a lot. It’s always sunny and always warm, so you can’t complain about that.

TW: It seems like the superpipes in Colorado and on the East Coast are usually pretty hard and icy, whereas the pipes out here tend to be softer. Which do you prefer in competition?
SF: I like it all. It really depends on if (the pipe) has a good shape or not. There are always pluses and minuses of both. If it’s soft, you have the risk of it getting destroyed quick, but icy pipes hurt more. But I like them both. I don’t discriminate.

TW: Knowing that it hurts more, does an icy pipe affect how big you go and what you’re willing to try?
SF: Well, I grew up in Minnesota, and I’ve been living in Breckenridge for about six years, so I think I’m in the clear when it comes to the icy stuff. I’m able to block that out.

TW: The X Games was unique this year in that they had a 22-foot pipe. How did you like that size compared to the more typical 18 or so feet?
SF: I think it all depends on the cut. It completely depends on who shapes the 22-footer or the 18. At the X Games it was cut totally good. As long as 22s are similar to that shape, they’re on the right track. It gets hard when people do different cuts.

TW: I imagine the X Games crew has (the pipe shaping) pretty dialed.
SF: For sure. I think Frank Wells is the best halfpipe builder in the world.

TW: So with such a busy schedule competing, do you get many opportunities to chase the powder and get some riding time for yourself?
SF: Yeah, definitely as much as I possibly can in a year. But with the contest circuit fluctuating from year to year, some years I get more chances than others. This year and probably next year, with the Olympics coming up, I probably won’t get to ride as much as I’d prefer.”

TW: Are you one of those guys who needs music in your ears when you’re competing?
SF: Nope, never do. I like to know what’s going on around me. I can’t tune out like that. It doesn’t work for me.

TW: Among the pros in an elite field such as the Dew Tour or X Games, how do the athletes interact? Is it friendly, do people talk trash?
SF: For the most part it’s all friendly competition. At least, I don’t know about any heavy trash talk if there is any. I think it’s more just sarcastic shit-giving. It depends from time to time. In a judged event, if someone feels they got screwed over, they might talk some trash about that.

TW: Growing up, did you have a favorite snowboarder?
SF: “Yeah, Daniel Franck. He’s definitely the guy I looked up to most.”

TW: How about now, do you have a favorite snowboarder?
SF: “No, I don’t really discriminate. I think everyone does their thing and does it extremely well.”

TW: Do you have anything up your sleeve for the Dew Tour at Northstar?
SF: I don’t know yet. I’ll just have to wait and see when I get there.

For the complete interview, go to www.tahoe.com/andyfinch.