Just after Jake Blauvelt locked down our cover in the September issue, we stated that he was ?on his way to becoming the North American Nicolas M�ller.? Now Jake sits one position ahead of Nico himself, and the judges agree?a true testament to Jake?s new approach to what he rides and how he rides it. Blauvelt?s season was one for the ages, and the young Vermonter etched his place into the upper echelon of professional snowboarding by building nothing and hitting everything, proving that sometimes, simplicity is in and of itself a valuable skill-set in the backcountry. So the next time you see Jake patting down a takeoff, give him a pat on the back. He sure earned it.