Incredible jumps, spectacular crashes, amazing wins and crushing defeats--these are the ups and downs of the pro snowboarder's life. Meet some of the best Canadian riders to ever carve a turn in this look at one of the hottest extreme sports:

• Victoria Jealouse's journey from ski racer, to snowboard racer and on to one of the world's most famous big mountain snowboarders
• Ross Rebagliati who won Olympic gold in Nagano and then nearly lost his medal when he tested positive for marijuana
• Greg Todds, who pioneered noboarding (snowboarding without bindings), and died tragically in an avalanche near his home
Kevin Sansalone's luck and attitude that took him to the top of the big air competitions and beyond
• Shin Campos, the snowboard adventurer who dropped a jump off Domanski's, Whistler's "impossible" cliff, and rode away clean
• New-school star Etienne Gilbert's comeback from injury to the slopestyle podium
• Rube Goldberg, who went from digging jumps for the pros to riding as one of them
• Justin Lamoureux, who put his engineering career on hold to become aWorld Cup half-pipe hero
• Risto Scott's love for the sport that took him from amateur to pro, and then off the slopes to marketing manager and team manager for a major board sports equipment maker
• Martin Gallant, a rider who is tops in half-pipe, slalom, and moguls and one of Canada's best all-around snowboarders with a reputation for getting crazy both on and off the slope.