Powder hound Dane Tudor recently returned from a serious injury that he suffered last season. The backcountry big shot ranks among the best of the best when it comes to charging deep snow, and can hang with the best of ’em in the air, too. Check out his 2014 X Games Real Ski Backcountry edit above, where Tudor flaunts his skills and drops a nasty switch triple 1260. Also, be sure to see what he says regarding the competition, below. To vote for Dane Tudor, use the hashtags #RealSki and #Tudor on Twitter and Instagram, and be sure to tag @XGames, as well.

Who’d you film with?

I kicked off the filming season in February with Tyler Hamlet—we got lucky with some amazing deep conditions and great pillow lines. I filmed one day at Revelstoke with my roommate Jamie Tanner, scoring a cool pillow line that Jaime shot from an opposing ridge. In the middle of the season I filmed with Athan Merrick, Dustin Handley and Steve Jones from TGR, scoring a booter and a nice big line. To cap off the season I worked with my buddy Donovan Skelton who has been filming me since I was 14, and also an inspiration of mine in the ski filming scene.

Where did you spend your time shooting for your entry?

I spent the entire season filming in British Columbia, my favorite place to ski.

How do you feel about the format?

The format for Real Ski Backcountry is based on jumps. I feel that real skiing in the backcountry involves more than just jumping and doing tricks. Personally, I enjoy all aspects of backcountry riding—from pillows and deep pow, to jumps, to natural airs, and big lines. I stuck to my guns on this opinion for my Real Ski video, so hopefully we can see some changes in the future.

What’s your favorite trick from your entry?

Thats a tough one. They are all my favorite. But I would choose the switch triple 1260. It was my first time doing it in the backcountry and I landed it on the first try. So stoked. I’m also stoked on learning the dub rodeo 10 that’s in the video.

Is there a trick you missed or wished that you’d gotten while shooting?

I tried some forward triple 14’s and came really close but didn’t quite have the axis perfect. That would have been a game changer to have in the video with the switch triple. I left out a switch dub 9 as it didn’t quite fit in the video. I was also shooting for a left 9, but I’m going to need some more practice on that one.

Who do you see as your biggest competition in the contest?

Pretty much everybody. The list of athletes is stacked and I think it’s anybody’s game. Sammy Carlson is an amazing athlete—sending tricks all day long. His passion for skiing and being on top of the game really shows in his riding. Jacob Wester is an awesome all-around skier and a very talented jumper. Tim Durtschi is a very creative rider—always bringing new things to the table. Sam Favret is a really cool kid. I got to meet him this winter at Zermatt. He has a style similar to Candide—I’m stoked to see what he came up with. Wiley Miller is a fan favorite. Throwing switch 9 blunts and sick nose butters all day long. Joe Schuster is on the rise and I consider him the underdog who could really surprise us.

If you win, what’s your plan for the $25k prize?

Save most of it and spend a little on filming or heli time this winter.

Big plans for the coming season?

I’ll be working with TGR again which I’m super excited about. Last winter was my first time filming with TGR and I had a great time. I’m super excited to grow the relationship and hopefully become one of their main players.

Any shout outs?

A big thanks to Scott Sports for their continued support and awesome product, without them I wouldn’t be able to do what I do. A massive thanks to my Mom for being so inspiring and teaching me that anything is possible in life, you just gotta go out and do it. Thanks to my girlfriend, Lexi [Dupont] for giving me the extra push to go for this contest and for being totally awesome. Thanks to all the filmers who took part in the project, and thanks to my buddy Elliot Bernhagen who is a super awesome homie that came out and gave me sled tows and helped build the jumps. He also gave me that little push to send the triples.