On New Year's Eve two years ago, Hartland snowboarder Kevin Pearce was spinning upside down when his entire world shifted that way.

Slamming his head on a Utah halfpipe while practicing one of the sport's most difficult cyclonic tricks -- the double cork 1260 -- the accident left the Norwich native comatose and with severe head trauma. When he regained consciousness, doctors told him he'd be fortunate to ever walk again, let alone get back on a board.

Despite a long and arduous recovery process, Pearce never doubted he'd one day return to the slope. The goal came to fruition on Tuesday, when the 24-year-old took a few mellow runs with snowboarding great Jake Burton at Colorado's Vail Mountain before making the 45-minute trip to Breckenridge Ski Resort to ride with friends and family.

The Valley News had a phone conversation with Pearce yesterday to discuss the experience and what the future may hold for the one-time Olympic hopeful. The following is an edited transcript of that conversation.

VN: How cool was the whole experience, just to be back out there and back on a board again?

KP: It was really special, to walk up the hill at (Breckenridge) and see so many people that have been behind me the whole time, that they're still there for me two years later and being so supportive. It was an absolutely perfect day, sunny, probably in the upper 30s. It was actually a lot like the day of the accident, when the conditions that day probably saved my life. The helicopter that came and flew me to the hospital, it wouldn't have been able to fly in on 28 (of the 31 days in December 2009) because it was a really harsh weather month. There were a lot of different things that came together to save my life that day.

VN: Was snowboarding again difficult, technically, or did it come right back to you?

KP: It came right back. It's sort of like riding a bike. The fact that I've been snowboarding for 20 years -- it came really natural. I recently had eye surgery, and that improved my vision a lot, which is huge when it comes to balance. I've also been doing a lot of balance work with my rehab. I’ve been doing a lot of stuff with this thing called a BOSU (balance trainer). It's basically half (exercise) ball and half flat, plastic surface so that the ball part always stays straight up. That’s been great, and so has a balance board that a company in Vermont gave me.

VN: I understand you had one spill yesterday. Was that scary?

KP: No, not at all. I just kind of fell back on my butt, nowhere near my head. It was a super mellow run. I knew there'd be no chance of hurting my head.

VN: You and your family had been very careful about not putting you back on a board prematurely. Was that something you stood behind from the beginning, or was it difficult because of the part of you wanting to hurry up and get out there?

KP: The waiting actually hasn't been hard at all, because I know what I've been through and I’ve heard so much about what could happen if I did take another fall. It would be so bad, I really, obviously, don't want to be put in that position. I’ve been lucky to have a lot of friends and family around that have been there to help with the decisions I make, and make sure I don't do anything stupid.

VN: After the accident, doctors told you you'd be lucky to walk again and that you could basically forget about ever riding again. Was there ever a time when you conceded to never getting back on a snowboard?

KP: I never doubted that I would. I heard a lot of people say, “Dude, you can't snowboard again,” but I never agreed with them and never let that affect me. I told myself I was going to ride again, no matter what it takes. I knew it was just a matter of making sure I was going to be safe. I think that's a huge reason why I was so successful when I competed. When I want to do something, I make sure it happens no matter what.

VN: You're a competitive person who was on the brink of being named to the U.S. Olympic snowboarding team. After what you've been through, is it enjoyable to get away from the competitive side of the sport and just go out there and have relaxing runs or do you really wish you were still competing?

KP: Well, the thing is that snowboarding is never about relaxing. It's about pushing your comfort level and pushing your limits as far as you can go. When I competed, I was successful because of how hard I worked. Right now, it's cool because it’s like I’m a beginner again, but a beginner who already has their fundamentals down. I can already carve down a ride.

VN: Your mother, Pia, has talked about you being a role model and a mentor for other young riders who have had head injuries. Have you actually been able to interact with a lot of those athletes?

KP: Yeah. There's so many kids that get concussions, but there's so little awareness about how to handle a brain injury. There's a proper way to go about recovery, and I feel like I’m pretty knowledgeable about that now. So I try to move those messages along.

VN: What are some of those messages?

KP: The most important thing, actually, is not to use drugs or alcohol. Most kids my age are doing that stuff, drinking beer and things like that. But the fact is, it slows down the healing of the brain. That's why I haven't had a beer in two years. Another huge one is getting enough sleep. A lot of guys my age go out every Friday night and stay out late, but that’s not how it is for me and I’m fine with that. I’m in bed by 9:30-10 most nights.

VN: Do you think you'll ever perform a jump again?

KP: Yes, but not for a while and probably just small jumps. There's a lot for me to work on between now and then. For now, I'm happy to just be out there riding, to be out there cruising and being on the mountain and the chairlift with my friends.

Jared Pendak can be reached at jpendak@vnews.com or 603-727-3306.