Ayumo Hirano, the 15 year old professional snowboarder was recently asked what scared him. After thinking about it for awhile, he replied, “Nothing comes to mind.”

Hirano has come to the spotlight this year after qualifying for last years X Games after another competitor was injured. This year he has had multiple second place finishes whenever Shaun White is competing. But Hirano has had his fair share of victories. He won at the New Zealand winter games which White did not participate in and Hirano also placed 2^nd in the US Open.

Hirano is known for being fearless and very precise in the half pipe. He is small — five feet, two inches — but known for his huge amplitude. He soars out of the pipe as if he were jumping on a trampoline. At this year’s X Games he will definitely be a contender for the gold medal. His signature trick, a 1080 cork tail, has been absolutely perfected and he uses it at least once in every one of his runs. To go along with his massive spins he flies close to 18 feet out of the pipe, which isn’t to bad for the 75 pound, 15 year old. He also regularly comes in second, during Dew Tour competitions, usually behind Shaun White, and many people are predicting he could topple White at this year’s X Games and possibly at this years winter Olympics.

Hirano is also kind of mysterious. He is quiet and doesn’t talk a lot, in either English or Japanese. He never reads articles about himself and doesn’t appear to care what anyone says or thinks about him. Right now, he is living in a house full of other Japanese snowboarders in Frisco, Colorado, and training in Vail. He goes everywhere with his older brother, also a professional snowboarder, who protects and coaches him.

Like Shaun White, Hirano started out as a skateboarder. His father owned a surf and skate shop in Murakami, Japan, the small seaside town where Hirano grew up. When he was 6, he entered his first snowboarding competition and became a little bit of a phenom quickly. He turned pro at 12 and is now sponsored by Monster, Burton, and Oakley.

Hirano’s brother says he’s so calm and that he sleeps all the time. He is known for falling asleep on couches and chairs at parties. He takes mini-naps while waiting for his turn to compete. He seldom celebrates after a run; instead he just stands very still, waiting for his score to come up on the board. When his score does appear, it’s impossible to tell whether he’s happy or disappointed. He always wears a poker face.

Is Shaun White scared of him? In one article, White said Hirano reminded him of himself — a small guy who was once a skateboarder. This year will be one of the biggest for both White and Hirano since the winter Olympics and the X Games are within a month of each other. Whenever the subject of defeating Shaun White comes up he says next to nothing. It seems all he wants to do is just have fun.

He is still not at the level of Shaun White, but he is very close to it. In 4 years, if he can avoid injury, he will definitely take over the spot of dominance that Shaun White has been in for nearly a decade.