Jarrett John Thomas, more commonly known as J.J., is snowboarding's biggest comeback rider of the year. Thomas, a veteran of the sport, broke into the contest scene in the mid 90s and diligently started working his way to the top.

By 2002, Thomas worked himself right up into a spot on the U.S. Olympic snowboard team for the Salt Lake City Winter Games. At the peak of his prime J.J. earned himself and our country a bronze medal in the halfpipe.

In 2006 Thomas struggled to make the US Halfpipe Team, placing ninth overall in the qualifying series. This place was well below the the top four which was needed to make this elite team.

Fast track to eight years later. Thomas is 28 years now and is once again setting his sights on Olympic gold. But this time he's not making the same mistakes as he did in the 2006 Olympic team qualifiers.

Thomas' determination coupled with his laid-back yet technical style are proving to be the key elements that are leading the seasoned rider back towards the podium at the 2010 Vancouver Games.

Prior to his new found hunger for podium spots, Thomas dropped out of the limelight to focus more on filming. He holds memorable parts in Oakley and Red Bull's "The Community Project", Mongo Pro Productions "Who Cares" and Standard Film's "Aesthetica".

After hiding out a few years in the backcountry, Thomas got the urge and knew it was time to step back onto the contest circuit. His recent podium finishes and strong showing's are what earned J.J. Thomas the "Comeback Rider of the Year" title.