After a season in which Batchelor won two World Cup silver medals and qualified for the finals at the Burton U.S. Open, the 20-year-old's newfound dedication and experience have him setting his sights on the world's top riders.

When Batchelor returns to the half pipe after taking the summer to rest and recuperate after a long season, he'll focus on incorporating more switch riding (landing or taking off backwards), adding some of the tricks of the top riders, like a cab 1080, and push the boundaries of the sport with the likes of a backside 1260.

"I've come close to landing it but nobody has ever landed one in competition," Batchelor said. "I think it's purely mental. Usually you just practice that trick but if you want to do a full run, you need to link it up with five others."

Batchelor admits that sometimes he wasn't as dedicated as he needed to be, citing his first training camp with the national team in New Zealand. As a 17-year-old at the time, he said it was easy to get distracted by the country's lively party scene.

"I definitely need to make better use of those trips," he said.

Batchelor said working with the Icarus Snowboard Team, an elite group of Ontario boarders coached by former pro snowboarder Jesse Fulton, has helped in that regard.

"He's been a very good influence on me and my work ethic," Batchelor said. "He'll push me. He'll say you're not stopping until you do this."

The results on the World Cup circuit have encouraged Batchelor but the U.S. Open let him know that he truly is within striking distance of the top riders. The event draws the world's top riders, with a field even stronger than the World Cups. For snowboarding, it's as close to the Olympic-calibre competition as riders get each year - reigning Olympic champion Shaun White won this year's event.

Batchelor finished 15th but just making the final proved to be quite an accomplishment on its own. With more than 100 competitors, there are four rounds of qualifying just to reach the final. And by making the final this year, he'll get to skip the first three rounds next year, earning a pass to the semifinals.

Batchelor said his international experience has been valuable in helping him discovering a routine that works for him at competitions. Usually he'll fly to a competition on Monday, take Tuesday as a rest day to get over jet lag, a day of practice on Wednesday to get used to the half pipe and then work on his tricks on Thursday. The new element of the routine is a light day on the Friday.

"I don't like to tire myself out," he said. "It seems to be a strategy that works for me."

It's one that he came about by accident after he twice broke his board during Friday practice sessions.

He's also learned that a less rigourous off-season can actually be beneficial, allowing his body, and in particular his knees, to recuperate after a long season. After the World Cup season ended, Batchelor still had a busy competition schedule that saw him finish second at the Canadian nationals, first at the junior nationals and topped by his strong showing at the U.S. Open.

"I've got to take some time off to let my body heal," he said. "With 2010 (Olympics in Vancouver) coming up, I have to make sure my body physically is peaking and mentally I'm peaking so I can go the distance at 2010."