HILLIARDS — With $300 in his pocket, a case of bottled water and a dream, Kevin Ice climbed into his 1997 Honda Accord and drove 2,500 miles to Mammoth Mountain, Calif.

More than anything else, Ice wanted to be a professional snowboarder, and Mammoth Mountain was the Mecca of the sport.

So, Ice, a Moniteau High graduate, quit school at Butler County Community College and went on the adventure of a lifetime.

"It was scary," Ice said. "I was sitting in class at BC3 and the whole time I was thinking, 'I should be snowboarding.' I had no clue what I was getting myself into."

Ice lived out of his car for two months, trying to make contacts and get himself noticed in a sport that is very niche oriented.

Ice found that becoming a successful snowboarder was more about selling himself and less about what he could do in a half pipe or off a jump.

One thing was certain: Mammoth Mountain was the place to do it.

"Mammoth is by far the place where all professional snowboarders get their start," Ice said.

After two months in his car, Ice was taken in by a merchant. He worked in her shop and got his name out in the cool Northern California air.

Ice entered as many competitions as he could and tried to attract the attention of as many sponsors as possible.

Sponsorship is the true gauge of snowboarding success, Ice said.

"I established myself as a local," Ice said. "That is a big deal."

That was the easy part. The hard part was getting the sponsors, mostly companies that manufacture snowboarding equipment, clothing and accessories, to show enough faith in Ice's ability to allow him to wear their products.

Ice had to take a crash course in Marketing 101.

"To get sponsors, you have to send in to the companies videos and photos," Ice said. "They look at your videos and photo and then let you know if they think you have what it takes."

After paying his dues, entering contests and spreading his name, Ice has established himself as an up-and-comer in the snowboarding world.

He has many sponsors and has fared well in competitions. Ice finished fifth out of 190 snowboarders at the Volcom Peanut Butter and Jelly Rail Jam in January.

"I want to be more well-rounded," Ice said. "I want the respect from my peers."

The way to do that, Ice said, is to enter contests and do well in them.

That's going to be his focus this winter. The only difference is he will be doing it on the East Coast.

Ice will compete for the Seven Springs team in Pittsburgh and will travel the East Coast.

But travel is nothing new for Ice. He's competed in nine different states, from Montana to New Jersey.

Last year, Ice's season was cut short by a broken heel that he got when he took off from a jump and landed in the toe edge of his board. Ice didn't feel pain when his heel broke clean in half, just a strange sensation.

"I felt a cold air release," Ice said. "I went home and the next day I woke up and forgot all about it. I got out of bed, put my foot down and fell flat to the ground. I couldn't put any pressure on it."

Ice was out of action for two months, an eternity for a snowboarder, but he said he still isn't 100 percent.

When he's healthy, Ice's ultimate goal is as big as it gets: The X-Games, which is the Super Bowl of snowboarding.

"Ever since Sean White burst onto the scene, snowboarding has gotten more and more mainstream," Ice said. "Anyone who does this wants to get to the X-Games. It's the ultimate.

"It does help to do anything that will get you noticed, something extra that will make people talk about you and get you sponsors. I need to get noticed."

One thing is certain: Ice isn't afraid to take a chance. He did four years ago when he drove to California with only a dream.

Now, he's fulfilling it.

"I never thought I would fail," Ice said. "That never occurred to me."