MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, Calif. — Kevin Ice has never been one to shy away from obstacles.

Even 32 of them scattered throughout an eight-and-a-half-mile course.

Ice has a new passion after spending more than decade as a professional snowboarder: The Spartan Race Obstacle Series.

The ultimate running sport is not for the faint of heart.

Distance running with a twist: obstacles of varying designs and difficulty the runner must circumvent to continue.

“I am currently training five days a week doing cross training in both the gym and doing trail and mountain running around Mammoth Lakes (Calif.),” Ice said. “Overall, I’m still new to the sport and learning new techniques every day.”

Ice, 31, finished 22nd out of 67 runners in a Spartan race in his age group in Littlefield, Ariz., last month.

And recently he finished 13th out of 287 runners in the San Francisco AT&T Stadium race.

“I really wanted top-five and gave it my best but I missed fifth place by 15 seconds,” Ice said. “Such a small margin. I wanted it so bad and gave it my all, but I don’t think I had any more gas by the end.”

Ice isn’t new to pushing his limits and having success in obscure sports.

He has also never been one to take the well-beaten path.

While his friends growing up in West Sunbury pursued more traditional sports and careers, Ice singular goal was to become a professional snowboarder.

With just $300 in his pocket, a case of bottled water and a dream, Ice quit school at Butler Community College and drove 2,500 miles to Mammoth Mountain, Calif. — the Mecca of snowboarding.

He lived in his 1997 Honda Accord for two months before he made enough contacts and got noticed.

Ice carved out quite a career there. He competed in professional events such as the Dew Tour, Burton Pro Tour, Jelly Rail Jams, the Gatorade Free Flow Tour and the Alyeska Half Pipe Masters at the Prestige Alaskan Resort in Anchorage.

Just this year, Ice won the North Tahoe United States Snowboarding Association Half Pipe Series.

But he decided soon after to retire from snowboarding.

Ice said what is often overlooked by fans is the amount of work behind the scenes that goes into be successful.

“Everyone has a view of athletes that we are rich kids and that everyone is a natural talent and that winning and luck is always on our side,” Ice said. “Well, let me tell you something right now from my own experience. The public might see your good moments and our victories on TV or live at an event and think, ‘Wow, that person has the life.’ Or, ‘Man, that must be nice to have natural talent to win everything.’

“Only about one percent of all athletes in the world have natural talent,” Ice added. “Everyone else, including me, has to work our tails off day and night and never give up our goals.”

Ice’s new goal is to become a Spartan pro.

It’s his way of continuing to stoke his competitive fire.

“I am happy with my training and forward progress,” Ice said. “For me, that’s what it’s all about. Fighting and pushing your limits until you think you’re gonna quit and then somehow you keep going.

“Never give up. Never quit, no matter what,” Ice added. “As long as you don’t quit, anything is possible.”