Algonquin snowboarders parlaying childhood interest into title shot

It was Christmas Day 1998.

Joe and Mike Stein, then 8 and 6, remember waking up at 5:36 a.m. and spotting two large packages under the tree.

But house rules dictate that presents are off limits until the parents, Jim and Pat, wake up.

So for the next 90 minutes, the Algonquin boys waited by the tree in agony until their parents rose from bed.

The boys jumped for joy after the candy cane and snowman wrapping paper gave way to a pair of bright yellow plastic snowboards.

A few nights before, they had visited the Raging Buffalo snowboarding park in town, and after seeing the athletes in action they had asked for their own boards, Joe said.

And with these gifts, there was no need to see what else Santa had for them under the tree. "We didn't even bother with the other ones," Mike said.

For the rest of the day, Joe and Mike used the snow-covered hills in their backyard to break in their new toys.

Their father, Jim, a former skier, had bought the $30 boards as a way to introduce his already athletic boys to another sport, while keeping them busy in the winter.

Little did any of them know that those toy snowboards would help propel the Stein brothers into the sport on a national level.

Colorado or bust

As you read this, the Stein brothers are landing in Copper Mountain, Colo., where they'll compete next week in the United States of America Snowboard Association's nationals.

According to its Web site, the event, which runs Friday through next Saturday, is the largest snowboarding competition in the world.

Joe, 17, is tied for 10th place in the country as a junior and will compete next Wednesday and Thursday in the slopestyle and halfpipe events.

Slopestyle involves doing multiple tricks, like back flips and spins, while riding a board down the slope.

Halfpipe is best described as a skateboard ramp covered in snow that the snowboarder does tricks on.

Mike, now 15 years old, is 28th in the nation as a youth and will do battle in the halfpipe event next Thursday.

Although they've competed nationally before, this marks the first time they've entered an event ranked as high as they are.

Staying in one piece

The boys perfected the sport at Raging Buffalo just as it was coming into the public consciousness, said owner Keith Duck.

Today, it's gained a lot of respect and is now "sort of a sister sport to skiing," said Duck, also a regional director for the USA Snowboarding Association.

When the Jacobs High School students aren't doing their homework or practicing on the slopes, they're spending their weekends honing their skills in regional tournaments.

And by staying within their physical limits, the boys have remained relatively injury-free, although three years ago Mike ended up with a concussion when he attempted to land a double back flip.

It's a move he's still trying to perfect and one he says only the pros can do.

Still, in keeping with the philosophy of staying safe, Joe has decided not to compete in a third event at nationals called boarder cross, in which snowboarders literally fight their way down the slopes to be first.

"It's not my favorite event, and it would ruin it if I got hurt doing that if that's not what I came down here for," he said.

Cha-ching

Their father, an insurance salesman who works in Schaumburg, estimates he's spent thousands of dollars to keep his boys on the cutting edge of the sport, buying everything from waterproof gear, goggles and tools for snowboard maintenance.

Luckily, he's lined up an arsenal of individual, local and national sponsors to help defray the cost of this trip.

"It can get expensive, but for a kid who's passionate about it, it's well worth it," he said.

For their part, the boys say the sponsorship dollars make them more determined than ever to come back to Algonquin with some hardware.

"I'm just glad for all the support. I just hope I do good and make everyone proud," Mike said.

Olympic dreams

Like Rockne and Collin Brubaker, another couple of Algonquin brothers who have staked the local claim on pairs skating and ice dancing, respectively, the Stein brothers' ultimate goal is going for the gold in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

The Stein brothers admit they feel a little pressure to perform, "but mostly you just want to go out and have fun," Mike said.

Still, how awesome would it be for two sets of Algonquin brothers to compete in the games?

"I think it would just be cool to see someone from our hometown," Joe said.