AS THE SNOW FLIES\Snowboarder has downhill daring.

Byline: Brett Pauly Daily News Staff Writer

She pounds the slopes 150 times a year, but April Lawyer falls short of calling herself a snowboard bum. A half-pipe junkie, perhaps, but not a pauper.

"It's a laid-back lifestyle, but I wouldn't say I was a total bum," said the down-to-earth professional snowboarder from Big Bear Lake. "I do have a lot of fun and it's not very stressful, but I don't want to say I'm poor. I rent a house. I have a car. And I don't borrow money from my parents."

Actually, Lawyer is far richer than her bank account suggests.

Indeed, she is an unassuming queen among the throngs of snowboarders identified by baggy pants, oversized sweat shirts and duct-taped gloves - a very existence that would scream poverty if it weren't for those expensive surfboards-turned-skis strapped to the soles of their feet.

Her royalty is defined by top finishes in international freestyle competitions, corporate sponsorships, a burgeoning celebrity and a paycheck that will allow her finally to save money instead of merely getting by.

"I'm having the best time of my life right now. My job is to go out there and promote myself and get photos taken and all that stuff," said the 20-year-old former children's ski instructor who crossed over to snowboarding three years ago because she found it far more diverse and challenging.

Lawyer, who signed with her first professional backer last year, marvels at the notion of getting paid to snowboard.

"My folks are actually really excited about it," she said. "They say that as long as I'm young and I'm able to do what I can do and make money and have fun, I might as well; it won't last forever."

A grab-the-bull-by-the-horns-kind of gal, Lawyer rarely backs down to a challenge. Her specialty on the women's pro snowboarding circuit is the big-air competition. She won an exhibition event in Japan last year and has several local successes.

"I have a lot of guts," Lawyer said. "I think what makes me stand out is that my fear factor is a little different. I'm not really scared of many things.

"For example, if there is a big jump that a lot of people don't take, I usually will as long as I know I won't kill myself. I think ambition is the big difference."

She can fly 50 feet and excels at 360s and method air - acrobatically grabbing and twisting the board.

Competitors also match skills with her in the half-pipe event (freestyle maneuvers performed in a shell of snow), slope-style (tricks delivered over a series of jumps) and boarder-cross (a first-to-the-finish obstacle course in which five racers scramble around flags, berms and each other).

She will defend her big-air title next month in Japan during a three-week sojourn that will include filming a snowboarding movie and promoting the products of her sponsors - Hub snowboards, Airwalk boots, Bombshell clothing, Smith goggles and GMC gloves. Similar stops in Lake Tahoe and Colorado are slated before and after the overseas excursion.

Lawyer, who has called the San Bernardino Mountains home since age 3 and resides a stone's throw from Snow Summit, is a quick learner brimming with natural talent. Last year, for instance, she took up mountain biking, then began competing and climbed the tour ranks from beginner to expert. She will be racing as a pro this year.

It's not all speed and derring-do for Lawyer, however. She does have her mellow moments - painting watercolors, riding horses and disco dancing.

And though she is becoming more recognizable with each sideways tail grab, this poster girl for product catalogs, magazine ads and greeting cards remains unaffected and sincere.

"I'm definitely not different," said Lawyer, who hopes to pursue management work in the snowboard industry. "People have known me for a lot of years living up here, and they know it hasn't changed me. Every morning I get up to go snowboarding, the thrill is still in me."

It's an excitement that will no doubt contribute to a canvas that has seen only the first of several promising brush strokes.

CAPTION(S):

Photo (1--color) Lawyer has gathered a group of sponsors by earning top finishes. (2--color) April Lawyer, a pro snowboarder from Big Bear Lake, shows her stuff at Snow Summit. Her specialty is the big-air competition. David Sprague / Daily News