SOUTH Durras Australian Halfpipe Snowboarding champion Ben Mates will be out to claim back-to-back national titles at the upcoming World Industries Australian Snowboarding Championships at Mount Buller, Victoria from August 4-6.

The 22-year-old Winter Olympian, who gained valuable experience at the 2006 Torino Games, has decided to also contest the Border-X division this year.

"I've pretty much doubled the amount of tricks I can do in the pipe since last year's event," Mates said.

"It was great to win the Australian title last year and I'm showing up again hoping to match that result. My focus will be on the Halfpipe event but I'm also going to compete in the Boarder-X just to see how I go."

Fellow Olympic team member Andrew Burton (Newcastle, NSW) is rumoured to join the line-up, along with other confirmed entrants such as Mitch Allan (Berrara, NSW), Philip Berube (Montreal, Canada), Stephanie Hickey (Mt Buller, Victoria), and Alex Pullen (Mansfield, Victoria).

MATES career took off after competing in the Turin Winter Olympics.

He's since enjoyed a number of public appearances and a strong performance in the US Open.

As close friends and family suspected - the snow-boarding adventure merely started with the Olympics for Mates.

He was shown on prime-time television jumping into Sydney's Darling Harbour on his board for a special promotion for the X Games earlier this year.

He had to jump from a ramp covered with man made snow into the harbour while wearing shorts and rash shirt.

It wasn't all jumping into freezing, murky water however, the business got serious when Mates travelled to Vermont in the United States for the US Open.

Mates qualified for the top 40 out of 100 snowboarders in the halfpipe events, and then from this group, qualified for the semi-finals.

He finished 20th in the semi-finals and missed the finals by only four places.

It was the best-ever result for an Australian at the event.