Kent Callister, a local snowboarder who grew up riding Mt Bachelor will be representing his home country of Australia for the second time in this year’s winter Olympics. Before he heads to South Korea, Kent got a send off from the community that raised him.

Dakine Grindz in Bend partnered with the Mt Bachelor Sport Education Foundation to host an Olympic send off for Callister on Saturday.

Callister started snowboarding with the Mt Bachelor Sports Education Foundation and moved up with that program, began competing and is now heading to the second winter Olympics.

Callister said he is grateful for the support he gets from the Bend community and loves coming back to Mt Bachelor. The 22 – year -old will be in bend for most of January but will then head off to compete in the winter Olympics, which start in February. Callister is hoping to better his 9th place finish in the Sochi Olympics in 2014.