Breckenridge snowboarder Jesse a bachelor no more

Jesse Csincsak went into “The Bachelorette” thinking he could never find love on a reality show.

DeAnna Pappas knew better.

In an exclusive phone interview with the Summit Daily News this week, the Breckenridge professional snowboarder said he came around to love during their date in Summit County.

“We had our first kiss on downtown Main Street Breckenridge,” he said.

The “hometown date” episode aired on June 23 in the ABC series that lets viewers watch as one woman searches for her future husband from a pool of 25 eligible men.

Although he didn’t expect it, after that kiss, Jesse said he couldn’t imagine being without DeAnna.

Pappas, sitting next to Jesse in Los Angeles for the publicity work, said on the phone that “everything happens for a reason.”

She explained that she knew going into the show that falling in love was possible, since she fell in a previous series for “Bachelor” Brad Womack, who did not reciprocate her desire for marriage.

“He led me to the person I want to be with,” Pappas said of Womack. “I knew it could happen. I just thank God Jesse figured it out half way through.”

The two became engaged in the season finale.

Of the nuptials, the Atlanta real-estate agent said: “Every girl dreams of a big wedding.”

Csincsak said they don’t yet have any offers to televise the marital vows, set for next May 9 in the Bahamas.

Seeds of a shredder

Csincsak grew up in Ohio, where he spent most of his time playing football. When a friend brought snowboarding to his attention, he gave that a try, and fell in love.

“My football buddies were like: ‘Why waste your time?’ But I wanted to snowboard and prove them wrong,” Csincsak said.

He came to Breckenridge for the first time when he was 16, vowing then to make it his home.

At 19, Jesse moved to the high country and worked with an electrician for the first six months, before getting a house in Breckenridge with some help from his dad.

He now owns two homes in the community.

He said he got into his professional snowboarding gig by riding every day with star shredders including Steve Fisher, Chad Otterstrom and Jeff Meyer.

“I didn’t have a natural talent for snowboarding,” he said.

To make up for it, he said he was “the first guy up on the hill and the last one down.”

He made his TV debut as a coach on the MTV “Made,” show in February, and soon after got the call from “The Bachelorette.”

The application had been sent in by his cousin; Jesse himself didn’t think his chances were particularly high.

He remembers thinking: “I’m not an Abercrombie and Fitch model; they are never going to call me.”

One of 25

Jesse was flown out for a day’s long interview, among 20,000 other applicants.

“It was definitely very intense,” he said.

The show proved no less invigorating.

“It’s like speed-dating times 1,000.”

With MTV behind him, the former bachelor said his comfort around the cameras might have given him an edge.

“I was myself day in and day out, the same on camera as off camera.”

While on the show, Jesse said he got along with all the guys, with the exception of Twilley, with whom he sometimes butted heads.

On his living conditions on the show, he said: “I’m a snowboarder. I’ve lived in way worse situations.

“I can’t complain. They put us up in this crazy multi-million dollar fortress out in L.A. ... The views are great. DeAnna is gorgeous.”

He also noted the special times the couple shared that were not shown on the air.

“I would wake up in the morning and was up before Dede, waiting for her with breakfast and O.J. We would just chitchat.”

When his birthday happened during the show’s filming, DeAnna made him pancakes in the shape of hearts.

“There’s a lot of stuff you don’t see,” he said.

Between the end of filming and the airing of the season finale, the two were able to get together for a few secret rendezvous set up by the network.

But they never watched the show together.

“DeAnna and I made a pact that we were not going to watch them together,” Csincsak said.

He said it was a difficult thing to do, but talked himself through it.

“I had to tell myself this was all in the past ... nothing mattered until I put that ring on her finger.”

Home, sweet Breck

Jesse said they’ve decided to live in Breckenridge in the winters and Georgia in the summers.

Their next step is to move into DeAnna’s home and hang out with family and friends in Atlanta, before spending the first 10 days of August in Breckenridge to meet more future in-laws and friends.

Although nearly every date on “The Bachelorette” was like a honeymoon, Jesse said that has actually made him look forward to every day.

“We’re excited to just do the normal stuff — go to City Market and buy groceries. Hike the Flume Trail. We’re psyched to be normal people,” Csincsak said.

A few of Jesse’s good friends from Summit County made their way out to California recently to meet their friend’s fiance.

Meyer, who has known and snowboarded with Jesse for the last six years, described Jesse as a “hopeless romantic” and thought the two made a “perfect fit.” Meyer was flown out to the post-season finale show to meet DeAnna.

Jesse’s friend and Frisco resident Jonathan Hershberger had planned to fly out to Los Angeles before knowing the outcome.

He said that it would have been a celebration either way, “but now it’s a better celebration. One of my best friends is engaged.”

DeAnnaandJesse.com

Keep up with the reality TV couple’s adventures on their website www.deannaandjessie.com.