Still Game?

Retirement. It’s something all snowboarders at all levels are fearful of. The day when we won’t be able to strap in and hit the hill.

Every now and then, countless snowboarding veterans will consider ending their snowboarding days. But for the older boarders out there, new hope often crops up in the form of other older snowboarders.

Enter unknown Czech instructor Vaclav Michalek. This sprightly 69 year-old only began snowboarding when he was 62, and is now leading elderly newbies onto the mountains to learn how to snowboard. Michalek’s students are all over the age of 61, and they must have been inspired by their mercurial teacher.

Not too many people will have heard about Michalek’s endeavour. That’s a pretty strange fact when you consider it’s the first course of its kind in Europe, and possibly the world. The lack of coverage of Michalek’s story may have been affected by the Winter Dew Tour and other competitions that took place around the world.

Sebastien Toutant

In fact, the story subtly emerged from the website of a Czech newspaper amidst all of the news surrounding young stars like Oakley’s man-of-the-moment Seb Toutant. Despite the obscurity of the story, any snowboarders out there who had the good fortune to hear of Michalek would’ve been inspired. It sheds a little light on the older pros.

Whereas there aren’t any riders in their sixties on the pro circuit, there are some older faces shredding with aplomb. One of these older faces is Oakley hero Terje Haakonsen. The Norwegian recently raced to glory in the Legendary Banked Slalom, beating competition from fellow experienced boarder Josh Dirksen. Haakonsen simply flew, and finished in an impressive 1.25.66.

Haakonsen has had prolific success in both racing and in the half pipe. He’s been at the top since he won the half pipe gold at the European Championship back in 1991 and, like the aforementioned Michalek, he shows no signs of retiring.

Electric idol Peter Line is another pro that’s still one of the best riders around today. As one of the founding members of the “Forum 8″, Line defined snowboarding in throughout snowboarding’s rise in the nineties. He seemingly never ages, and is a living, breathing example of how you can get older without getting old.

This story about an elderly snowboarder leading more older enthusiasts is certainly a refreshing one. It’s also good to know pioneers like Terje Haakonsen and Peter Line are still as great as they ever were. Whether you’re coming to the end of your snowboarding days or a complete newbie, older riders deserve credit for the passion they demonstrate for our beloved sport. Here’s to the veterans…

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