TERJE HAAKONSEN INTERVIEW: Part Two

Being a centerpiece in the storm of snowboarding’s eye, Terje is constantly being bombarded with questions, speculation, and judgment. The theme of “Center” is inescapable around him as well. He is always the center of gatherings/events, regardless of whether he wants to be or not. Never does he crave attention, but he always deserves it. His opinions are strong and well thought out, and important for our sport. As most people know, he was a hair more than adamant about avoiding contests sanctioned by ski federations, including the Olympics. His reasoning was purely out of love for the sport’s integrity, which is why his principles are manifested by anyone who cares about riding. In other words, when Terje puts his mind to something, snowboarding follows.

How do you think we could best hold on to the soul of snowboarding?
Stay away from photo shoots.

What kind?
All of them. Usually days spent on photo shoots had nothing to do with snowboarding for myself. I got to ride, but it had nothing to do with getting away from media and ranking lists. A lot of what we do with the Arctic Challenge is giving riders a break from ranking lists [and] taking that pressure off. I had goals when I was younger, like being the most consistent rider through the year, but I think a lot of [other] guys did, too. But I get so pissed when I see how the FIS portrays snowboarding. That’s not what it is. Well, some people will always hate contests, won’t think that they are good for anything, and think the same of TTR events and TAC. But those contests are at least presented in a healthy way for the sport and the riders, and their major goal is progression.

How should riders find the balance with their sponsors in order to continue snowboarding for a living without just selling out? Where is that balance with photo shoots?
Ha, I’m not sure. But for all the guys that are making a career out of snowboarding, it’s really impossible to not sell out. I also think that agents and sponsors push guys to do things they are not always into. There are definitely different levels of sell-out. Like when people are sponsored by things they don’t use themselves or would never put into their own body.

Do you think people get into snowboarding today for the wrong reasons?
I’m not sure, but I do know that you don’t snowboard better if you drink Mountain Dew. Age has a lot to do with it, too. There is an age where you are just so self-conscious… You know, in high school if kids pick on you, it f**ks you up. You really think about that sh*t. Snowboarding is the same.

So, it’s bad for the sport to have such corporations involved?
No, I think it’s important to get the support outside the industry. Riders could be more professional and use it to get better and events could be better. But Shaun White doesn’t have to drink Mountain Dew. Riders just need to be responsible when making their decisions. There is good and bad to having someone take care of your money and sponsorships. Back to Shaun: He can focus completely on his riding, and not worry about his sponsors or negotiations. That’s great, but he might be making some career moves that he wouldn’t make unless his agent was telling him to do so. An agent will always say “Go for the opportunity, it will be great money.” Agents are in it for the money. They want what will bring the rider the most money. Some guys turn down offers because they don’t agree with certain products, which I respect so much.

Do you feel companies should take better care of their riders?
Yes, and riders should demand it. If I ran a company, I would want to preserve the athlete’s health; it’s in the best interest of everyone. Some of my sponsors always ask me, “How’s your body feel?” like I’m an asset. Haha. Companies have responsibilities to help their riders. They aren’t doing that much in snowboarding. Other sports, like ball sports, they take care of their athletes with physical therapy. In our sport, if you’re hurt, you’re alone for the most part, without much support.

Do you think there is a snowboarder out there right now who can save the soul of our sport?
I don’t really think snowboarding needs to be saved; it seems like it’s doing well. I don’t think it would save anything sending Shaun White to the backcountry and getting rid of some of his mainstream sponsors. It would be nicer if we tried to save the world and our winters. The only thing snowboarding itself needs to be saved from is having a ski federation running it for Olympic qualification and the event at the Olympics. That is really weird. You don’t see other sports being run by someone else. Guys that really hated us from the start are making big bucks off of snowboarding. How weak is that? It’s like bending over and getting f**ked in the ass. Biathletes aren’t run by FIS. Those guys who cross-country ski and shoot; they hate the FIS, so they formed their own organization.

Then why are snowboarders run by the FIS?
Because snowboarders are weak! Just sheep! It’s like someone’s showing them a pot of gold, and everyone is running for it. Not everyone is in a situation where they can do much, but many people are.

How do we take control?
Every time someone goes to an FIS contest, they support a ski contest. Snowboarders need to hold the sanctioned events for the IOC to acknowledge, but theFIS and IOC have long-term relationships. They do a lot of give-give buddy-buddy work with one another. It’s going to be tough. New rumors are that the IOC is trying to have a Youth Olympics. They are so desperate to get into action sports and more TV viewers. Check out http:// labelnetworks.com/sports/youth_olympics_07.cfm.

Would you accept the Olympics more if they accepted TTR?
Yeah, and I think there should be contests in the US, Japan, Europe, New Zealand… Right now, there is a problem with the quota of riders each country can send over, too. Jamaica shouldn’t be able to send a snowboarder… Isn’t the Olympics supposed to be about the best? There are so many good riders, but only four riders can go from the best countries? That doesn’t make sense. IOC is not that cool.

Do you still get giddy or excited in the preseason?
I don’t really live in a place that has a good preseason. It’s pretty terrible, actually. Not like in the Northwest of the States, where there is great riding so early. My season usually starts after the new year. Before that, though, I get pretty psyched seeing the new videos that come out. Some of them get pretty repetitive, but they’re still fun to watch. Pop and Futureproof were really good, and Standard always has sick lines, too. I really like watching lines the most. Jumps, too. I really enjoy watching the smaller underground videos, too, to see what the young guys are doing.

What have been the highest and lowest points in your career? How did you handle both points in time?
Lowest? Sure, [there have] been more than a few, but I had some years when I was trying to get rid of my sore hips and the inflammation in my calves. [I wasn’t] progressing too much, and at the same time, was dealing with a really disturbed girl. That messed a little with me and it took at lot of time off-snow. That kind of turned into one of the best things in the end—I got to learn other things, heal properly, and I had more energy to get more into riding again.

If you could think of one current rider that you would like to see carry the leader’s flag in our sport, who would it be right now?
It could be either Nicolas Müller or Travis Rice. I think a lot of snowboarders are good ambassadors for our sport, but some do more when it comes to speaking about snowboarding. It’s easier for older guys who have been there for a long time and are established than for young kids fighting their way up. It’s tougher these days than before.

Why did you choose snowboarding?
You go into other sports [like] skiing, etc., [and] you have teams separated by nationalities, whereas in snowboarding it’s less about the bullsh*t pride, and more about who supports you. Your teammates come from all over the world in this sport. The flag we fly has nothing to do with nationalist pride bullsh*t. I’m grateful to live in Norway, [and] I pay taxes here, but I ride for the people who support me, not my country. I also just stopped having fun on skis. I started skateboarding at the same time too, and just began having so much fun. I would meet these guys at the different contests who were just so different, so much more fun. They all came from different backgrounds. You could tell who were skaters and who were surfers. [At] some contests you could hear the Beach Boys playing and see guys in Bermuda shorts pulled over their snowboard pants. When you get to eleven or twelve years old in Norway and are good at a sport, you usually get onto the regional team, so I was on the soccer and ski teams. When we were skiing and not racing, we would go out and play around on skis, so it wasn’t hard for me to quit skiing. The hardest part was that my dad had put so much into it. He was frustrated that I quit pretty much the day I got onto the team.

Is he still frustrated?
It took him about a year… Yesterday was the first time my mom had been to a contest; [actually, it was] the first time she had seen me ride outside of a video. My dad used to tell me to be careful after watching my videos. My dad changed, though. For example, when he saw First Descent he said, “That’s pretty cool, how you did that one there?” instead of “God, get a grip of yourself, man!” He said yesterday, “Hey, good jumping today.” My mom knows nothing about sports; I share more with my dad. My mom didn’t know what I did for so many years. She didn’t quite get it.

Do your parents know what kind of position you hold in snowboarding?
No, not really.

What does your mom think you do then?
She just sees it as a way to make a living. That I just go on product development trips. It’s easier for her to understand in those terms.

How is it to be a father yourself?
After my first one, it made me become a little more professional with my decision-making.

Careful or professional?
Professional. You always have to be careful, with a kid or not. A lot of things you aren’t in control of, like airplanes and stuff, but I definitely feel the responsibility of having other people to care for now. Like not doing any stupid lines, or stuff too far out of my ability. I think that happens sometimes.

What’s the best part of getting older?
Thinking that you are getting wiser! Nah, I think there will always be different values you will appreciate with age. Running around town chasing illusions is not that exciting after a while… A slower lifestyle eventually becomes more enjoyable.

The worst?
The saggy tits and less hair on top, I guess... I’m not sure if it’s the worst not being able to do moves you used to do, or it’s more of a relief not having to do them anymore. Getting sore quicker and using more time on body maintenance are maybe what a lot of guys are looking forward to, though… Haha.

How much time do you get to spend with your family?
All the time when I’m not traveling. I don’t travel all year, but some periods during the winter can be a little stressful for my lady at home.

What’s your favorite thing to do with your kids?
Anything, really. They say a lot of funny things and have their own way of dealing with stuff. It’s good just to have them sit in your lap sometimes and chill. They grow out of that pretty fast, I think. We wrestle a lot. You know, the usual stuff: play games, video games, draw, paint, read, listen to music, play soccer, and, of course, run to the hills!

As a man who deeply understands but [also] grapples with his mortality and physicality every time he rides, Terje is one hell of a force. He has taken time in his life to learn himself inside and out in order to keep running as smoothly as possible, but accepts that the body is a slowly decaying machine. He is not as far ahead of the rest of snowboarding as he was eleven years ago in Subjekt Haakonsen, but this thirty-two-year-old has a foot above the lip for every year aged—which at this rate only means good things for his transition-slaying destiny. Oh, and he has a bloodline.

A few days after the dinner at the Bjorligard, we were driving down a windy road nearby, Terje scoping for possible lines in the veins of the surrounding peaks. He spoke nonchalantly about hiking up these deep narrow gashes to get some shots. I asked him how he did in that contest back in 1989—the last time he was here. “I won,” he said with a smile. He went back to pointing out peaks, in search of the next comma in that same town, eighteen years later, leaving no question mark in the mind of anyone thinking about his legendary place in snowboarding.