Terje Haakonsen

Terje Håkonsen (born 11 October 1974) is a Norwegian professional snowboarder widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the sport’s history. His flowing style, fearless freeriding and dominance in half‑pipe competitions reshaped how snowboarding is performed and perceived. Throughout the 1990s Håkonsen captured three ISF World Championship titles in half‑pipe (1993, 1995, 1997) and never lost a European Championship he entered, winning five consecutive titles between 1991 and 1997. He also triumphed at the US Open Halfpipe (1992, 1993, 1995) and claimed seven victories at the Mt. Baker Banked Slalom, a record that highlighted his versatility across terrain. In 2007 he set a world‑record air of 9.8 metres at the Arctic Challenge, illustrating his continual push of technical limits. Beyond competition, Håkonsen became a cultural icon through numerous snowboarding films, starting with Volcom’s Subjekt Haakonsen (1996) and continuing with The Haakonsen Faktor (1999) and the documentary First Descent (2005), where he became the first person to descend Alaska’s 7601‑foot peak on a board. His rebellion against the sport’s institutional frameworks led him to boycott the 1998 Nagano Olympic qualifiers and to create his own event, The Arctic Challenge, in 2000, which later evolved into the Ticket to Ride/World Snowboard Tour. Off the mountain, Håkonsen has championed organic food, environmental awareness and adaptive‑sport programs through the Funkisstiftelsen foundation and Greener Events. Although never formally retired, he still appears sporadically in competitions, winning the Sudden Rush Banked Slalom in 2015 and continuing to influence new generations of riders with his uncompromising ethos and innovative approach to snowboarding. Born in the mountain village of Åmot in Vinje, Telemark, he grew up with a father from Trøndelag and a mother from Finnmark, and showed early talent in athletics, cross‑country skiing and football, earning the nickname little Maradona. At fifteen he traveled alone to the United States, negotiating his first professional contracts with Burton and Oakley, and forwent further formal education to pursue his career. His relationship with pioneering American snowboarder Craig Kelly served as mentorship that opened doors to the international scene. Håkonsen’s outspoken criticism of the International Ski Federation’s control over Olympic snowboarding sparked debate, and his 2015 controversial comments on social media about skier Gus Kenworthy drew widespread backlash, leading to a public apology debate within the snowboarding community. In addition to his athletic achievements, he has been honored with multiple Transworld Reader’s Awards, the Mickey Mouse Club Hall of Fame induction, and the Vinje Municipality Cultural Prize. Today he resides in Oslo, continues to work with sponsors, produces film projects, and promotes accessibility in winter sports through his philanthropic initiatives.