 Johan Olofsson
 Bio: There are relatively few snowboarding stars over age 30. Then again, there is only one Johan Olofsson. Johan, 31, found almost instant success when he began competing in half pipe and big air competitions in the mid 1990s. In between podium finishes, he also took a liking to the whitewashed silver screen. “I did movies for six years straight,” says Johan, who lives a 15-hour train ride from Stockholm, Sweden, and 44 miles north of the Arctic Circle. “I was in Tahoe, Utah, British Columbia, and then Alaska.” With frequent filming trips to Alaska, Johan quickly developed a love for the 49th state—and understandably so. He is heralded as one of the first snowboarders to take park moves and translate them to the big mountain and natural obstacles. “A.K. is sort of a second home to me,” he says. “It’s cold there—and I like it cold.” Johan also holds a deep respect for the terrain there: “Alaska is a totally different game from anywhere else,” While spending time in the Chugach Range around Valdez and Haines, Johan started to focus more on finding technical lines and big mountain riding. “Like most lines in A.K., it’s about slough management, with tough faces.” In one pinnacle moment in Alaska, Johan achieved what has so far become his claim to fame. In the movie TB5, filmed in 1996, Johan pulled off a ride that turned the snowboarding community on its head. The descent took him down a slope of over 40 degrees and 3,000 vertical feet—in just 35 seconds. The ride, in which he’s estimated to have averaged close to 50 mph, landed him in the Guinness Book of World Records. Still, with all respect to Guinness, the low-key Johan doesn’t make a lot of the record-setting ride and it’s difficult to get him to rattle off many of his first descents. “It [the record ride] was wide open with a long, long run-up … really it was just fun.” Overall, Johan cuts an easy-going, laid-back silhouette. With a husky, athletic build, shaved head, and beard stubble, it’s just as easy to imagine him at a Beastie Boys concert as at the top of an insanely steep line. Johan took a break from the snowboarding scene after experiencing a series of injuries between 2001 and 2004. He required two separate surgeries to repair a ripped ACL. After the second procedure, he took a step back from pro riding and decided to give back to the sport. He started “Thunder Park”, a terrain park and super pipe at his home mountain in Gallivara, Sweden. After the park was sold, Johan stayed aboard to run it. “It feels good to do it,” he smiles. “and it gives others something fun to do.” Now, fully recovered from his surgeries and mentally recharged, Johan excitedly looks forward to ripping big, broad, steep turns again. In fact, at the time of this interview, his duffel bags were packed for a trip to New Zealand’s Southern Alps. And, while he’s discovered a new and youthful exuberance for the sport, Johan notes how his approach to riding has changed. “I try not to take as many slams as when I was younger.” Huh? Does that mean that Johan is mellowed with age? Not really. It’s just more refined. “The more you ride, the better you get at picking your terrain,” he says. Nickname: Swede Hometown: Gallivara, Sweden Favorite Destination: Alaska, it's my home away from home Birthdate: Scorpio, 1976 Preferred Post-ride Meal: Steak (“definitely medium rare”) Favorite Snowboard Flicks: Snowboarders in Exile Career Highlights:
Awards:
Film Highlights:
|
|
|
||
