Finland's X-Games slopestyle champion Eero Ettala has been at Red Bull UpSprings showing 15 rookies from three countries what life is like as a top snowboarder. We catch up with the flying Finn.
What makes Red Bull UpSprings special?
It's really cool for the kids as they get to spend five days living the life of a professional snowboarder. You live with the pros and get to pick al kinds of tips to improve your skills
What’s your top tip for any rookie?
You’re the sport for one reason and one reason only: for the love of snowboarding. It is not about becoming famous or finding a sponsor. The only way to get really good at this sport is to absolutely love what you do.
Have you come across any great prospects among the kids taking part in Red Bull UpSprings?
Yes, of course. In fact, any one of them could be a pro and they all have the drive to learn more and get better every day.
Is it better for the rookies to have a role model?
It's good to have heroes, you can look up to, especially when you start. But it's important to develop your own style. Snowboarding is all about being creative so you have to do your own thing.
UpSprings gives the rookies some guidance on handling their media profile. How important is the media for a snowboarder?
When magazine editors have the choice between two equally good photos, they are always going to pick the cooler rider, so it’s important to know how to film and photograph a scene properly. It also helps to let the media know that you are open, friendly and "down to earth".
It’s a decade since you were a rookie, yourself. How has the sport changed since then?
When I was a rookie, snowboarding was a half sport, half party. It was a sport of rebels. Today kids take it much more seriously: they want to win the Olympics or the World Cup. Today anyone wanting to get anywhere in snowboarding seriously needs to look after his body.
What's the future of snowboarding? Quadruple jumps?
Every year there’s some new crazy thing to try. At the moment, the trend is for the Triple-Cork and inevitably that means the Quad-Cork is next. That means the jumps have to get higher and higher and that makes them more dangerous. But it was only a few years ago that I thought a double-cork was hard and these days everyone does it.
What do you tell the rookies about taking risks?
Wear a helmet! At any level of the sport, you have to look at your skills and set your own boundaries: in other words, use your head to keep yourself safe, not as a way of braking.
Is that your approach to competition: safety first?
Basically, I put in the jumps that I know I can pull off. But if the circumstances demand it, and I'm in the mood, I’ll take a chance.
You are 26 years old and already an idol. What’s it like to be a “living legend"?
That's crazy! I don’t think about it. I just think it's cool that people respect what I'm doing with a snowboard because I really work hard for it. But I am not expecting to be carried shoulder-high up the mountain any time soon.
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