Terje Håkonsen

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Terje Håkonsen (born October 11, 1974 in Vinje, Norway) is a Norwegian snowboarder. Håkonsen is widely considered one of the most influential snowboarders of all time and was one of the sport's early icons.

Håkonsen dominated freestyle snowboarding in the 1990s winning the ISF World Championships in half-pipe three times in a row, in 1993, 1995 and 1997. He has also won 5 European championships in half-pipe (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997), the U.S. Open in half-pipe 3 times (1992, 1993, 1995), and the Mt. Baker Banked Slalom 6 times (1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004). He sat a world record in highest jump in a quarterpipe during the qualifications of Arctic Challenge in Oslo 2007 when he jumped 9,8 meters high.

He is the creator of an aerial snowboard maneuver named The Haakon Flip.^[1]

Håkonsen is also credited to have developed the T6, the world's first snowboard to be made out of a material named "Alumafly," an aluminum honeycomb construction and as a co-creator of the Burton Fish (a powder-specific board) and the Burton Malolo, a cross-breed between a freestyle and powder board. ^[2]

He starred in the documentary First Descent, along with four other exceptional snowboarders, including Shaun White. Other films include The Haakonson Factor and Subjekt Haakonson by filmaker Dave Seoane.^[3]

Håkonsen has referred to the late snowboard legend Craig Kelly as his mentor.^[4]

[edit] Olympics Boycott and formation of Arctic Challenge

When Snowboard halfpipe was introduced as an Olympic event in the 1998 Winter Olympics, Håkonsen boycotted the qualification. Håkonsen, and many other snowboarders, were displeased with the IOC, and particularly the fact that the IOC selected FIS to handle the qualification instead of the snowboarders' own federation, ISF.

Håkonsen, together with Daniel Franck, started The Arctic Challenge as a snowboard event where the riders would be in focus. The Arctic Challenge was first arranged in 2000 and has been arranged in different places in Norway annually since.