This month we profiled Norwegian snowboarding sensation Mikkel Bang. The 21-year-old Oslo native is living his dream, jet setting around the world to find the freshest powder and compete on the pro circuit. You'll find the interview in the December issue of Viking, and you can read the rest of the conversation here:
Viking: Where do you live now, and what is life like as a professional snowboarder?
Mikkel Bang: I still live in Oslo. I stay at home and do my thing—skateboard, play music and work on house stuff. The season starts in December. I compete, film and travel until the beginning of May. Then I go where the snow is good—like Whistler. This year I have Burton as my main sponsor, and I'm in their movie "Standing Sideways." I didn’t get a chance to have a big part because I broke my ankle last January. I managed to get in a couple of tricks in though.
Viking: How do you feel about being on Team Burton and what's it like to have big companies sponsor you?
MB: They have given me the opportunity to travel around the world and have a job, which is pretty crazy. Snowboarding is not really a job to me because I enjoy it so much. I don’t take it for granted, and I’m really happy. The best part about being sponsored is that I get to see so many places.
Viking: What has been the hardest thing to overcome in your career?
MB: Injuries are always challenging. I think you need to get hurt to understand that some stuff is risky.
Viking: What are your career goals?
MB: I want to try to become a little bit more of a big mountain rider. I’ll still ride in contests as long as I’m able to do well.
Viking: Where are your favorite places in Norway and the world?
MB: There are so many beautiful places in the world—I don’t have one specific favorite. There’s a surfing spot on the West Coast of Norway called Stad. It’s probably one of my favorite places. There’s no phone reception—just beach and mountains. It’s not too warm, but it’s really beautiful and they have a really scenic route.
Viking: What are your other hobbies aside from snowboarding?
MB: I enjoy playing music with my friends. I like the guitar, bongo and drums. I really enjoy all kinds of music, especially classic rock and reggae.
Want to see Mikkel in action? Here’s a video of him catching some major air.