Destination: Vancouver

Benjamin Karl, 23, is reigning snowboard World Champion in the parallel slalom. In 2010 he also wants to become an Olympic champion. How he’s preparing for that right now he discloses in an interview.

On July 18 you had a bad fall at the Salzkammergut Trophy, Austria’s biggest mountain bike marathon. How’s your leg now?

At the moment, pretty good. The wound is actually already healed; the stitches will be coming out soon. It’s still very taut around the knee, which is unpleasant. When the stitches are out I’ll start training again – and go swimming, I’ve missed that.

At the Salzkammergut Trophy you competed in the race fully motivated at 5 in the morning under miserable weather conditions. Other winter athletes also use the summer to regenerate; you seem to be at it full on already – when do you run out of power?

I simply love being good at summer sports as well. I don’t fall too short of the pros’ standard. But now I’m going to take a two-week time-out ...

... to finally relax?

Yes and no. I’m going to Wörthersee Lake with my family and my girlfriend. But I still want to train. I just won’t be on the bike for six hours a day.

Is riding more than just a hobby for you?

Today, biking is just a great balance to snowboarding. As a kid I actually thought about becoming a professional mountain biker. But due to the better training opportunities, with the help of my family I then made the decision to become a snowboarder.

You love nature, and cycle over 7000 kilometer in summer. Is it true that you almost survive without weight training?

Outdoors is simply more important to me. The particular strength you need for snowboarding you can’t train at the gym anyway. After a longer break you feel it in your thighs. Apart from riding, I stay fit with stabilization and coordination exercises. I use only my Pezzi ball, no weights.

Why do snowboarders train differently to skiers, who attend a lot of mutual training camps and do lots of stints in the gym?

It has to do with money. We snowboarders simply don’t have the financial means to do training camps in summer.

Would more money facilitate better performance?

I don’t think so, no. We get an individual training program for summer – if you do it four times a week, you look like the cover guy on Men’s Health. But seriously, we’re all adults who know what it’s all about. Everyone trains conscientiously; detailed monitoring isn’t necessary – and our success proves it!

You yourself won the parallel slalom at the World Championship in 2009, and in 2008 the overall World Cup; you’re actually only now missing an Olympic gold medal.

I’m already focusing on Vancouver. The Olympic Games are a huge goal for me. And on top of that I know that I’ve got a penchant for it.

Will you be doing specific preparation for the Games?

No, why should I change anything? Until now, things have always worked very well; my training for the season is the same as it always has been in previous years.

Except for summer last year, when you took part in the ORF TV show ‘Die Überflieger’ and got your pilot license. Have you stayed on the ground since then, or have you been in the air again?

I’ve flown since then. I really enjoy it. But I still have to pick up the certificate from Vienna. I haven’t had any time to do that yet, and because of that I‘ve only had my flying school ID. When I’ve got the actual license I’ll finally be able to fly on my own.