Hanne Eilertsen - Headed for The Olympics
Picture: Daniel Tengs
We had a chat with Norwegian snowboarder Hanne Eilertsen. Hanne constantly excels in the snowboarding scene and is the only female athlete on the senior national team. She is ready for The Olympics in February, but has traveling with only boys affected her in any way?
Hey Hanne, how`s life?
Hey! Life’s good, thanks for asking!
How did you get into snowboarding?
My brother started snowboarding and I thought it looked fun, so I wanted to try it too. I got my first snowboard for Christmas when I was 8 years old, but I remember catching my edge all the time in the beginning, so for the first two years I kept switching between snowboard and skis. When I was 10 years old I competed in my first contest which was the Burton Glory Daze in Hemsedal. I was in the kids category so it wasn’t really a competition for us, but I still had so much fun so after that I pretty much threw away the skis.
We love seing these young girls out there snowboarding. So inspiring! Last year you got into the Norwegian national team, how has it been?
I was really excited to get on the team since it had been a goal for a long time. The past year has been busier with trainings and comps, but I’ve had a lot of fun.
It`s obviously a loooot of work, do you have time to do anything but snowboard related activities?
It is for sure, but we got time to do other things as well. So it’s more about priorities or being too tired. I’m retaking some high school courses to have more options when I’m gonna study later. Beside school stuff I like to paint, knit and play kalimba.
Seems like you have a lot on your plate. Have you ever experienced being treated differently because you`re a girl?
No, not that I can remember.
Good to know! So, why do you think there's fewer girls in professional snowboarding than boys?
Good question. One reason is probably because there are a lot more boys who start snowboarding than girls. Also, I think girls tend to worry more about education.
Photo: K2 / Dominic Zimmermann.
Let´s change that first part asap! You´re always traveling and hanging out with the boys, do you ever miss being surrounded by more girls?
I get that question a lot, but honestly I’m fine. I don’t really think about it. Like we’re all traveling to snowboard, so that’s where the focus is. But I also really enjoy riding with the boys, and I’ve probably had the biggest progression the past year. Off the mountain, it’s always something going on, usually some kind of a game or challenge. It’s really fun though, and I probably laugh the most on those trips.
But even though I’m fine, I still think it’s sad that there are not more girls. Would be really cool if Norway had a big team with lots of girls, like Canada, USA and Japan.
What do you think needs to be done to engage more girls into snowboarding?
It’s a difficult question, but I know what worked for me. When I was younger I went to a lot of snowboarding camps in Norway where i got to meet other kids who also wanted to get better at snowboarding. Some camps were girls only while other camps were for both girls and boys. I really enjoyed those camps and that’s one of the reasons why I wanted to keep snowboarding. I also met girls that would later become my closest friends, and that I would always ride and travel with. It was really great to make those friends at an early age, because we were all hooked on snowboarding and we kept motivating each other. But also any snowboarding event in general is great. As long as girls get to snowboard, make friends and feel like they’re part of a community.
What has been your biggest accomplishment during your career?
Maybe Pleasure Jam in Dachstein, Austria in 2016. It was my first international win that was not a youth contest.
How has it been for snowboarding during corona, with closed boarders?
I’ve actually been able to travel quite a lot, so I’m very grateful for that. But it’s been pretty stressful and it has required a lot more planning than pre-covid. During contests for example, each team are in a social bubble which means that we’re not allowed to hang out with other teams. We have to wear a mask at all times even while snowboarding, and get covid tested every third day. We’re also pretty much isolated in our hotels when we’re not snowboarding.
Snowboarding with face mask, sounds.. Fun. What is next for you? Any destinations in mind?
I’m on my way home from Laax as I’m writing this. Before that i was one week in Calgary and one week in Mammoth. It’s been a lot of traveling lately, so I’m looking forward to get some days at home. I also just qualified for the Olympics which I’m beyond excited about, so that’s where I’m heading next.
If you could travel to a new destination, where would it be?
Whistler in Canada looks sick, would love to go there someday. Also, Perisher in Australia, and Japan for powder would be fun!
What do you want to say to girls who wants to get into snowboarding?
Trust the process, stay away from negative energy and just have fun!
Thanks to Hanne, we are cheering for you all the way to Beijing and back! Give her a follow on Instagram: hanneeilertsen
Do you know anyone with a story to tell, or maybe you’ve got one yourself? Don’t hesitate to write us: contactgrlshred@gmail.com
