Asle Tangvik

Full Name:   Asle Tangvik

Age: 36

Living: Oslo

Years skiing: Two legs since 1979, one leg since 1990

Startet to ski back in the days as a normal guy with two legs, but after a really bad traffic accident I 1986 I lost my left leg. Then it was about 4 years of hard training to get back in normal life. But with some good people around me I finally was back on skies, but now only one ski.

 

Website: raa.no

 

Sponsors:  Kask  Amplid skis, Level Gloves, Patagonia

 

Favourite Kask Beanie:  Live A Little (Black and Red)

 

Achievements/ movies / comp results / other proud moments:

 

Starring in Kong Vinter 5

Starring in Pojkarna I Bilen

 

Competed in 4 Paralympics;

1994 Lillehammer

1998 Nagano

2002 Salt Like

2006 Torino

 

My best racing results are Bronze medal in Giant Slalom Paralympics 2002 Salt Lake. I was 4 in both Giant Slalom and Super-g Nagano Paralympics 1998.

11 and 13 in Freeline Jam Stryn.

6 Place Røldal Freeride Challenge 2007 (in snowboard class for some reason)

 

Favorite areas or descents:

 

Stryn Sommerski, Norway

Oppdal, Norway

Disentis, Switzerland

Engelberg, Switzerland

Snowbasin, USA

Zillertal, Austria

 

 

 

Describe your skiing background:

 

I’ve gone from a racing background to free skiing. I did racing on a high level from 1996 till 2006 and then I quitted the racing and starting jibbing and free skiing in 2004. And after there I done a lot of skiing in different areas in the World and been skiing a lot.

 

In 2006 I felt I’ve done what it was possible to do in my racing career, and wanted to try something new and more exciting things. I was the only disabled people racing on a high level and It was hard to keep up the motivation and always fight with the Norwegian Ski federation. But I had some really good years racing, but now is freeriding the new racing!

 

What was your big breakthrough or defining moment in skiing?

 

In Paralympic in Nagano when I was leading after the first run in Giant Slalom. Then all my competitors got aware of me.

 

 

Describe a skiing experience when things got out of hand:

 

I was forerunning for the first time at World Cup Super-G in Kvitfjell. I went way to fast and crashed pretty bad. But before I crashed in the Tommy Moe section I skied really fast and it was insane fun. One of my best days skiing in a tight speed suite.

 

One year later I was back forerunning before the men’s Super-G. Herman Mayer won and I was 12 seconds behind him, and I was skiing a men’s World Cup course over 2 minutes. Then I was tired.

 

What are you up to when you’re not skiing?

 

Biking, hanging out with friends, going hiking in the mountains. I’m trying to keep in shape training at the gym. And I’m also working in one of the best ski shops in Norway, RÅ Sport in Parkveien 19, Oslo.

 

Any training advice or suggestions?

 

Have fun during training. And train varied, training with friends is always most fun.

 

Who or what inspires you?

 

Aksel Lund Svindal - Good looking and really good skier, off the slopes and on the slopes.

Kari Traa - fun girl and one of my earliest heroes

Tanner Hall – Skies very stylish

Glen Plake – Old School

Good skiers, nice people. Good friends.

 

 

 

 

What are your future plans or goals in skiing?

 

To use all my spare time on skies up in the mountains, to still have fun skiing.