Ursina Haller

Ursina Haller is back in Switzerland after having been rocking the Rockies during the Olympics. She's now reloading for a spring full of riding to finish of the TTR-tour, and soon she will join the girls at Girlie Camp in LAAX.

After closing the window to the noisy street outside, Ursina is ready to talk. Just back from Vancouver a few days ago her voice sounds happy and the green Kermit icon on her Skype profile enhances the feeling.
- It was so much fun in Vancouver. I liked it a lot, she says. The city is beautiful and I met lots of fun people.

It was her first Olympics since she started competing seven years ago. When seeing her ride it's hard to imagine that Ursina only started riding at fourteen and has been doing it for ten years now. She claims that her love for the sport started due to lack of things to do in her home valley.
- We didn't have much to do in Engadin because it's quite small. I also went to a school that taught snowboarding so I tried it. It was so much fun that I just continued. After three years I did my first competition and got sponsored so I started doing more competitions.

Ursina has been through many big competitions over the years, but she says that she's never looked at herself as competitive.
- No, I don't do it for the competitions it's for the whole experience. To just be able to travel around seeing new places and making friends is why I do it. The good thing with snowboarding is that the atmosphere among the riders is relaxed and friendly. We do compete against each other, but the most important thing is to have fun while doing it.

During the years of snowboarding Ursina has gathered a big group of friends all over the world. She says she likes riding with both girls and guys. Her snowboarding brother Christian Haller is always there to push her into trying new tricks, but there's a difference depending on who she rides with.
- When I ride with guys it's more that they tell me what I can do and then they do their own thing, but with girls we ride together practising the same tricks and I enjoy that a lot.

Ursina competes in Half Pipe, Big Air and Slopestyle and she's always trying to develop and learn more. Although she's sometimes afraid before a new trick, the fear disappears after she's tried it once.
- If you fall you fall. You just have to get back up there and try it again. The trick is to be super committed and imagine the trick in your head before you go through with it.

For all the girls who have a dream of becoming a professional rider like Ursina herself she gives this advice:
- Just believe in yourself, have fun and ride a lot!

Things you didn't know about Ursina Haller:

• She studies Political Science
  Her first big trick was a front side 360
  She spends her free time reading, watching good films, having coffee with friends and shopping.
  She injured her knee four years ago and had to take a one-year break
  She can't snowboard hung-over or tired
  She speaks five languages