Biography
As a professional snowboarder, I was able to achieve my first international successes at the age of 15 - a podium finish at the 2012 Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck marked the beginning of my sporting career. At the age of 17, I took part in the important Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014 for the first time and immediately achieved an impressive fifth place. In the same year I also secured a podium place at the US Opens, the largest snowboard event in the world at the time, thereby confirming my place in the Halfpipe Olympus.
Since 2014 I have been able to take part in 3 Olympic Winter Games (Sochi, PyeongChang, Beijing) for the Swiss delegation. I can also prove myself at any World Championships, the LAAX Opens or other World Cups.
Unfortunately, the winter seasons were also marked by several physical and mental blows in the form of serious injuries. Despite successes such as podium finishes at the LAAX Opens, a 4th place at the 2021 World Championships or the X-Games, the past few years (2014-2022) have been a rollercoaster of emotions. Several hours of snowboarding had to be exchanged for physical therapy and strength training, often alone, without a team.
Several knee injuries and concussions have shown me that health is the greatest asset and crucial for extraordinary success. I was able to increase my own resilience, especially during the rehabilitation phases after injuries and operations. I realized my “why” for sport, more about that in my new short documentary
Alternatively, these phases also opened my eyes to the world, which is why I decided early on to pursue a secondary degree in economics at the Swiss Open University. In January 2023 I completed my university bachelor's degree.
In addition to snow sports, I like to spend the summer by the ocean, especially because of surfing, which is why, among other things, I produce sports socks with ocean plastic with my startup Teal Project and sell them throughout Switzerland (www.teal-project.com). Our mission with Teal Project is to create a Swiss brand for sports with sustainable resources.
The balance of physical and mental activity is essential in my career, which is why I am now also an ambassador for the Fernuni Schweiz and the Athletes Network. With this I am committed to a second mainstay as an athlete, as well as the bridge from sport to society and the economy. With presentations and workshops, I speak to companies, associations and graduating classes about topics such as "dealing with stress", "strengthening one's own resilience" or generational conflicts and coexistence between Generation Z and previous generations
Comeback season 2023/2024, after a 2-year break to build up my body and strength, I successfully returned to the competition stage. With consistent performances across all World Cups, I secured 11th place, not only the best placement among the Swiss, but also the best European. This season confirmed that I am back on track to being at my best in competitive halfpipe snowboarding. The focus is now clearly on further top performances in the competition
My big goal in professional sport is to return from the home World Championships in St. Moritz in 2025 and the Winter Olympics in Milan in 2026 with my best performance and precious metal. I also advocate for a healthy approach to oneself. Sport has certainly already taught me an enormous amount and if I can pass on just a small part of it, I will be very grateful.
David Hablützel aka. Swissdave ;-)
