Valentino Guseli Flying High Into the Olympics – Video Profile

February 9th, 2022

Mountainwatch | Video 

Valentino Guseli has been the standout junior snowboarder in Australia since he was 11-years-old, turning heads here and overseas with his smooth style and technical riding.

When he won the US Open Junior Halfpipe Jam in Vail in 2018 he was given a wildcard into open event, making the semi-finals and finishing in 19th place.  Not bad for a 14-year-old competing against seasoned pros who were 10 years older.

 

Val training at the Australian team training facility in Thredbo last September. Photo: Thredbo

Fast forward to 2020 and Valentino is on the Australian OWIA team and the World Cup tour, finishing 8thin his first ever World Cup after qualifying at number one for the finals. Then on March 31 last year, the day before he turned 16, Val set a new world record when he hit 7.3metres out of the halfpipe in Laax, Switzerland, beating Shaun White’s long-standing record.

 

Photo: Thredbo

He’s now in Beijing and at 16 is the youngest member of the Australian Olympic team. It is fair to say it is a dream come true, but for the young snowboarder from Dalmeny on the NSW south coast, it’s the result of a lot of natural talent, a lot of hard work  and a true love for snowboarding.